•I Corinthians 7:8-9
•Know Thyself
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
(I Corinthians 7:8-9, ESV)
•Main Point
• These verses encourage, especially, widows and widowers
• It is good to remain celibate
• However it does not do to fall into sin unnecessarily
• It is better for widows and widowers to get remarried than succumb to sin through their passions
Application Points
• Know Thyself
• Losing one’s spouse is not something which is foreign to any of us
• What should be done, what is permitted?
• Paul gives freedom to the believer in this regard
• Instead of going along with cultural norms, Paul introduces the idea that Christian women are not bound
• It ultimately gives women the freedom o live their lives as they are should they sense God’s calling
Application Points
• Know Thyself (2)
• We want to be cautious in going too far
• Such a dichotomous view [i.e. Spiritual VS Physical] of creation is not found in the Scriptures
• Celibacy does not mean one is more spiritual or good than getting married and having sex
• The expectation is that we should know ourselves well enough to know where God is calling us
• There is deep wisdom in knowing and understanding who we are
• This requires us to be honest, and brave, enough to admit we aren’t perfect and that we have struggles
Application Points
• Know Thyself (3)
• Hence, Paul declares this to be the case today
• For the individual who can control sexual urges, then a life of celibacy is certainly on the table
• For those where such temptations may cause them to fall into sin, it is better to get married than fall into sin
• While we should always be seeking to walk in step with the Spirit and expect to learn how to overcome…we should also be honest with ourselves
• We rejoice in the fact that we have the Spirit to guide us and give us strength, but the struggle is real
Application Points
• Know Thyself (4)
• This is why there is so much wisdom in these verses
• If one struggles with alcohol it would be unwise to buy a bunch of it and then say, “The Lord will keep me from temptation.”
• We are responsible, and being responsible means not doing unwise things
• It means we would know how to fight ourselves
• It reminds me of ancient battles
• Different kinds of weapons against different kinds of opponents
• If you were fighting against calvary but had no horses yourself what would you fight with?
• If you chose swords then you would probably get decimated
• If you chose spears or pikes then you would be taking away some of the calvary’s advantage
Application Points
• Know Thyself (5)
• Sometimes we try to battle our sinful desires by using the wrong methods
• It doesn’t necessarily mean it will lead to destruction, but it is not a good tactic
• The drunkard should refrain from buying any alcohol and staying away from it
• What then of sexuality and sexual immorality?
• Marriage is the best weapon
• If one has sexual desires the best thing to do is go to the place where God has given the best fight against it…the marriage bed
Application Points
• Know Thyself (6)
• Does this mean that marriage is the “cure all” for sexual immorality?
• Temptations will arise even for the married
• It isn’t to provide the “cure all”
• Spears against calvary is the best weapon, but it doesn’t mean it will lead to victory
• Marriage requires just as much obedience as anything else
• The same way that we are only the temple of the Lord because the Spirit dwells within us, so too is marriage only good should we seek to honor God
Application Points
• Know Thyself (7)
• The point is that we should seek to know ourselves, know our struggles, and know the best way to fight against them
• We shouldn’t “encourage” our widows and widowers to get remarried because we think it is best
• We shouldn’t “encourage” them not to either
• Instead, we should encourage them to know themselves and to know where God is calling them
• This is true for each of us
• To do something dangerous and frightening
• Know thyself
Application Points
• The Gospel of Christ
• Origins
• Fall
• Redemption
• Glorification
