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1 Corinthians 6:11
Ps Paul Cheng
~4 min read
Dear Bethelites,
In our last pastoral chat, we had considered what sin will do to us. Paul said to the Corinthians, Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Then he went on to say, And such were some of you (v.11a). In other words, some of the Corinthians were fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, drunkards, homosexuals and so forth. But that was in the past, because he said such were some of you (past tense). Something had happened to them supernaturally that transformed them to be radically changed.
I. We want to understand what salvation will do to us
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (v.11b).
What is salvation?
Firstly, salvation is a new life.
Salvation is not a reformation but transformation. In a sense, Paul was saying, “As a child of God, this was who you used to be, but it is not who you are anymore.” The reason was because you were washed from all your sins.
The word washed speaks of a new life - they were regenerated. Titus 3:5 said, We were saved, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. When a person is washed, he becomes a new creation, the old must go, and the new must come. There must be a radical change to his life, and he cannot go on living a life that is characterised by his old sins.
When someone says, “The believer, so and so, is still the same. He has not changed.” That is a very serious matter and cannot be taken lightly. One has to ask, “If I am a believer, I am a new creation. But why am I not living as a new creation? Why am I still living in the old man?”
Secondly, salvation speaks about being separated.
Ye are sanctified, which means made holy, purified, set apart unto God. The believer has been taken from the kingdom of Satan and set apart unto the kingdom of God. He or she has been taken out from darkness and set apart unto God’s marvellous light.
Thirdly, salvation speaks about being forgiven.
When one considers those sins (c.f. v.9-10), and how he or she had engaged in some of those sins, it can be a most painful experience to ponder. Dear friend, you may have committed the sins of fornication, adultery or even homosexuality, in the past, and you are grieved by the memories of those sins. But here is the good news, you have been forgiven, because ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Which means you are declared righteous; all your sins are forgiven, washed away by the precious blood of Christ, and when you believe in the name of the Lord Jesus, you are clothed with His righteousness. Therefore, when God sees you, He does not see a fornicator, or adulterer, or homosexual, or drunkard, but as His beloved child through the salvific work of His Son and convicting work of His Spirit.
Finally, salvation is a supernatural life.
It is a life found in Jesus Christ, through the wonder working of the Holy Spirit. It is a life indwelt by the Spirit, and as one lives in the Spirit, he will manifest evidence of his salvation in all the decisions he makes, the challenges he faces and the things he does. Three times, the Bible used the word but which emphasized a contrast which caused him or her to change 180 degrees.
Dear friend, if your life were to end tonight, what is the assurance that you are a child of God, and what is the assurance that you will be in heaven? Assurance is when you know in your heart the joy of a real work of salvation that God has done in your soul. Romans 8:16, It is the Holy Spirit itself that beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. One of the ways in which the Holy Spirit reveals to us that we are indeed God’s children is through the transformation of our lives. We are living a new life in Christ; it is a separated life, a forgiven life and a supernatural life, producing the fruit of the Spirit.
As one theologian explained, “How do I know if you are a true Christian?” His response is, “Well, apart from me professing to you what I believe, and who I believe in, stay a little while longer with me, and you will be able to see the fruit of the Spirit in my life.”
Sadly, there are some people who have deceived themselves into believing that they are saved, but in reality, they are lost. They have this misconception, “As long as I have professed that I believe Jesus Christ, it does not matter how I live my life. It does not matter whether I worship, pray, read the Bible and live a transformed life. I can go on living the life of a fornicator, idolater, adulterer, homosexual, thief, covetous person, drunkard, slanderer, extortioner (or robber), and still be a believer. Paul said, “Do not be deceived….you are not saved, because such shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” People who are characterised by these lifestyles, do not have the Holy Spirit. One cannot profess faith in Jesus Christ, and yet sin does not grieve his heart, and he continues to live in habitual sins.
Can this be said of you, in the past tense, such were some of you? Or is it still in the present tense, such are some of you? This is not a trivial matter that one can joke about, because it hinges on one’s eternity. If it is still in the present tense, and there is no change in one’s life, and he is still living in sin, he can profess all he wants, but the Bible says, “Do not be deceived, for the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God!”
In Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
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Can Believers Sue One Another? [Part 2]Can Believers Sue One Another? [Part 2]1 Corinthians 6:2-8
Such Were Some of You [Part 1]Such Were Some of You [Part 1]1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Such Were Some of You [Part 2]Such Were Some of You [Part 2]1 Corinthians 6:11
Not All Things Are Profitable [Part 1]Not All Things Are Profitable [Part 1]1 Corinthians 6:12a
Not All Things Are Profitable [Part 2]Not All Things Are Profitable [Part 2]1 Corinthians 6:12b
Not All Things Are Profitable [Part 3]Not All Things Are Profitable [Part 3]1 Corinthians 6:13
The Temple of the Holy Spirit [Part 1]The Temple of the Holy Spirit [Part 1]1 Corinthians 6:14-15
The Temple of the Holy Spirit [Part 2]The Temple of the Holy Spirit [Part 2]1 Corinthians 6:16-18
The Temple of the Holy Spirit [Part 3]The Temple of the Holy Spirit [Part 3]1 Corinthians 6:19