All Things to All People

Read Judges 9

Read 1 Corinthians 9

Today Paul explains how he goes about evangelism. Sometimes today we say something like we "meet them where they're at." Some wonder what that means. I think when people say that they mean that they are trying to evangelize like Paul did. He put it this way: he becomes all things to all people that he might win some.

He tries to be like them as much as possible to try and relate to them. But notice that Paul NEVER forgets who he is. Even if he fulfilled obligations of the Law to try and reach the Jews, he remembers that he really is free from the Law. But he willingly submits himself to it again to reach his fellow Jews. To those outside the Law (Gentiles), he lives like them in order to reach them. However, Paul does not go crazy and join in all the immorality. This is what Paul means when he says that he is still under the Law of Christ even when is is living like those outside the Law.

He belongs to Christ, and he will never compromise that. But at the same time he's going to do all he can to win the lost.

That reminds me of someone else. Jesus left his throne above, and being found in human form, he walked and talked with humans. He felt our weakness and bore our suffering. And he became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Becoming like us, he died to redeem us.

We can certainly be thankful we have such a compassionate Savior who would do all things necessary to save us! And we can certainly learn from the example of Paul, and do what we can to reach out to people around us, even people different from us.

What will that look like? That's for each of us to discover.

Pray:

Lord God, we give you thanks and praise for sending your Son to be like us; to become fully human, to bear our burdens and carry our sins to the cross. Thank you that we have full and free salvation in him. Help us, like St. Paul, to become all things to all people so that we too might win some. Amen.

Study with me tomorrow,

Pastor Jon

Soli Deo Gloria!