1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Scripture: 1 Cor. 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

1 Cor 6:10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Cor. 6:11 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.

Teaching: Paul is making a point in chapter 6 to the Corinthians that they should not look to unbelievers to sort out disagreements and lawsuits within their church, or community of believers as those unbelievers do not share in the same eternal perspective that the church does. Thus, they cannot be trusted to make godly decisions. Paul continues this point in verses 9-11.

These verses can sometimes be taken out of context and applied as proof that anyone who engages in any of these listed behaviors by rule cannot be saved. This is self-evidently false, as we see great heroes of faith engaging in some of these behaviors (Noah – drunkenness, David – adultery, Jacob – thievery). These behaviors are not approved of in Scripture, but they do not preclude that person from faith. So, while the behaviors listed in verses 9-10 are, indeed, sinful, that is not Paul’s point here. Paul is reminding the Corinthians that they have been called out from these behaviors that are indicative and common amongst unbelievers to, instead, be washed, sanctified, and justified by faith in Christ and by the working of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s point is that because of their faith, the Corinthians are fundamentally different from the world and thus, should not look to the world for approval, judgement, or wisdom.

Takeaway: Perhaps sometimes we forget just how different we are than the rest of the world. If Christianity were merely about behavior modification, we might see the degree to which one acts in keeping with God’s Word as the ultimate test of Christianity. But this is not so! The ultimate test – the one we all will face one day – is this, “Did you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” Now, because Christ has so much more for us than to leave us living in our sin, he calls us out of such behaviors, motivated by faith, guided by His Word, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. If we could see the world through God’s eyes, we wouldn’t see a mass of people who all have varying degrees of “goodness” in them or that some are “better” than others. We would see who are His and who are not as determined by their faith in Christ and Christ’s righteousness given to them. Thus, we don’t pray for our unbelieving friends, neighbors, and family to act better or get their lives together – we pray for them to come to faith. To become a child of God. Without faith, there is no fundamental change nor eternal significance. Paul lists these behaviors as they are indicative of a heart that does not know the Lord, but his point is much deeper than simply behaviors to look for in spotting unbelievers. In God’s graciousness, He has called us out of such sin and death to wash us, sanctify us, and justify us in the name of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit. We are born again as a new creation by this, and fundamentally different from the world and the way we used to be.