1 Corinthians 7:24 Brothers, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. Observe the peril of Christianity, as it spread among the nations, disturbing the social conditions, customs, and relations. Yet Christianity never directly attacks social evils, war, slavery, etc. There was also a constant danger of men's conceiving Christianity as a ceremonial and outward, and not as a spiritual and inward, religion. Our Lord had constantly to resist the expectation that he would prove a new Maccabeus, a national Messiah. And so the apostles had to assert constantly that Christianity is not, first of all, an ordering of conduct, but a life, an inward spiritual thing, that can gain expression in all circumstances and through all relations. A man may "abide" in whatever state he is when "called," seeing that he can there live out the Christian spirit and the Christian life. I. THE LORD'S CALL. Notice: 1. Its form. It comes through human agency. 2. Its effectuality. It is accompanied by the witness and the sealing of the Holy Ghost. II. THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH THE LORD'S CALL MAY FIND US. Illustrate: 1. The personal conditions, as suggested by the distinction of circumcised and uncircumcised. 2. The relative conditions. We may be bond slave or freeman, master or servant. III. THE CHRISTIAN'S DUTY IN RELATION TO THE CONDITIONS HE IS IN WHEN CALLED. As a rule, he had better remain in them. The new life in Christ should not make men restless concerning their circumstances. It is always a far nobler thing to conquer circumstances of disability by the power of Christian principle and Christian life, than merely to change our circumstances, and shake ourselves free from the disability. Press, in conclusion, that God's presence is not conditioned by any outward positions in which we may be placed. He dwells with contrite hearts everywhere, and pays no heed to the presence or absence of the brand marks of the slave. - R.T. Parallel Verses KJV: Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.WEB: Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God. |
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