1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, which read,

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul has exposed the sin of lawsuits among the brethren in the church at Corinth.  They have resorted and actually bypassed the church and God's instruction and wisdom to go straight to the world's court system to settle matters among Christians in the church.  Paul tells them that they have already lost if they have gone that route and they are settling for lesser wisdom when God is overlooked.

Now we come upon a list that Paul, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gives to them to expose also other known sins that are to be avoided.  The list is not exhaustive and also the list is talking about those who "practice" these sins so much that this is the identity or known reputation of these people because of the practiced sin.  Paul calls them unrighteous meaning not in a right relationship with God and if you are not in a right relationship with God then you will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Here then is the motivation for the list.  Paul wants them to be righteous but if he doesn't tell them what is unrighteous then that would not be very loving of him who is their spiritual father training them up in the ways of the Lord.  If Paul doesn't tell them or someone tell them of what God's word says about these would be ignorant of the facts.  Paul also throws in that it is possible to be deceived that those who practice such things as a way of life would receive the kingdom of God.  The church in Corinth has been boasting and not rebuking these actions so Paul gives the list so they would not be deceived because no one likes to be deceived.  So onto the list...

fornicators - all who indulge in sexual immorality

idolaters - all who worship any false god or follow any false religious system

adulterers - married persons who indulge in sexual acts outside their marriage

effeminate - some versions translate this "sodomites," a name given to the prostitute actions that were so rampant in the city of Sodom that they received for history their own name of the sin

homosexuals - literally "one who lies down with a male as with a female"

thieves - to steal from another with an emphasis on embezzlement of hidden from others sight

covetous - one eager to have more especially what belongs to others, greedy for gain

drunkards - those in the practice of being intoxicated or overcome by alcohol

revilers - people who try to destroy others with words

swindlers - people taking unfair advantage of others for their own financial gain

This list is given by Paul to say that those who practice such things are not walking in the ways of God and don't be deceived by those who say that they are.

11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

This is one of the greatest verses in the Bible.  Paul says that some of them where characterized by this list.  Some of them were known because of their sin but now...now they were washed of the sin and they were being cleansed daily of it because of claiming Jesus as Lord of their lives and their Savior.  God had done a transformational work on them so that they were not to be known for sin but known for God because God dominated their lives and not the sin.

All Christians are to be washed (cleaned up of the dirt of sin) and all Christians are to be sanctified (changed from within to exchange the lie for the truth) and all Christians are justified before God (the cross of Christ and the empty tomb provided this) and all Christians have the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit that resides in us to be a reminder of the truth of God).

We all are sinners and even though we may not identify with this specific list that was given to the Corinth church (although it is very applicable to our world today) we all need to be transformed into the image of God and not be deceived that we would enter the kingdom of God without that transformation from God.

The church had been saying that a wrong of God was okay.  They were deceiving others against what the word of God says about such matters.  I have spoken to Stephanie about the recent developments in our nation and what grieves me most is not that a flag is being waved which has been waved since sin made its appearance but now who is waving that flag. 

"Lord, thank You for Your lists and directions.  This list would seem like a no-brainer to us but not anymore by the actions that are promoted in our world.  I pray that the Christians of Your church will continue to live transformed lives in accordance to You and not deceived lives in accordance to cultural trends.  Amen."

Pastor Adam

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