Grace Church Wednesday Nights - 1 Corinthians Pt 18

All Things to All Men

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1 Corinthians 9:19-27 (ESV)
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19. For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.

This is part of a big section that started with chapter 8.  He is basically telling the people that they are right in their theology but wrong in your application.  Love should be what consider when dealing with others.  If something is immature and thinks something is a sin, then it is a sin. 

Paul, as we established, had a right to be paid but did not since he did not want to be a stumbling block to them.  These verses are a continuation of how he does things.  His driving purpose in everything that he did was to win people to Jesus Christ.

20. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.

21. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.

22. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

It is quite clear that the purpose of Paul's life was to save as many as possible, and to do that he became what they needed him to be. Paul was willing to do anything short of sin to bring someone to Christ. Are you that sold out to win souls to Jesus?  

Gal. 2:4-5 

 4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 

5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

We can modify the method but we cannot modify the message.  Paul was and we should be flexible in the things that can be flexible and firm on what must be firm.  

V. 21  Gal 6:2 - Law of Christ is to love. 

23. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

He want people to share the blessings of Christ.

24. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

25. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

26. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.

27. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

There was an Olympic type games at this time.  Paul would have known this as well as the people he was talking to.  They did not get an award for participation. If you did not come in first place you lost.  The goal was for them to win the race.  They would discipline themselves to win this prize. And it was something that would perish. We each have a race to run.  We have to discipline ourselves to meet the call that God has on our lives.  Stay focused, stay on target.