The Way - Day 068 (1 Corinthians 6)

Pastor Tom's Journal on Today's Reading:
1 Corinthians 6
Paul's letter to the church at Corinth was not necessarily an encouraging one. He had already spent much of his time attempting to correct their wrong behavior, especially pertaining to the disunity (1 Corinthians 1-3) and immorality (1 Corinthians 5) which existed within the congregation. Paul then wrote concerning another issue plaguing the church. The Corinthian believers had apparently been settling disputes amongst themselves in secular courts when they should have been working through these disagreements without government involvement (6:1-3). As Christians, the Corinthians should have been able to resolve matters in a mature fashion through the leaders in the church, but instead they were fighting before unbelievers in the court system (6:4-6). These continual disputes were bringing shame upon the church at Corinth (6:7a). Paul commands them to accept wrong and allow themselves to be cheated so that the reputation of the church and the message of the gospel are not hindered (6:7b-8). Christians are expected to behave differently than those who do not believe, even in legal matters with other believers; in fact, Paul writes that those who continue to live in unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God (6:9-10). Obviously, Christians sin, but those whose lifestyle is characterized by the sins mentioned by Paul prove that their faith is not genuine; however, Paul was careful to remind his readers that their lives used to be characterized by these sins, but now they cleansed (washed) from sin as well as set apart (sanctified) and declared righteous (justified) by God (6:11). Since they had been freed from the power and penalty of sin, they should begin acting like it!

The Corinthians understood this freedom as a license to sin, but Paul revealed that being forgiven was not freedom to do whatever they wanted. Paul wrote, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any" (6:12). Paul could choose to sin because he was forgiven, but he knew that sin was not beneficial or profitable. Paul also addressed this issue when writing to the church at Rome, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans 6:1). Why should believers reject a sinful lifestyle even after they have been forgiven? Paul answers this question when he writes, "...do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (6:19-20). Forgiveness was purchased through the blood of Christ on the cross, so our lives are no longer our own.

Dear God, even though I've been forgiven from the power and penalty of sin, help me to continually live in obedience to Your ways.