That By All Means

1^st Corinthians 9:22

“To the weak I became weak,

that I might win the weak.

I have become all things to all people,

that by all means I might save some”

For me to imagine the heart behind this verse is to see a heart radically raw and full of love for God first, others second, and self last. If we understand the gospel as it truly is we would cry aloud with Paul “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” Verse 16. To have a knowledge of the one thing that saves and keep it to yourself is a suffocating feeling. Each one of us has family that is not saved, each one of us have dear friends who do not know Christ, and each of us has felt the pain of a brother or sister walking away from God. When I see the suffering sin reaps in the life of unbelieving friends and keep the gospel hidden in my heart, I feel woe, I feel the deep burning in my heart. I want to share the Gospel but I wonder if they are ready to hear it. Ashamedly I say that many times I have held back when I should have spoken. Woe is me! A coward and nothing better. I pray I become more bold. Still I struggle. I need to stop looking at what might go wrong and remember what may go right. I need to trust God to do the work in the heart and simply speak truth to others in love.

In this verse I see not only a heart willing to share the gospel but also a heart sensitive to the views of others, Yes the gospel is offensive to some because of what it reveals in their life, but for heavens sake we should not be if we can avoid it! Paul had every freedom in Christ to do as he pleased, yet he sacrificed self in order that he might save some.

To each culture I must also submit myself in full respect of others, so long as it is not sin, though I am free to eat how I want, speak how I wish, yet if I offend apart from the gospel what good is it? None!

If I have to sweat in heavy pants, or wear a skirt, or wear a head covering to be culturally sensitive that I may not offend according to this verse I aught to. If I must get out of my comfort zone and greet people I will.

And why, That by any and all means I might save some. Heaven help me if by wearing shorts I hinder a person from receiving the gospel. Heaven help me if by my crude speech a person is offended and sees only me and not the gospel. Heaven help me if I in any way offend by my own sin or liberty and the gospel is not received because it came from my lips.

Heaven help me because this is a battle for souls. Not only that but heaven help me if by my own interest I divide the church of God and therefore distract from the work God wishes to do.

And the saddest part is I will mess up, but even when I mess up I must keep striving. “A Christian isn't someone who does the right thing, it's someone who does the right thing after doing the wrong thing.” No matter how we fall, just get back up.

Application

Be sensitive to the beliefs of others without compromising the gospel. And submit to other believers without sin. That by all means I may save some.

How?

Tonight I will keep my speech clean of course jokes.