[Transcript]
This passage features one of Paul’s most well-known statements: “I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some.” Our question is how this statement connects to the broader discussion about Christian liberties. Starting in chapter eight, Paul argued for giving up our rights to protect those with weaker faith. Then, in the first part of chapter nine, he shared how he personally applied this principle. Now, we will examine this statement and see how it fits within the larger context of the topic.
“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.” 1 Corinthians 9:19
First, let’s clarify what Paul means by being free from all. He began chapter nine by rhetorically asking, “Am I not free?” In that sense, he referred to his freedom in Christ. He was no longer enslaved to the Law and the tyranny of relying on it for justification before the Lord (Galatians 2:16). However, there seems to be a broader meaning at work in verse nineteen. Paul was also free from obligations to other people. Because he refused to accept payment for his ministry, he was not beholden to wealthy patrons or entire congregations as someone would be if they were employed or supported that way. One might say, in modern terms, that Paul was a free agent, bound only by his conscience before the Lord to serve with integrity.
This freedom allowed Paul to do whatever he deemed necessary to be a faithful minister of the Gospel. What follows in verses twenty through twenty-two shows how he exercised this freedom. He could minister to Jews who still followed the Law, even though he knew he was free from it. He could also minister to Gentiles of any background who knew nothing about the Law, even though he understood that he was still under Christ’s law.[1] And within the Body of Christ, he was able to connect with those who had weaker faith. His freedom gave him flexibility to respond to any situation he faced.
I’m confident that over the course of my Christian life, I’ve heard more discussion about freedom in Christ as a justification for sin than for freedom to serve. I’m reminded of Paul’s rhetorical question in Romans 6:1.
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”
For example, I’ve heard Christians defend their use of casual swearing with this logic. “There’s grace that covers me.” Now, can I sit here and tell you that my mouth is pure as the driven snow? No. It’s a remnant of my old self that finds expression in moments of anger or frustration. But it’s not a part of my casual conversation vocabulary. And I’m happy to report that over the years, it has gotten better, but it’s not eliminated. However, you’ll never hear me justify that with freedom in Christ. Your mileage on this may vary from mine, but I think you know what I’m getting at.
Now, obviously, I understand that by the Father’s grace, the forgiveness I receive in Christ means that I don’t have to fret when I fail. This is the freedom that His blood gives me. Because I’m not enslaved to the Law for righteousness, my occasional slip of the tongue won’t condemn me. BUT, I can’t thereby justify an unbridled mouth. Rather, instead of viewing my freedom as a justification to be unbridled – in anything – I’m retraining my mind to see it as freedom to serve. To serve the Lord unburdened by my inevitable failures. To serve the Lord unburdened by concerns that I’m not gifted enough or smart enough. How? Because He supplies my every need to do the work that He has prepared for me. That’s freedom. It’s like an unmerited confidence to show up on a work site where you are underqualified and know that you’ll be supernaturally enabled to do whatever needs to be done. That’s freedom. You can literally do anything that He strengthens you to do. That sounds familiar…
Paul’s freedom to serve implies that we can trust the Lord to make us ready for the work prepared for us. Paul wasn’t encumbered by his failures or his lack. Neither was he impressed by his own position, training, or education. He simply relied upon the Holy Spirit to lead him, equip him, and give him whatever was needed for the work at hand. He was free in a way that made him usable for all things and all people.
“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.” 1 Corinthians 6:24
Paul used an athletic analogy to further his point. Not only is he free, but now that he’s free, there’s no excuse to settle for mediocrity. The kind of freedom we’ve been talking about eliminates all reasons for lackluster participation. If you run poorly, it’s not because the Lord hasn’t provided everything you need to run with excellence. As free as you are to serve, you are equally free to run!
Mediocrity doesn’t necessarily manifest as half-hearted. It often appears in subtler ways. A mediocre effort might be energetic and ambitious, but without organization, the result will fall short. You’ve probably seen people like this. They have great vision but lack follow-through. They come up with big ideas but never focus on the practical details of how they’ll work in reality. There’s nothing wrong with being a visionary or having big ideas. But without the discipline to handle the details or the company of detail-oriented people, the results tend to be mediocre. Lots of sound and fury, but short on delivery.
I’m this strange in-between kind of person. Sometimes I have big ideas, and sometimes I’m a detail person. I think I lean more toward ideas, but often I find myself bogged down in figuring out details and I hate it. I hate it, but I’m not bad at it either. I hate it because well over half of my big ideas get deflated by my own investigation into the details! But I’m drifting… my point, and Paul’s point, is that we should run with excellence. That just means maximizing what you’ve been given for His kingdom. It’s not much more complicated than that. So for me that means I’m working at two levels. I’m trying to use what I’ve been given, for sure, but I’m also working to sharpen and improve what He’s given me. Psalm 33:3 tells musicians to play skillfully. Implied in that is a sharpening of skill. It’s a holy discontent with how you’ve always played or sang. Sing a new song, play skillfully. Learn something new. Purposefully stretch yourself. And if you hit a ceiling, make sure you’re always playing at that ceiling, and nothing less. I apply that same ethic to writing, preaching, teaching, woodworking, etc. It’s multiplying the talents that you were given to shepherd.
Paul’s solution to mediocrity – whether in zeal or administration – was self-discipline. This goes well beyond willpower. Willpower alone doesn’t finish the race.
“But I discipline my body and subjugate it, lest somehow after preaching to others, I myself should become disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:27 (LEB)
Disciplining the body isn’t about extreme ascetic practices. Think of it as retraining its muscle memory. Our bodies naturally develop automatic responses for quick reactions. You can also train your body to respond automatically to situations. A natural, automatic response might be putting your hands out to break a fall. A trained automatic response could be compared to a basketball player shooting a basket. There’s a specific way to hold the ball, an optimal position for your hands on the ball, the correct alignment of your arms with the ball, the proper focus of your eyes, and even the way the seams on the ball align with your hand when you shoot. A skilled basketball player doesn’t even consciously think about these details. In a split second, the ball and body are oriented and the shot is made instinctively, without deliberate thought about the mechanics of shooting a basketball.
Paul retrained his body’s responses to the pressures and situations in his life. Through the renewal of his mind (Romans 12:2), the reorientation of his thoughts (Philippians 4:8), an unceasing prayer life (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and the intentional discovery of his gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31, 14:1), Paul reprogrammed his body’s automatic reactions. His body was prepared to respond in Christ-like ways instead of Paul-like ways.
“So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.” 1 Corinthians 9:26
Running aimlessly doesn’t seem like a good solution for anything. However, it accurately describes the spiritual lives of many Christians. Being aimless doesn’t mean you lack vision; it just means you lack a clear path to reach the goal. A big clue that you lack a clear path is when you often find yourself exhausted, but you’re not making any progress.
Paul refused to run aimlessly. He trained his whole self and reoriented his life to the calling Christ placed on him. It sounds simple, but having a clear sense of calling is one thing; walking it out with endurance is another. How many believers have felt the Lord call them to a purpose, only to fizzle out or disqualify themselves before finishing the race? Fizzling out and disqualification are both signs of taking shortcuts in your disciplines.
Here’s an all-too-common scenario with made up people.
At twenty-two, Robert felt the Lord calling him to preach. He tested the call by getting into the Word, evaluating which spiritual gifts were emerging in his life, and consulting trusted people to see if it seemed likely. Every test resulted in a green light, so he moved forward to pursue the calling. He began well. He had a knack for public speaking, so he leveraged that talent for preaching and teaching. He prayed regularly and studied with diligence.
Then he met Julie. Julie was smitten with him. They had mutual friends and met at a birthday party. He was unmarried, she was unmarried, and they both loved Jesus. They dated for a few months and married quickly so sexual temptation wouldn’t get the best of them. Robert’s friends were concerned that he married too quickly, but it was too late.
Four years into their marriage, Robert is given an ultimatum. Stop preaching or she’s leaving. See, they were physically attracted to each other when they met, but because they didn’t exercise wisdom while they dated, they kept putting themselves in sexually tempting scenarios. Rather than fail sexually and ruin his ministry, Robert proposed to a woman who, though she loved the Lord, wasn’t prepared for the stresses that ministry can bring to a married couple.
Robert stopped preaching to save his marriage. Did God call him to preach? Absolutely. Did he wreck his ministry through shortcuts in discipline? Absolutely. Instead of putting their relationship on ice while they were dating, he let himself be led by his desires and took a shortcut to their fulfillment. It looked like saving his ministry, but in the end, he shipwrecked it.
A well-disciplined life will not fizzle out or disqualify itself from the Lord’s calling. The believer who masters this will find their inner self renewed each day, even if the outside is wearing out. Paul lived this and called everyone who would hear his teachings to do the same.
“Therefore we do not lose heart, but even if our outer person is being destroyed, yet our inner person is being renewed day after day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 (LEB)
Brother....this is great.