All Things To All People

1 Corinthians 9 starting at verse 19 says;

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the [e]law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without [f]law toward God, but under [g]law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became [h]as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

The primary focus of our lives should be spreading the gospel, both to the public and privately. It can be easy to preach a public message of love, honor, and purity towards Jesus but not so easy to live it in private.

It is good to periodically examine your personal life, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Does your personal life measure up to the standards of the gospel you preach, or does it fall short? If it falls short, know that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and HE is there to help you in your shortcomings.

His grace is sufficient for you, and by his grace, he will enable you to live up to the public image privately. This is very important because when the private does not match the public, it will eventually come to light and can stain the very gospel that you are preaching. As a minister of the gospel, we must very carefully weigh our actions by God's standards and take action when we fall short. This is necessary for all Christians but according to James 3:1, teachers fall under a stricter standard and judgment. I believe this is so because the gospel should not be defamed by one's actions.

Paul understood this and even went so far as to have Timothy circumcised so that they could reach the Jewish people together! He was free from the rituals of the law and so this did not have to be done, but he did it so that their good could not be spoken of as evil.

What a mindset! Let us all be encouraged by this and put it into practice. Let us take an examination of our inward and private lives and pray that God would grant us the grace to grow into his stature.

Let's pray,

Father, we thank you for your goodness and we thank you for your mercies. We thank you that your mercies are made new every day. So, Father, we pray that you would help us to examine ourselves. Highlight to us what needs to change in our personal lives so that we may better reflect your glory and then, please give us the grace to change.

Lord, we desire to be pure vessels that are fit for your use. Please purge us and help us to walk worthy of the calling that we have received. I thank you for all of these things in Jesus name. Amen.

Until next time, I love you in Christ,

Ashley