1 Corinthians, Day 5
I Corinthians Chapter 7
The Love of My Life
Who is the Love of your Life? If you are married, you should probably answer, “My lovely wife” or “My wonderful husband.”
In I Corinthians Chapter 7, Paul gives extensive instructions on marriage. Likely, these instructions were given to address the low esteem for marriage that was a general problem in the “sin city” of Corinth, and that may have been a problem in the Corinthian church. Even today, these instructions are most often consulted when a marriage has been stressed. As we view these instructions given through Paul, we must consider that God regards marriage very highly (Hebrews 13:4).
Marriage is an opportunity to behave like we are made in the image of God — expressing unconditional, unquenchable, relentless love (Ephesians 5:25). Marriage demands faithfulness, loyalty, commitment, and very intentional love. It is a gift from God (I Corinthians 7:7). So, what could be wrong with that, and why would Paul suggest that some people might not marry?
Although this chapter is mainly about marriage, the greater message is about keeping Jesus as the all-important person in our life. This means our position in life is not nearly as important as our position in God’s family, so nothing should interfere with our love for Christ Jesus. And because “love is from God” (I John 4:7), our Lord will not interfere with our love of our spouse. Jesus above all makes the marriage work best.
This life with “Christ over all” extends to everything, even to our personal freedom (I Corinthians 7:21 – 24). What?!! Settle for being a slave?! Those are some tough marching orders. But this “Stay in your lane” message is not a smack-down for our plans; the greater message is that time is short, so don’t spend time on anything but glorifying God. Again, notice that God gets the last word — the instruction is “there let him remain with God.”
The instruction for a married person to live as though they did not have a spouse (I Corinthians 7:29 – 31) needs some context. In Old Testament law, a newly-married man did not go to war for the first year of marriage (Deuteronomy 24:5). For the newlywed, attention to his bride was preeminent over the affairs of the sovereign state of Israel. But when we are called to follow Christ, no one else is preeminent. We subject our marriage to Christ because the world we live in today is temporary. Live accordingly.
Despite this collection of instructions, we have freedom in Christ as defined by the gifts God has given us, and the point of this chapter of instructions is “to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord” (I Corinthians 7:35). God gets the last word.
If you make Jesus the Love of your Life, your earthbound love will get the best you can give. Make life about Jesus.
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“And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent” (Colossians 1:18).
God bless you as you keep Christ first.
Andy Nordquist