1 Corinthians 7:17-40—live in undistracted devotion
1 Corinthians – Part 12— 1 Corinthians 7:17-40
Stonebrook Sunday AM, 04/19/26, Brad Barrett
The summer after my freshman year at Iowa State, I began a quest to discover more about God.I started reading—secretly—the Bible. I don’t recall what I read.And I don’t remember if I understood any of it.
But in my fledgling way, I believed the Bible had answers to eternal life, so I was curious.
All these years later, many of us this morning have that same confidence that the Bible is truly the very words from heaven.
We are in the middle of a sermon series going through fascinating letter written by God’s spokesman named Paul.We call it 1st Corinthians.It’s a challenging letter with some hard but important topics.
Previously in Corinthians
Because we’ve split chapter 7 into 3 different sermons, let’s review the first half of the chapter in order to reflect on what Paul has written so far.
Over 2 earlier Sundays,Paul addresses various needs related to marriage, singleness, and divorce.
- A main point in our first week is to those already married:do not live a celibate life within marriage.Both spouses have conjugal rights for the sexual relationship.Paul needed to say this because for reasons not explicitly stated, some of the Corinthians somehow thought that it was better to be celibate.I suspect it was some worldly, unbiblical philosophy that was anti-marriage and anti-physical, as in, physical things and pleasures are inherently evil.
- Then last week, Matt looked at vs. 10-16 on crucial instruction about marriage, how permanent the covenant of marriage is to be, and whether or not it’s permissible to divorce or remarry.The Corinthians had either forgotten or simply been ignorant of the clear teachings from Jesus and throughout biblical history, starting in Genesis, that God has given marriage as a life-long, glorious earthly picture of something heavenly….that is, marriage is a picture of God and his relationship with his bride, the people of God, the church.
Today in the second half of the chapter, Paul continues on this topic of marriage and singleness, but he emphasizes and amplifies a point he has already made.In fact, he repeats that theme multiple times in our passage today.
That theme is basically, “Stay in the situation the Lord had already assigned to you when he saved you.”
- If you are married, stay married.
- If you are single, stay single.
- If you are in a particular social situation, stay there.
Some of what he offers are clear commands.Some of what he offers are not commands but is wisdom from a man with a great passion for Jesus Christ and who has authority as an apostle of Jesus.
remain where you are (7:17-24)
Read 1 Corinthians 7:17–24
Let’s focus on vs. 17 first:
1 Corinthians 7:17 CSBLet each one live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him. This is what I command in all the churches.
Verse 17 clearly proclaims Paul’s underlying theme throughout the entire chapter as he addresses marriage, singleness, divorce, and remarriage.That theme is, “God had assigned a situation to you when he saved you.Stay in that situation.”This theme is repeated at least EIGHT TIMES in this chapter.If the Lord says something once, we should earnestly listen.If he says it EIGHT times, we should doubly listen.
Now in this section, Paul expands that theme to religious and social areas, too.Circumcision.Slavery and freedom.
We’re not told precisely what the Corinthians were thinking, but it seems they were hyper-focused on changing their statuses.
Throughout this chapter, we have read that the Corinthians were thinking:
- If married, be celibate.
- If married, get divorced.
- If single, get married.
They also wanted to make changes in social and religious ways.
- If uncircumcised, get circumcised.
- If slave, get free (which Paul says is good, if you are able)
Overall, somehow their thinking was cloudy.They were hyper-focused on the wrong things.They were placing high priorities on things that are either forbidden by God or at a minimum lower priorities in God’s eyes.They had forgotten, like in vs. 19, that obedience, “Keeping God’s commands”, matters far more than religious and social statuses.
Vs. 23 is important.“You were bought at a price.”
He is repeating what he said just a few paragraphs earlier at the end of chapter 6:“You were bought with a price.Therefore glorify God even with your body.”
The highest goal in life is to glorify and honor and love the Lord, not to change our status in life.Paul says a bit later in this letter:
1 Corinthians 10:31 (CSB)So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
This is a great life goal for the Christian.
And then at the very end of the letter, Paul commands this:
1 Corinthians 16:14 (CSB)Do everything in love.
I love the simplicity and brevity of this:Everything you do in life should be out of love.Love for God and love for others.So between these two passages, the Corinthians—and all of us—find a framework for our lives.
But the Corinthians here in Chapter 7 are caught up in changing things in their lives for wrong or incomplete reasons. So Paul repeatedly says, “Stay in the place you the LORD ASSIGNED to you when He saved you.”He does give some exceptions throughout the letter, so he clearly acknowledges that some changes can be within the will of God.
Butwhether we change or not, our first priority is obedience to the Lord.To glorify the Lord and to do everything in love for him and for others.
Live in undistracted devotion (7:25-40)
Now we move into the last part of this chapter where Paul spells out an ultimate reason we should remain where we are:it is so that we won’t be distracted from complete devotion to Jesus.
Read 1 Corinthians 7:25–40
Vs. 25 Paul says, “Now about virgins…”Like in vs. 1, he seems to be addressing another question that the Corinthians was raised in a previous letter.
And the word “virgin” in Paul’s day generally referred to an unmarried woman, though it’s possible it includes an unmarried man.
Also in vs. 25, Paul says what he is about to say is NOT a command from God.Jesus never spoke directly about this topic, but Paul is offering his advice.We could say he, one of the godliest men in this church age, a man who is faithful (trustworthy)—this man is offering us wisdom.Insight into the major life decisions of marriage.So we should pay attention to his wisdom.
What is his wisdom?To those who have never been married, consider remaining single.
To those of you here today who are single, I suspect many of you don’t like that advice.You want to be married.And that is a good desire, for marriage is a good thing.For God himself created it.
So why is Paul offering wisdom to singles to stay single?
In vs. 26 he says it’s because of “the present distress.”And vs. 31, “This world in its current form is passing away.”
He is not crystal clear on what that distress is.
- Some speculate it’s because of persecution that the Christians were encountering.
- Others speculate it’s because, from historical records, we know there was a severe famine in that part of the world.
- Others say Paul is thinking of the last days before Christ returns, and the challenges that Christians will face in those days.
Whatever the precise trouble is that Paul speaks of, this much is clear:Paul prefers the single life because it can provide fewer distractions from being fully devoted to Jesus.
Now Paul clearly says in vs. 28 it’s not a sin if the single person gets married (vs. 28), but marriage does bring some challenges.Perhaps most of us know that marriage and parenting bring many challenges.For the average person, life gets more complicated when comparing life as a family of five to life as a single.Not better or worse, just more complicated.
Paul’s point here is not about avoiding trials related to marriage.He is not promoting an easier, more comfortable and care-free, self-centered life.
He simply knows that there are many challenges facing couples and families, and such things CAN—though they don’t have to— distract us away from Jesus.
Vs. 29-31
Then in vs. 29-31, Paul isn’t saying, “Husbands, ignore your wives,” or, “Never be happy or sad.”
His overall point is, There are many distractions and challenges in life.Life is short;eternity is very long.
So don’t get engrossed in the things of this world.Don’t get bogged down or put too much focus on earthly things, because they can take your eyes off Christ.”
Vs. 35
All this is moving towards Paul’s main point in all this in vs. 35, a key point in the entire chapter:“I want you to be devoted to the Lord without distractions.”
What kinds of things distract us?
- The complications of family life can distract us.We have to work hard to not let it take our eyes off Jesus.
- Attitudes in our hearts can distract us.For example, discontentment over my possessions and a longing for more and more money can distract me.Jesus spoke in Matthew 6 about the lures of money and possessions.
- More and more possessions can distract us.More to buy, maintain, repair, and store.And then I have to replace the ones that wear out.Or simply to buy one that is a little better.Even yesterday I was looking at Amazon to buy a $10 gadget that I thought my simplify my life.Provide fewer distractions.But then I thought, well, if I buy it, I will have one more gadget to keep track of.
- More and more activities.I am running around declaring how busy I am like it’s a badge of honor.
But beyond what is clearly spelled out in Scripture, I can ‘t prepare some precise list of possessions or activities or social statuses that we all have to walk in, for the Lord doesn’t get that precise in so many areas of life.
What distracts me might not distract you.So I need to flee from judging others or comparing them to myself. But we all have things that concern us and take our eyes off Christ.
Paul’s great passion is NOT whether we are single or married.It is not even about being a slave or free.It is Christ.Paul wants our entire lives to be wrapped up in Christ.
So here is a question for us all this morning:
Are you living a distracted life or a devoted life?
A word of caution here:
- Some of you are more like me, and you can overthink this question.And even fret about it.Don’t do that.The Lord is kind, and he can guide us.
- Others of you typically don’t reflect often in deeper questions like this.If that’s you, you might need to take a harder look at your life.
For any of us, we might step back and ask at this point, “Why is Paul so absorbed with keeping Jesus in the highest place?Isn’t he being a bit overboard here?I mean, sure, I want to follow Jesus.But I don’t want to be a zealot, do I?”
To understand Paul, we can go to the Book of Acts—chapters 8 and 9.He was a violent persecutor of Jesus’s church.Acts 9:1 says, “Saul was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.”
His life was headed for destruction.He deserved God’s wrath for what he was doing to Christ.
But the Lord literally and mercifully struck him blind to get his attention.Paul humbled himself, repented of his hatred for Jesus and Jesus’s people, called out for mercy, and then entrusted his life to Christ.And so the Lord had extraordinary mercy by forgiving and saving Paul.
From then on, Paul knew that the life he now had belonged to the Lord.And as much or more than any Christian in the past 2000 years, Paul emulates for us the true Christian life.
So whether we are married or single, Paul says, “Life is short.Times are hard.Yet I want your passion for Christ to still be the highest goal in your life.”That is Paul’s heart here.It’s not about some legalistic list of can’s and can’ts.
If I keep Christ at the center, then everything I do can glorify God.Everything. Caring for the health needs of my wife can glorify God.Developing software at your job.You can love the Lord in that.Helping a brother in Christ walk through a crisis in his life.You can honor the Lord with that.
remain where you are (7:36-40)
Let’s read Paul’s final words.He now finishes with some instruction
Read 1 Corinthians 7:36-40
Vs. 36-38
Vs. 36-38 has some challenges from the original Greek on how to precisely translate it into English.
Literally the word is “virgin,” but there are a couple of ways these verses can be translated.
The CSB Bible I am reading from translates it to refer to a single man who is engaged to a woman.
But until the past century or so, the general consensus was that Paul was writing with fathers in mind and whether they give their virgin daughters away in marriage.That was a common social practice for fathers back then, and it still is today in certain parts of the world.
In either case, I find that Paul’s argument is the same that he has been making throughout the chapter.He thinks staying single is better, for all the reasons he has already covered, to help us live in undistracted devotion to Jesus.
Vs. 39-40
Then in vs. 39-40, he ends the chapter with another mention of staying married, and not getting divorced.
But then he says, “If your spouse dies, you are officially released from the covenant of marriage.”
In all the biblical discussion about remarriage, this is by far the clearestsituation that allows remarriage:if your spouse has died.But even to that widow or widower, Paul’s wise advice remains the same:Stay single.
Once again, to Paul all these marital and social statuses are far less important than your heart towards Jesus.Follow him and obey him.
Application
So now what do we do from this chapter?
Spread out over three Sundays, we have looked at this remarkable and challenging passage with the big header of Marriage, Singleness, Divorce, and Remarriage.So there is direct application in that topic.
At the same time, Paul is placing all of this within this major theme of “Remain where you are.”Do this to keep your eyes on Jesus.He is the most important Person in your life.Obedience to him is what matters.
So here are some questions to consider:
- What will it take for me (and my family, if married) to keep my eyes more focused on Christ?
- Are there activities to cut or change?Am I running around frantic like Martha in Luke 10, or am I able to sit quietly at Jesus’s feet like her sister Mary?
- Are there commitments to drop or add?Do we have possessions I should sell (or not buy)/. Should I make a change in my job (if possible) so that it doesn’t absorb all my thoughts
- In general, whether I am single or married, am I too much me-centered and not Christ-centered?
- What kinds of attitudes and actions are distracting me from Jesus…inhibiting a life of faith in him?
- Am I discontent?Ungrateful?Greedy?Do I have immoral thinking or actions?
- Am I hiding something that needs to be brought into the light?
- Unrepented, secret sin is one of the quickest ways to bring great harm to your walk with Jesus.
- If something is hidden, come out of the darkness and come into the light.Confess to God and to at least one important person in your life.I have talked to a couple of people recently who have come into the light, and it has become one of the most important decisions of their lives.It’s glorious!
- What steps can I (and my family) take steps towards being more effective at making disciples of Christ?
- What spiritual disciplines should I focus on right now?
- Who can I build up in the faith?
- Who needs to hear about salvation found in Jesus?
- How can I help my children develop a heart for the mission of bringing Jesus to this hurting world?
- Ask a friend or spouse, “Do you see anything that is distracting me from Jesus?”That will take courage and humility, but we will gain wisdom.
May the Lord guide us with his kindness and clarity.
Conclusion
I want to end with this.
Paul continually tells the Corinthian church, “Remain in the situation you were in when the Lord saved you.”
Without Jesus, for Paul and for you and me, God’s wrath will come crashing down on us like a giant wave in the ocean.But by faith in Jesus, we along with Paul have been rescued from drowning in our own sin.Jesus has snatched us out of the deep, and now we live forever and ever because of his kindness and power.
So as we now wrestle with the distracted life and the devoted life, may we all remember what Paul says later in this letter,
“Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
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