1 Corinthians 6:9-11

                                                     1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

 

Hope is one of the greatest blessings of the Gospel.  Without Christ, there is no hope.  The promises of God in the Gospel fill our hearts with hope for the future and help in the present.  Paul wants to make sure that we all understand our position without Christ, so we can fully appreciate the wonderful provision of Christ.  This passage is a source of hope for all of mankind.  No matter how sinful a person is; the power of the Gospel is astounding.

 

SIN PROMOTES CONDEMNATION: Those who continue to live in sin will be eternally condemned.  Paul lists all kinds of sins, but the reality is that all men are born in sin and stand condemned before God.  As men we look at the sins in this list and recognize them as extremely offensive before God.  There might be some who would claim that those who make a claim of salvation can simply continue to live in their sinful lives and will be saved despite continuing to love and enjoy their sins.  Paul makes it clear that this is simply not the case.  Those who are genuinely saved are set free from sin.  They will still struggle with sin, but they will not continue to love their sin and live to sin.

 

SALVATION PROVIDES TRANSFORMATION: Paul recognizes that all these sins that were mentioned were present in the Corinthian church prior to them coming to Christ.  It does not matter how much sin we commit or how deeply we are enslaved to sin; Christ sets us free.  He washes, sanctifies and justifies all who trust Him.  The power of Christ not only forgives us of sin but it sets us free from sin and allows us to walk in a new path of obedience.  Justification and sanctification are both the works of Christ in the lives of all who believe.  From our perspective, justification is an event while sanctification is a process.  However, from God’s perspective both are so certain that they are referred to in the past tense.  This is the hope of the Gospel.

 

APPLICATION: Repent of sin and do not live a life that is enslaved to the sins of the flesh.  Warn the ungodly of the impending condemnation.  Know that Christ has set us free from sin and we can be victorious over any area of struggle we might face.  Rejoice in the hope of the Gospel.  Tell others how they can find this same hope.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than a...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:3-7

I thank God   whom I serve, as did my ancestors,   with a clear conscience, as I remember you   constantly in my prayers night and day.    As I remember your tears,   I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.    I am reminded of   your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and   your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.    For this reason I remind you   to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us   a spirit not of fear but   of power and love and self-control. It is easy for us to forget many important things especially in the face of difficulty or danger.  Paul is in prison and Timothy is facing difficult times in ministry so there are important reminders that Paul wants to make sure that Timothy understands.  God has given us everything we need to face the difficulties He allows i...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:8-14

Therefore   do not be ashamed of   the testimony about our Lord, nor of   me his prisoner, but   share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,   who saved us and   called us to a holy calling,   not because of our works but because of   his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus   before the ages began, and which now has   been manifested through   the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,   who abolished death and   brought life and   immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But   I am not ashamed, for   I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until   that day   what has been entrusted to me.  Follow   the pattern of   the sound words   that you have heard from me, in   the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ...
Read more