Bible Reading

1 Corinthians Chapter 9 - By All Means, Save Some

How far will we go for someone’s soul?  

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2 copper mites

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2 min read

How far will we go to bring a soul to Christ?

How much effort and sacrifices are we willing to make for someone’s salvation?

For Paul:
“I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more.” (1 Cor 9:19)
“… that I might by all means save some.” (1 Cor 9:22)

Paul had absolute consideration for the souls of others, even if it meant denying his own rights and freedoms, such as the right to be financially supported by the church (1 Cor 9:9-12) and the freedom to eat meat (1 Cor 8:13). Instead of using his rights and freedoms for self-indulgence, Paul chose to use them to serve others in love (Gal 5:13).

How about us today – do we have such consideration for the souls of others?

Do we live our lives in servitude of others, going the extra mile to ensure all our choices, words and actions glorify Christ and lead others to Him? Even if it means denying ourselves of certain freedoms in our choice of social activities, hobbies, fashion, careers, etc.?

As Paul said:

“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (1 Cor 9:27)

To be capable of such self-denial, Paul needed to discipline himself and control his own desires. Only then could he live a life of consciously loving the souls of others more than himself. Otherwise, if Paul failed to practice what he preached, he would not only disqualify himself but also risk becoming a stumbling block to others who might follow his bad example.

Today, the world may frown upon such a servile life, in the name of individualism and self-actualisation. Yet, Jesus Himself chose absolute servitude over self-actualisation, for the sake of saving our souls (Mk 10:45; Philip 2:7). Therefore, if we truly want to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, let us fulfil our role as a faithful “servant to all” and be willing to go the extra mile to win a soul into heaven.

May the love of Christ motivate us to love the souls of others, just like how He selflessly loves the souls of humanity, including ours.

See Also

Romans Chapter 10 - Where will you preach?

Romans Chapter 10 - Where will you preach?

At the point that he wrote Romans 10, Paul likely had a lot of people on his mind.  Some studies estimate that Paul was on his third missionary journey when he wrote Romans, addressing Christians who lived in Rome, where he hoped to visit eventually.  Being on one’s third missionary journey naturally means having gone for a first and second. Indeed, he had.  Unlike some of our church’s missionary journeys today that are limited to one country, Paul’s journeys were peppered across the region of Asia Minor. There were hence many different cities he visited, hundreds or possibly even thousands of believers whom he edified. Not only was Paul’s heart sincere towards these Christians whom he met, Paul also took significant actions for them.  Paul wrote of how he affectionately longed for the members in Philippi (Philippians 1:8-9). To the church in Thessalonica he wrote, “So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives . For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil…” (1 Thessalonians 2:8-9). Additionally, he explicitly shared that he prays for the churches in Corinth, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica (2 Corinthians 13:7; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:11).  Paul knew that God had called him to be “an apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13), and he set an exemplary example for us of how to be a good shepherd for Christ.  But this was not all. Still, his heart’s desire was for even more people to know our God. In Romans 10:1, Paul writes: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” This is fascinating, especially since Paul had tried to preach the gospel to the Jews previously but was redirected to the Gentiles by God’s hand.  He had done above and beyond what many of us may not even consider attempting with regards to preaching the gospel. And yet zeal to see the Jews saved still compelled him.  This makes me think about our congregation’s heart for evangelism. How often do we channel God’s love for humanity into the action of sharing His word? How much do we burn with desire to see souls saved? Or do we feel languid about our own salvation in the first place? For those of us who yearn to preach but feel helpless that others don’t respond well, we can have our faith renewed with Paul’s perspective. He saw the might and personal efforts of the Lord. ‘But Isaiah is very bold and says: But to Israel he says: Whether to Jew or Gentile, God makes Himself known to them. (See also Romans 1:20; Acts 17:26-27).   In God’s salvation plan, He wants to save all mankind (John 3:16).  Paul saw this unity regardless of race and ethnicity that comes through belief in the one true God, Jesus Christ. Moreover, he saw and was motivated by the blessings that would come to one who followed Christ and submitted to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:3). Do our cultural prejudices seep into our evangelical work, such that we only share the gospel with people of certain races, ethnic groups, tribal identities, or nationalities?  Have we forgotten the goodness of God, the hope of His calling, the power of God to salvation in His gospel?   In Christ, there is no distinction between the Chinese, Singaporean, Indian, Burmese, Iraqi, Austrian, Finnish, the Algonquin people, the Māori, Ghanaian… This year, where will your work of evangelism begin?

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