Monday 22 Jul 2013

Monday Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 7:20
20  Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.

Devotion:
Christianity is something that is to be found the world over and not limited to the parts where we think it belongs. We have our own ideas about what kind of people should be called of God and what kind of person should be called a Christian. A Christians is a person who firmly believes in their heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He came to die for our sin debt, was buried, rose again the third day and now abides in Heaven.

Nowhere in that description is anything about the most awful sinner never being forgiven, or the person in the darkest place on earth not being able to call on God. God is the God of the whole of creation and not just a god of some people who think He is real! Every person should be living for God and every person should recognise that God is calling out to them; the problem is that not every person recognises that fact and so not every person can become a Christian.

Jews and slaves were used here in the text because that is what the people recognised at the time. They understood about slavery and bondmen because they lived with it. They understood about circumcision and Jewish laws because they lived with them. Nowadays our societies seem to be far more diverse – or at least we think they are because we get to hear a whole lot more about societies the world over. But God is still God over every single one of us because He is our sole Creator.

Each one of us has a life to live and we should be living it for Christ in whatever circumstance we are in. Whether we live on a small island or in the biggest cities, God is still with us and we should still be showing others that we believe in the same God as Abraham did, but we should also recognise that Christ fulfilled the prophesy that our Messiah would come to save the world from sin. That is what we should be carrying out to the people around us so that they can get to know our Saviour as well.

Points to Ponder:
Do you think you are in the wrong place?

What would Jesus do in your place?