CCC Livestream - The Gospel Shaped Family - 1 Corinthians 7

Live Worship Gathering: 5.31.2026

Preaching: Jason Purdy

I invite you to turn with me to 1 Corinthians 7.

We will look at verses 25-31 today.

I want to say “thank you” to Jeff for preaching last Sunday.

(Say something about Scotland trip)

We are returning to our summer series called “The Gospel Shaped Family.”

We are walking through some key passages on marriage, on singleness, on parenting, and on children, as well as some passages addressing key issues that we all deal with in family life - both in our biological families and in our church family.

My prayer is that God would continue to make us and shape us by His grace and through His gospel into a godly church family that is made up of godly gospel shaped families.

In the first week, we considered the subject of husbands, wives, and the church.

In the second week, we considered Fathers, Mothers, and Children.

And today, we are going to consider the topic of singleness, marriage, and eternity.

Tim Keller and his wife Kathy published a book back in 2011 called, “The Meaning Of Marriage.”

And, odd as it may seem, they devote a whole chapter to the topic of singleness.

And listen to this quote from the book:

“Christianity affirmed the goodness of single life as no other faith or worldview ever has.”

Does that quote surprise you at all as it does me?

Christianity affirms the goodness of singleness in a way no other faith or worldview ever has.

To be honest, too many times we Christians have labeled singleness as a secondary status for Christians and we think of marriage as the more fully formed Christian state.

Too many times, single Christians have to hear other Christians share sudo-Christian ideas with them like:

As soon as you are truly satisfied in God, He will bring someone special into your life.

Or “Maybe you haven’t found someone yet because you are too picky.”

Or “Before you can marry someone wonderful, God has to make you into someone wonderful.”

But, all these kinds of comments make subtle hints at the idea that marriage is the godly and expected status for all Christians, which is not true.

Christianity’s founder, Jesus Christ, and its leading missionary theologian, the apostle Paul were both single their entire lives.

Paul addresses these issues in 1 Corinthians 7.

As you read the letter of 1 Corinthians, you learn that the church in Corinth had written Paul a letter addressing certain issues and challenges they were facing, and Paul responds to that letter in 1 Corinthians.

Chapter 7 verse 1 tells us that the issue he is addressing in this chapter is the idea that it is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.

And when you consider that statement, along with the argument Paul makes throughout the chapter, the idea that was being conveyed by some in the Corinthian church was that it was most godly to never have any sexual relations.

It was an extreme version of asceticism which means the renunciation of any comforts or pleasures, as if this was the way to honor and please God.

So Paul answers this question in the chapter by utilizing one key principle: it is best to remain as you are.

Now, Paul makes clear that this is not a command but it is a general principle.

And this general principle flies in the face of any arguments for needing to change your outward state of affairs in order to be found pleasing to God.

You see, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is that while we were sinners and rebels against God, God sent His son to die in our place for our sins, the just dying for the unjust, and rising again to defeat our sin and death, that all who repent of sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved, no matter their societal or marriage status.

So, changing your outward status does nothing to make you more or less pleasing to God, it is only in repentance and belief in the gospel that you are made perfectly pleasing in the sight of God.

So, feel free to remain as you are.

If you are married, have sexual relations with your spouse.

This is God’s good plan and gift to you.

He is pleased with you in Christ not in saying no to enjoying your spouse.

If you are single, you can remain single for sexual relations are not ultimate and do not have to be pursued in this life.

That is what is going on in this passage, and now would you please follow along as I read our text for today?

1 Corinthians 7:25–31 ESV

25 Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. 29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

1. Seek Godly Wisdom For Decisions On Marriage And Singleness

The words “now concerning” give us a category under the heading of answering the question whether it is good for a man to have sexual relations with a woman.

Here you have single women who are betrothed to be married.

A betrothal in their day was much like an engagement in our day where a man and woman have been pledged to be married but the marriage is not yet consummated.

And in light of this teaching going around the church that it is good for a man not to have relations with a woman, it is making those betrothed to be married ask the question if they should go forward with their marriage or not.

Paul writes, “Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.”

When Paul writes that he has no command from the Lord, what he means is that we have no direct teaching from the Lord Jesus on this specific matter.

I find that so helpful because it shows us that Paul’s first thought when considering any situation is: what does the Lord Jesus have to say about this?

Our very commission from our Lord Jesus is to go and make disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all that the Lord Jesus commands.

And so, as Paul addresses a situation, his first thought is: what does the Lord Jesus command?

And we do not have a direct command from Jesus about if a person betrothed to be married should go through with the marriage or not.

So, after Paul makes clear that a direct command from the Lord would have settled the issue, since we do not have a direct command, instead, Paul gives his judgment, his advice, and his applied wisdom on the matter.

Notice, Paul grounds his judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy.

God not only saved Paul by His great mercy but God also called Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles by His great mercy, and due to this great purpose God gave Paul by his mercy, he is well qualified to offer his judgment, advice, and applied wisdom on this matter.

Verse 26: I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is.

There’s Paul’s wisdom mantra that shows up again and again in this chapter: remain as you are.

The question naturally arises, what is the present distress that is in view that Paul is referring to?

It is a question that Bible readers have debated for centuries.

The passage does not make clear to us what exactly the present distress is.

Some have considered the history of the time period and said their was possibly a famine in the land of Corinth at the time.

Others argue that the present distress is the end times troubles that follow the immanent return of the Lord Jesus, which does line up with the theme Paul will pick up on in verses 29-31.

The original word for “present” could also be translated “impending.”

So, in light of the impending distress, meaning the distress that a person will experience once they get married.

Paul will go on in the next section to argue that a person who gets married with have the anxieties of seeking to please a spouse and please the Lord,

So the impending distress may be the normal stress all married people feel in their dual role of needing to please the Lord and please their spouse.

While we do not know for sure the direct nature of the present distress, it seems in making decisions in matters of marriage or singleness, it would be wise to consider all three: your present circumstances, the immanent return of the Lord Jesus, and the divided interests of a married person before making a final decision.

Paul’s advice is in light of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is.

What does that mean?

Well look at:

Verse 27: Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.

Now, in context, Paul is saying for those who are betrothed to be married, they should follow through with the marriage commitment they have made.

If they are bound, do not seek to be free.

But, for those who are not yet betrothed to a woman, Paul’s advice is to not seek a wife, but to remain as you are.

Remain single.

Verse 28: But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.

Paul goes out of his way to make clear that while he is advising believers to consider remaining single, it is not a sin to marry.

He is not speaking in the way of command: this way is right and this way is wrong.

He is instead speaking in the way of wisdom: consider these things in making your decision.

Consider:

Proverbs 26:4–5 ESV

4 Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own eyes.

Well, which one is it? Should I answer the fool or should I not answer the fool?

There is not a clear black and white, right or wrong, it is a matter of wisdom that requires seeking God, godly counsel, and then making a wise decision while trusting the Lord.

There are troubles and distresses in life that marriage brings that single people are able to be free of.

Paul wants us to consider that.

Let me share a few ways that Paul’s perspective he is giving us here is one we desperately need:

First, and most importantly, you can remain as you are in terms of any status whether it be social, or marital, or economic, you can remain as you are in those things from the moment Christ saves you to the moment you see him face to face because no change in any status of this world is a sign of God’s approval or disapproval of you.

God’s pleasure in you is perfected by your salvation alone in Christ alone.

So, do not ever consider the fact that you are single or you are poor or you are in a tough marriage as a sign that God’s is displeased with you, and do not trust in the fact that you have a good marriage or that you are rich as a sign that God is pleased with you.

God’s pleasure, acceptance, and forgiveness is all bound up in our trust in the gospel and that alone.

Secondly, Paul’s perspective here challenges us to honor and respect Christians who choose to be single as those who give themselves fully to God and His work and take full satisfaction in God, and not as those who have something wrong with them or are too picky to get married.

Thirdly, Paul’s perspective here challenges us to not allow our romantic desires, feelings, and passions to sovereignly dictate our decisions about marriage and singleness.

It is not wrong to have romance, desire, and feelings, but you must not give them sovereign control over your decisions.

You must consider decisions factoring in God, truth, wisdom, and godly counsel.

In our church membership covenant, we covenant together to seek the guidance of our elders and community groups in major life decisions.

It is very counter our American culture to do so, but God tells us that it is in the abundance of counselors there is victory.

Because God is sovereign, and he gives wisdom to his people, you should have wise counselors in the church speaking into your life and your relationships.

If you have godly parents and they are sharing warnings and concerns about your relationship, you should listen and consider very seriously what they are saying.

If you have others in the church who are sharing warnings or concerns with you, you should listen and consider very seriously what they are saying.

If you have isolated your relationship so that no one else can speak into it, I can promise you that there is something wrong there.

Feelings will change. Truth and wisdom will not.

There is wisdom to be sought and considered in terms of singleness and marriage.

In line with not letting romance and emotions take sovereign control, there is one side that says we should consider singleness, but on the other side, we should not believe the cultural notion of finding the perfect soul mate.

Listen to this paragraph I found from an article this week:

1 Corinthians—The Word of the Cross The Freedom You Have to Be Single

What I didn’t realize in my thirties is that while settling seems like an enormous act of resignation when you’re single, once you take the plunge and do it, you’ll probably be relatively content. [That’s because] what makes for a good marriage isn’t necessarily what makes for a good romantic relationship. Marriage isn’t a passion-fest; it’s more like a partnership formed to run a very small, mundane, and often boring nonprofit business. And I mean this in a good way. It’s not that I’ve become jaded to the point that I don’t believe in romantic connection. It’s just that as your priorities change from romance to family, the so-called “deal breakers” change. Some guys aren’t worldly, but they’d make great dads. Or you walk into a room and start talking to this person who is 5′4″ and has an unfortunate nose, but he “gets” you. I bet there are plenty of these men in the older, overweight, and bald category (which they all eventually become anyway). Part of the problem is that we grew up idealizing marriage, thinking that [it] meant [finding] the man of your dreams (who by the way, doesn’t exist, precisely because you dreamed him up) and so we walk away from relationships that might make us happy in the context of a family. Those of us who [are looking for] a soul mate are almost like teenagers who believe they’re invulnerable to dying in a drunk-driving accident. We lose sight of our mortality. We forget that we, too, will age and become less alluring.
Beauty, wealth, ambition, success, personality—those are good things, but they’ll all wear out on you. So don’t look for them. Look instead for someone who grasps grace.

Seek godly wisdom for decisions on marriage and singleness.

2. Prioritize Eternity In Every Realm Of Your Life

Verse 29: This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short.

How are we to understand Paul’s statement here?

It would seem at first reading that Paul is saying that the time is so short, it is not worth getting married because Jesus could come back at any moment.

But, now, being more than 2,000 years removed from the time of writing, it would seem like foolish advice to say, “Don’t get married, because Jesus may come back today!”

Obviously, these people had more than enough time to marry.

But, does the Bible give us another way of understanding how Paul is speaking of time in this passage?

I believe there is.

The great commission from God to humanity in the Old Testament was to love the Lord their God with all they are and love others before themselves, and to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, and through the filling of earth, God would send a Messiah Savior from the line of Abraham, and the line of David who would be a blessing to all nations and sit on the throne of David forever.

And the Old Testament chronicles for us thousands of years of history of God’s people being under this commission while awaiting the coming Messiah.

Yet now, as Paul is writing the letter of 1 Corinthians, one of the earliest New Testament books to be written, all of a sudden, after thousands of years of human history, the Messiah has come to earth, he has lived the perfect life, he has died the sacrificial death in our place for our sins, he has risen on the third day defeating sin and death on our behalf, and he has left us a new great commission to go and make disciples of Jesus in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded.

And Jesus promises that he will be with us and help us with this commission until the end of the age.

So, after thousands of years of men and women being fruitful and filling the earth while waiting for the Messiah, now, all of a sudden, Messiah has come and given us a new covenant that saves us from spiritual death to spiritual life, and He has given us a new commission to go and make disciples amongst all nations.

And we are to be about this mission until Christ comes again to judge the living and the dead and make all things new.

Throughout the Old Testament, the people awaited the coming of the Messiah, and were being fruitful and multiplying until he came.

But now, that he has come, we know see clearly the end, because Christ has revealed it to us.

We now see clearly that in the end, all that will matter is if you trusted in Christ through the gospel.

We now see clearly that our time is short in the span of our possibly 70 or 80 years on this earth, and it could be much less, to be about the mission of making disciples.

In this way, our appointed time has grown very short, because we now know the end and we know our commission so we must make the best use of the time and prioritize worship of the Lord Jesus and making disciples above everything else!

It is like the missionary CT Studd famously said: Only one life will soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

So, because the appointed time has grown short, back to verse 29:

From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world, as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

A great summary of what Paul is teaching here is bound up in the words of Jesus when he said: be in the world but not of the world.

While you have to be in the world, do not allow the world to have you.

It is not an argument to neglect your wives, or to not mourn a loss, and not rejoice over something good, and so on.

It can’t be because Paul commands us to love our wives, to mourn and to  rejoice in other Scriptures.

Instead, it is an argument of priority.

The priority to worship God, follow Jesus, and obey his commission is of greater priority than any realm of life in this world, so I must prioritize eternity in every realm of my life.

As much as I love my wife, my primary love must be Christ who has saved me, called me, and grafted me to himself for eternity.

My marriage will end. My life with Christ never will.

Though we mourn losses, we do not do it as ones who have no hope.

Our mourning will end. Life with Christ never will.

Same with our rejoicing in the things of this world.

The things we buy will not go with us to glory. Our life with Christ will.

Do not evaluate your status in this world based only on your desires or other peoples’ opinions.

Evaluate every realm of your life only on the worship of God, following Jesus, and obeying your commission.

It is only when you prioritize the worship of God and obeying Christ above all things that you will truly understand what Jesus meant when He said:

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Are you seeking godly wisdom in major life decisions?

Do you view singleness from a godly perspective?

Are you prioritizing eternity in every realm of life?

Have you repented of your sin and believe the gospel for salvation?

Let’s pray.

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