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All Things To All People

1 Corinthians 9:22-23 (ESV) — To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

People need Jesus. This is not a few folks, this is everyone on the earth. People in Africa need Jesus. People in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and America need Jesus. The reason people need Jesus is because the wrath of God is real. Our sin separates us from fellowship with God. If we do not have our sins forgiven, then we have no right of access to God or no expectation of eternal life in Heaven. 

So how do we reach people? How do we get the message of Christ to those who need to hear it, and how do we help them to understand it once we get it to them? That’s the focus of the passage today. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” 

Paul imitates his audience. He tries to develop trust and common ground with them. This does not mean that he engages in sin or defies God’s commands. It means he meets people where they are so that he might reach some. To the weak, he became weak. He found common ground with people. He walked graciously around people, understanding they didn’t know God or His ways. However, his becoming all things to them did not include engaging in sin. So there is a balance we must strike in this endeavor.

The goal is that he might reach some. He does it all for the sake of the gospel. He wants the people who do not know Christ to share in the blessings of the gospel. He wants them to know the peace and satisfaction of knowing Christ. His desire is for them to experience fellowship with God and the saints. Ask the Lord to give you a desire to reach those who don’t know Him. And be willing to meet people where they are so that you might be able to reach some with the gospel. 


Reflection & Journal:
- What are some examples of ways we can become all things to all people? 
- Why does Paul do this? What is his overarching desire? 
- What can we do to cultivate this same desire in our own hearts?