Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

“¹⁹ Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.”

Humanly speaking, the apostle Paul was very well-positioned in both Jewish and Roman society. In Philippians 3:4-6, as he argued for faith in Christ alone, he laid out his Jewish “credentials” (in which he no longer trusted) as a “Hebrew of Hebrews”. And then there was that moment in the city of Philippi, recorded in Acts 16, when Paul and Silas had been unjustly flogged and imprisoned overnight for preaching the Gospel. The next morning, to the absolute horror of the city officials, Paul revealed that he was, in fact, a Roman citizen. This citizenship meant that Paul was a free man, with many legal rights and privileges. He was literally no one’s slave. He was quite correct in writing, “Though I am free and belong to no one.” (1 Cor. 9:19)

But Paul had voluntarily laid down his life to the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When the Lord Jesus encountered him on the road to Damascus, He also sent Ananias to him, saying: “This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.” (Acts 9:15) From that moment onward, Paul had gladly taken that calling as the goal and mission of his new life in Christ, and everything else became secondary. Paul chose to consider himself “a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” (1 Cor. 9:19)

Paul’s expressed his love for the Lord Jesus by putting his own rights aside in order to serve the highest best interests of those who remained lost in spiritual darkness, and to whom Christ had called him to take the light of the Gospel. For Paul, love for Christ and for the people for whom Christ died was expressed in a life of service to the proclamation of the Gospel.

Love meant that he no longer served his own interests, but always the spiritual interests of others – whatever that took!

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for so often prioritising my own interests and desires, and please fill me with Your Spirit of love to empower me to live a life of service to others and to the Gospel. Amen.