So often we take a Scripture out of context in order to fulfill in our hearts, the desire we have to allow ourselves to indulge in the culture in which we live. One of the phrases used in our modern day has driven us to a secularized Christianity. A faith that no longer produces holiness in ourselves but even more devastating is the witness that we have been to the world not for Christ but against Him.
The phrase that I am referring to today is found in 1 Corinthians 9:16-23.
16)For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17) For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18) What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. 19) For though I am free from all men. I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20) and to the Jews became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are without the law; 22) to the weak I become as weak that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23) Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
This passage has been used by some believers as licence to do what the heathens do to win them to Christ. Would God ever ask us to act like a heathen to win the unsaved? I say not.
Romans 6:1-5 says: 1)"What shall we say then? Shall we sin that grace may abound? 2) Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ......5) For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.
The Words of Scripture here are not giving licence for a believer to act as the heathens do to win them, rather we are given the mandate to give up those things that are allowable in order to resist becoming a hindrance to the gospel. If we offend a non-believer by eating meat, even though we are free in Christ to do so, we will abstain from eating meat in the presence of those vegetarians to avoid any distraction from the work of the gospel. It is important to study the culture of another people group before we go to them with the gospel. Not for the sake of becoming like them, but to avoid doing things that we are free to do but that would be offensive to them. Eating meat is only one example, there are others such as clothing style. Our clothing must always reflect modesty in obedience to Scripture.
In recent years there was an article written about an American woman who was in the military in an Islamic country. While in the military, the mandate was handed down from the authorities that any woman leaving the American base would wear Islamic garb in deference to the laws of the host country. The woman in question, refused to wear what she considered to be a symbol of Islam when she left the base, because she felt it violated her conscience to wear anything that validated this false religion. I thought on this for a long time wondering what I would do in this situation. After much searching of my heart I realized that perhaps the conscience of this woman was weak. The Bible says that we must follow our conscience but it is a weak one that is focused on, what we eat and what we wear, of course within the guidelines of modesty and wholesomeness. I do not berate this woman for obeying her tender conscience. But at the same time I think that if my Christian testimony would be distract by my clothing, I would wear the Islamic garb to draw attention away from clothing so that the gospel would be heard. I believe this is akin to not eating meat offered to idols mentioned in 1 Corinthians 8. I would not be sinning to wear Islamic garb in the countries where it is the law, as long as it meets the criteria in Scripture that mandates modest clothing. Also the Scripture commands us to obey the laws of the land in which we live. To rebel against the American officers in authority over this military woman, and the host country seemed misguided. Then of course there is the discussion of a woman in the military to begin with, that is another discussion by itself.
Paul was not telling us to become like unbelievers to win them. He was telling us to give up things that will be offensive to them, in order to remove the distraction from the gospel. Having said this I feel compelled to clarify that sometimes the gospel itself will be offensive and our modest clothing will irritate non-believers, I do not say that we should change in defiance of the commands of Scripture to win unbelievers. Never. But when we dress like the heathens in an immodest manner, we disobey God and harm our own Christian witness, no to mention our own spiritual well being and the example that we leave with other believers.
Our first concern is, what does God think of this action, and secondly, how will this action influence other believers, lastly how will this action distract my witness with non-believers. We are to obey God rather than man, as stated in Acts 5:29.
If we take our focus off of our selves and onto Christ, we will not violate our conscience or bring reproach to the name of Christ by our actions.
Blessings!!
Gwendolyn
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