Monday, February 11, 2019
1 Corinthians 9:19-22 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law--though not being myself under the law--that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law--not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ--that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
GAIN, WIN, SAVE
Sometimes we have heard it said, "Just preach the Gospel." Of course that is THE way that one is saved, by hearing the message of forgiveness. It should not be overlooked though how Paul did everything in his power to reach out with the Good News. And his goal was specifically to "gain, win, save" the people he came into contact with. Listen to his own words below. The word that is translated over and over again as "win" means exactly that-- or "gain." And in v. 22 Paul uses "save" which with the other verses gives a picture of his complete absorption into the work God called Him to do. 1 Corinthians 9:19-22: "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law--though not being myself under the law--that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law--not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ--that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."
There are a couple Proverbs passages that point up this paradox that God saves but we do all we can as if it depends on us. The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord (21:31). I can very easily visualize the one with the horse, can't you? The horse with the bit between his teeth, snorting and pawing the earth and then off he goes.
A most striking example of the urge to "win" men to Christ triumphing over imminent death, is that of Rev. John Harper, a Scottish minister under whose ministry many were brought to Christ. He received a call to serve in the famous Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, and embarked on the supposedly unsinkable ship, the Titanic, to take up his appointment.
When the Titanic struck the fatal iceberg, Harper was one of those flung into the icy waters of the Atlantic. One sequel to that tragedy was recounted by a young Scotsman at a service in the Philpot Tabernacle in Hamilton, Canada. Here is his testimony: Four years ago, when I left England on board the Titanic, I was a careless, godless sinner. I was in this condition on the night when the terrible catastrophe took place. Very soon, with hundreds more, I found myself struggling in the cold, dark waters of the Atlantic. I caught hold of something and clung to it for dear life.
The wail of awful distress from the perishing all around was ringing in my ears, when there floated near by me a man who, too, seemed to be clinging to something. He called to me: "Is your soul saved?" I replied: "No, it is not."
"Then," said he, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." We drifted apart for a few minutes, then we seemed to be driven together once more. "Is your soul saved?" again he cried out. "I fear it is not," I replied. "Then if you will but believe on the Lord Jesus Christ your soul will be saved," was his further message of intense appeal to me.
But again we were separated by the rolling currents. I heard him call out this message to others as they sank beneath the waters. There and then, with two miles of water beneath me, in my desperation I cried unto Christ to save me. I believed upon him and I was saved. In a few minutes I heard this man of God say: "I'm going down, I'm going down," then: "No, no, I'm going up." That man was John Harper.
