Freedom For Today

Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 8:1-8 before reading the devotional below.

Chapter 8 may seem like it’s all about food sacrificed to idols, but it’s actually about something much bigger. Paul was addressing a debate about whether or not food was okay to eat if it was previously sacrificed to an idol, something that would have been common in Corinth with the cultural belief in the Greek gods. The Old Testament law had forbidden eating food sacrificed to idols, but Christians understood that idols are false and ultimately powerless. Food is food, and a false ritual doesn’t change that.

However, if you are a follower of Jesus and have spiritual knowledge and insight, none of it matters if you are an obnoxious jerk. Sadly, that is how many “Christians” act today. They may be right, but their attitudes are all wrong. Before you take up an issue and make it the cause worth fighting for, ask yourself who you might hurt in the process.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Loving brings more freedom than being right.

When was the last time you debated someone about their beliefs? When was the last time you judged someone for their spiritual ignorance? Jesus set us free from a system of rules and laws — we do not have to do any rituals to make us right with God. But when we argue that point with others who may still hold on to some rituals, we lose the very freedom Jesus came to give us. Keep the main thing the main thing when you approach how others handle their beliefs. There is room for a lot of gray on minor issues, and maybe we don’t all have to be exactly the same.

Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 7:29-40 before reading the devotional below.

The realities of the spiritual realm impact our earthly lives. Yes, we have day-to-day responsibilities and we do need to attend to them. But that is not all there is. If you need to take care of your family, if you experience stress or loss, or if something awesome happens to you, it can’t own you. As a follower of Jesus, you maintain an awareness of the spiritual realm.

While not a rule or restriction, Paul reminds us that those who are single are able to maintain a better focus on spiritual work. If you have fewer obligations, you can more quickly say yes to anything God calls you towards. Paul acknowledges that sometimes our earthly passions are too much to handle as a single person, and there is nothing wrong with getting married. But if you can handle a mission-focused life, it is worth doing.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Freedom is found when we aren’t tied down.

An American way of life is all about “stuff.” American Christians also place a very high value on marriage, which has its strengths and weaknesses. Rarely have I heard a sermon preached to a youth group that encouraged them to deeply consider a life of singleness. Far more attention is on how to progress through American milestones well — be a good steward, find a nice Christian to marry, be fruitful and multiply, buy a house (with all that money you saved while being a good steward). These things are not bad or wrong, but we overemphasize them. The less you have tying you down, the more ready you are to go wherever God calls you. What’s tying you down today? What could you remove from your life (debts, obligations outside of marriage/family, etc.) that would make you more able to focus on ministry and spiritual work?

Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 7:20-28 before reading the devotional below.

Freedom is a tricky idea. Can you be free in one area of life while still trapped in another? If you are enslaved, what does it mean to live freely in Christ? Often, we think that in order to live in the freedom Jesus offers us, we have to change our circumstances. In today’s passage, Paul makes it clear that that is not the case.

The time right after Jesus was a challenging time as the church was just forming. Paul encourages everyone to hold tight and not try to change a whole bunch of circumstances in a hasty effort to be a Jesus-follower. Instead, he encourages us to live a godly life in the midst of our circumstances.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Your earthly situation does not define you.

Regardless of the situation you find yourself in today, you can live a free life. Your circumstances changing doesn’t guarantee that you will be more free. Paul is pointing us to an important truth: freedom happens when you encounter the Holy Spirit. You can live freely even in bad circumstances, because true freedom happens deep in your soul. Certainly, if you are able to get free in an earthly sense as well, do it. But if you are powerless over your situation, find freedom in it. This is truly a supernatural act and you can’t do it yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to live your free life right now even as you wait for a way out.

Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 7:12-19 before reading the devotional below.

Yesterday Paul focused his writing mainly on those who were already married or who were struggling with how to manage sexual integrity. Today Paul speaks to “the rest” of the church, offering his own wisdom on how to lead and guide others. It is interesting that Paul includes the caveat, “I do not have a direct command from the Lord.” Because we know that everything in Scripture is God-inspired, we need to keep in mind that God chose to show us the way Paul applied the wisdom he was given.

The overall point, though again not a command, is that those who become Christians after they are already married should not use their Christianity as a reason for divorce. Following Jesus doesn’t mean you abandon your commitments. You can make a difference right where you are. If your spouse leaves you because of your faith, then giving them freedom to go is spiritually appropriate. And if your custom prior to following Jesus did not include circumcision (or if it did), don’t worry about it now. Rituals aren’t what it means to follow Jesus.

Here’s your freedom for today:

Following Jesus is about your heart.

Paul’s wisdom is helpful here because what he is describing is the opposite of a cult. Most cults encourage you to cut off contact with your family or friends. They demand rituals as a sign of your faithfulness to the cult. Paul helps us see that following Jesus is not that. Yes, he encourages it to take over your whole life. Give your all to Jesus. But stay in your life and don’t do a bunch of crazy rituals to prove your devotion. Following Jesus is about your heart. You can follow Jesus with an unbelieving spouse, and you can follow Jesus whether or not you were raised a Jew. There is freedom to live your specific life as a Christian, and you can obey God regardless of your circumstances.

Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 7:1-11 before reading the devotional below.

Yesterday Paul gave instructions about how we can live in freedom with our bodies as followers of Jesus. Today, he gives some practical thoughts on how to succeed in doing that. If you want to avoid sexual immorality, then having a committed sexual partner in a husband or wife is a way to do that. Singleness (and abstinence) is even better, but most people would have a hard time maintaining a celibate lifestyle. Paul had found a calling in that, but he certainly acknowledges that not everyone can reign in their sexual desires.

If you are married, you shouldn’t aspire to singleness. Paul is not trying to glamorize that option as spiritually better. However, if for some reason the marriage doesn’t last, then singleness would be a spiritually wise choice to allow for the possibility of reconciliation.

Here’s your freedom for today:

You are free to live a different kind of life.

Some may read today’s passage and think of it as antiquated or strange. While I do not think it is meant for only an ancient-times audience, it certainly is strange. The world does not operate with these rules today. The important thing to remember is that the Corinthians’ world didn’t operate this way either. Paul wouldn’t have had to write about how to manage sexuality if the Corinthians already had models for that. Being a follower of Jesus meant living a different kind of life — for the Corinthians and for us today. We do not have to be slaves to our bodies. We can choose to live on purpose, including sexually. There is spiritual freedom when we are intentional with how we use our bodies and what lifestyle we choose to live.