These Things Are Yours                                                       10/16/49

 

Scripture:  I Corinthians 3

 

Text:  I Corinthians 3: 21-21; “All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.”

 

The Apostle Paul had most of the worries of a successful pioneer.  He is given credit for being the moving spirit in the establishment of the early Christian church throughout the Roman world of his day.  He not only organized the church among little groups of interested and faithful people, but he continued to keep a brotherly eye on the people of each congregation.  He was encouraged by reports of their zeal and faithfulness; he was anxious over their waywardness, dissensions, and factional squabbles.  A considerable portion of the New Testament, including the chapter which was read this morning, is made up of Paul’s letters to the people of the churches he had seen established - letters of advice and counsel, warnings of evil and commendations, of good, words of brotherly strengthening and encouragement.

 

Our lesson today is from the first of two such letters he wrote to the Christians at Corinth, defining Christian conduct, and encouraging them in it; chiding them for vanity and for childish delight in “tongues” and “signs” to the exclusion of ethical soundness.  He deplored the tendency to split into factions, some saying, “I’m in favor of Paul’s way,” others saying, “I’m a follower of Apollos;” still others, “I think Cephas is the best leader.”  With swift assurance, Paul reminds them that his part in their church was that of planting the seed; getting them started.  Apollos watered the seed, kept them growing.  And he reminded them that God gives the increase, the harvest of their growth and efforts.   He warned them against too great reliance on any certain men.  And he ended what we call the third chapter of this first letter to Corinth with these words -- “For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours.”

 

Last evening, many of us heard one of the singers of the Columbia Operatic Trio, appearing in the Field House, sing that carefree number entitled: “I got plenty O’ Nothin’” in which the song writer rejoices in having a few of the beauties and satisfactions of existence rather than a string of possessions.  The characteristic feeling of the song is one of irresponsible enjoyment of simple living.

 

What Paul was telling people at Corinth is much more profound.  True, he is saying that all things are theirs - the teachings of Paul, the encouragement of Apollos and Cephas with their insights and special gifts, the infinite variety of the world, life in its fullness, death (that’s for all of us, too!), the present (satisfying or confusing as it may be), the future (as far as it stretches ahead), all are yours.  Does he put the period there?  No!  “And you are Christ’s”  Period now?  No!  “And Christ is God’s.”  Now comes the period, commending us to standing in awe and belief and rejoicing.

 

“All things are yours” -- the stars, the autumn color and harvesting, the treasures of art, loveliness in music, the mysterious Northern lights, the affection of loved ones, the freedom of created things.  The carefree song writer and ballad singer are right this far.  “The Best Things In Life Are Free.”  But there is so much more of truth than this superficial observation.

 

Conscientious Christians have needed this reminder repeatedly.  A good deal of history details the renunciations and denials in Christian living.  Food was suspect if it tasted good.  Music was an invention of the devil.  Some groups would have none of it in their churches.  Others had it much subdued and chastened.  Still others laid hold on it and used it sublimely.  The grace of the human body, as in dancing, was considered a snare for all godly feet.  Love between man and woman, with its delight in sight and touch, could hardly be gratefully accepted without the suspicion that there might be something wrong about it.  (Of course the Song of Solomon is in the Bible, but some felt it must be allegorical rather than the frank expression of love which its sensuous phrases seem to mean.)

 

Even the most emancipated Christians of today have a lingering suspicion of many of life’s pleasures, sticking stubbornly to a distinction between “sacred” and “secular” in literature, art, vocation.  We draw lines that really are not there.

 

“All things are for you,” said Paul.  All the rich and varied facts and expressions of living - intellectual, physical, spiritual; sensual delights and warnings - they are all ours.  A glimpse of the meaning of this fills the mind with wondering and gratitude.  How narrow and pinched the suspicious attitude which makes ascetics of some!  One wants to live a thousand lives in order to appreciate, enjoy and use the immeasurable riches of earthly existence.

 

Now what about property, money and business, while we are talking about being Christian.  There is a dualistic suspicion that possessions are the root of all evil - the invention and tool of the devil.  They are, if they become idols.  The love of money is the root of some serious evil.  The consecration of possessions can be an expression of inward grace!

 

And what about vocation?  “Of course we can’t all be ministers,” one says.  There have to be lawyers, farmers, shoe makers, physicians, tool makers, grocers and, well, even politicians.  It is sometimes assumed that if one wants to be really engaged in full-time Christian service that means the ministry, missionary appointment or at least director of religious education.  And if you happen to be one of these latter, you had better not touch the others unless it be to call down the appropriate fire and brimstone when they seem to get too corrupt.  The Christian had better handle business and politics with a ten-foot pole.  And if his name is preceded with “R-e-v period” he had best let politics alone!

 

Actually, all things are yours among Christians.  The early Christians specialized - chose from their number those to be preachers, teachers, elders, managers and so on, according to the needs of the fellowship and the abilities of those chosen.  But this put no stigma of Christian inferiority on the vocation of carpentry, tent making, fishing, or scholastic pursuits.

 

We ask young people, “Would you consider giving your life to full-time Christian service?”  The answer might very well be, “Yes, to full time Christian service - as a druggist.”  Now of course church leadership and teaching needs the volunteering of some people for specialized devotion to its several kinds of ministering.  And I would like to see the day come when more that one young person from this congregation were dedicated to such specialized service.  Our church ought to supply a few ministers and missionaries for leadership in the Christian cause.  But I’m suspicious of the tendency to professionalize the so-called Christian vocations, or to speak of “religious” as though it was a compartmentalized department of living underlined by some, and neglected by others.  Jesus seems not to have talked about “religion.”  His word was “life” - just “life” to which was occasionally added the adjective, “abundant.”

 

For administrative purposes, we may set up a “Commission on Evangelism and Devotional Life.”  In a different office, and with a different staff, we have a “Council for Social Action.”  But if we suppose that one has a priority over the other, we are guilty of trying to divide God’s undivided world.  Prayer and politics are both ours.

 

Some will say, “That’s fine!  I’m glad to hear a preacher now and then who is broad minded.  I’ve never had any use for narrow minded or Puritanical religion.”  At this point let me say, “Look out!”  What is meant by this “broad mindedness?”  Does it mean, “Let impulse be unconfined?”  Does it mean, “The Sabbath was made for man’s whims?”  Does it mean the relatively easy shift from one partner to a new partner in marriage?  Does it mean an occasional use of the name of deity lightly for the sake of a kind of humor?  Does it mean avoidance of the discipline of habitual worship?  Does it mean green light for doing as one pleases regardless of what he pleases?

 

Paul’s answers to these questions is the affirmative, “All things are yours; and you are Christ’s.”  Maybe that is something else again, or something more!  Here is the whole world.  It is yours.  Here is Christ.  You belong to him!  All things are safe in your hands - food, drink, art, literature, love, sport, labor - only when you use them in his spirit!  Without him, the world does not belong to you; you become the slave of the world.  Christ is not narrow; he is terrific!  Go where you will, eat what you like, love what it pleases you to love, read what you want to read, provided you never forget that you belong to that inescapable Righteous One on a cross!

 

You are a teacher.  Do you know that you belong to Christ?  You are a manufacturer.  Do you know that you belong to Christ?  You are a government official.  Do you know that you belong to Christ?  You are a wood worker.  Do you know that you belong to Christ?  You are a minister.  Do you know that you belong to Christ?

 

A business man went home from church one Sunday and said to a friend at dinner: “You know, business is quite simple until you drag in Christian principle.  You think about what will make money, and what won’t make money, and that’s all there is to it.  But the minute you get to thinking about Christian principles, it gets complicated.”  To which his friend replied, “Well, maybe it’s the other way round.  Isn’t it when you ignore Christian principles that things get complicated?  Horribly complicated?  As unpleasantly complicated as a depression, a revolution, a riot, or a war.”

 

Just what is Christian social action in political or economic areas?  Just business men and politicians, with whatever help they can get, remembering to whom they belong.

 

When we want to be “left alone to do as we please” we must say quietly to ourselves, and to each other, “And we belong to Christ.”  It is a reminder to set our feet down where they belong.  It is a truth whose white light may seem almost unbearable unless we be willing to have our lives illumined by it.  But it is far better than the darkness which settles, at first uneasily, and then heavily, on the soul and the world when we forget, or ignore, to whom we belong.

 

And even this tremendous reminder is not the end of the matter.  The gospel, the good news, the heart of the whole matter is this next utterance: “And Christ belongs to God.”  In him, we belong to God.

 

We can stand everything we have to stand - personal grief, long drawn out discouragement, loads that seem never to lighten, the decay of a civilization - because Christ, and all he stands for, is not an accident.

 

We need only to do our best -- and we do need that!  When we fall, let us not harden ourselves in our own pride, but let us repent and accept his forgiving grace.  Let us get up from our falling and go on, never despairing for ourselves or our world, since we belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

 

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Delivered in Wisconsin Rapids, October 16, 1949.