A life lived within the tension of what is called the both/and is…well, tense. In the Bible, Mark 12 gives us a great example of this played out when the Pharisees ask Jesus if they should pay taxes to Caesar or not (either/or). Jesus responds with, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12:17) Jesus was presented with an either/or question and responded with a both/and answer. Surprise, surprise, Jesus’ response was perfect.
I share this because it helps us see that people are often comfortable with distinct and definable absolutes. Yes or no. Take it or leave it. Good or bad. And when the moral pendulum is applied to this line of thinking, we can start to see why people choose to behave the way they do when it comes to living their lives. The reason being is that it’s simply easier to push toward the moral extremes of two ends because the rules make more sense on the edges.
I’ve seen this quite often in my years of campus ministry and working with college students. That being said, part 4 of The 5 Things a Christian College Student Should Never Do takes us to a place that is often uncomfortable for believers because finding the middle ground can be complex and challenging when we are pulled toward the edges. So here it is:
4. Swing the moral pendulum.
For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 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 outside the law of 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 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. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
This chunk of Scripture creates a soapbox issue for me that I take very seriously. Mostly because a lot of the college-aged Christians I know have a strong urge to swing the pendulum to one side or the other on the issue itself. And to be honest, both extremes are rather irritating. These extremes are known as legalism and license. Let me explain what I mean.
Many believers have a tendency to ignore a Bible passage like this because firstly, they don’t understand it, and secondly, it doesn’t fit into their comfortable religious lifestyle.
It’s been attributed to Martin Luther for coming up with the idea that religion is the default of the human heart. And as I’ve interacted with more and more people, I’ve really come to believe that’s true. We tend to find comfort in order and “doing things right.” Why? Because it makes us feel better about ourselves and lets us draw comparisons between us and the people who just get it wrong. In short, everybody – in one form or another – is religious. Then, some people take it to the next level and throw God into the mix. Acting religious for religion’s sake is really easy to do when you think God will love you more and people will applaud you more if you behave correctly (i.e. don’t do what “the world” does).
Scripture like 1 Corinthians 9 simply doesn’t fit well into a legalistic, religious lifestyle where piety reigns supreme and failure to fall in line results in shame, judgment, condemnation, and resentment. In case you couldn’t tell, I’ve had a lot of experience with this position of legalism, both from others and that which was self-inflicted.
The other side of the coin, however, is just that: a completely opposite approach to the aforementioned lifestyle. Many college students who are Christians will read a passage like this and embrace the idea of being all things to all people as a passport to ungodly living. That’s certainly legitimate, right?
Uh, no. The text in 1 Corinthians 9 is in no way a “Step Up to the Sin Plate and Take a Swing” invitation to the follower of Christ. The key here to understanding what it all means is verse 23. I do this all for the sake of the gospel…
You don’t get drunk for the sake of the gospel. You don’t lead a sexually promiscuous lifestyle for the sake of the gospel. If you think you’re honoring God by doing those kinds of things in the name of “connecting with culture,” your view of the gospel of Jesus Christ is extremely diluted.
Probably the best way to interpret the apostle Paul’s intent in writing this passage is by using (you guessed it) more Scripture. Check this out:
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)
There are two commands here I want to highlight. The first command: “live in peace with all men.” Basically, connect with culture. Understand what people love, what makes them happy, sad, frustrated, or joyful. What do non-Christians “pound the table” about? Find out what it is so you can be educated enough to engage in conversation with them and talk about the things they want to talk about.
The second command: “be holy.” Walk uprightly and dwell in the light. Be set apart from the norm and live your life differently than what the world says it should look like. Be holy.
Now, put those two together and this is what you get—balance your life by being connected to the culture but not immersed in it. In other words, be in the world but not of the world. That’s what it means to make yourself a slave to everyone in order to win as many as possible for the sake of the gospel. It’s not about disconnecting yourself from the culture and it’s not about mimicking the ungodly lifestyle of those who don’t know Christ. It’s about drawing a healthy balance between being at peace with all people and living a holy life. It’s a both/and.
And don’t forget the end of this text either: “…that I may share in its blessings.” What a privilege it is to be messengers of the gospel and share in its blessings. I can’t believe that God chooses to involve me in what He’s doing in the lives of people who don’t yet know Him. Let’s be thankful for that privilege and live responsibly as members of the body of Christ, entrusted to connect with culture, yet not immerse ourselves in it.
You can find the other parts of The 5 Things a Christian College Student Should Never Do here:
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