September 16: You have been washed

Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. And some of you used to be like this. 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.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 — Holman Christian Standard Bible)

This may be a hard verse for some people, but we cannot hide or shy away from the truth. It’s interesting that homosexuality is lumped together with greed and verbal abuse. Many would not put these three behaviors in the same group, but God does, treating them equally. Though this entire list of sins should be cut out of our lives simply because God says they’re bad, on the other hand we should not condemn homosexuality and then just overlook greed or verbal abuse. Sin is sin, and everything on this list is deadly to our faith. And yet, when we are trying to help anyone overcome any one of these sins, we should be humble and watch that we do not fall into the sin of judging or condemnation.

Sadly, some people deceive themselves into thinking that God does not insist that they live a good, clean life. They promote a cheap gospel where God accepts and saves everyone regardless of how they choose to live their lives. But here Paul clearly states that the people listed in these verses will not inherit the kingdom of God. If we want God and His blessing we have to live by His rules.

Even so, no person is a “hopeless case” for the Lord Jesus. It doesn't matter what people have done — drugs, alcohol, sexual perversions, satanic worship — no sin and no crime is beyond His power to heal and free. Paul uses three words to describe what God had already done for the Corinthians, and today, when we choose to believe in Him and obey His word, these three things have already happened to us: Washed, which means spiritually cleansed by God — Sanctified, which means separated for God — and Justified, which means declared innocent and pure through Jesus’ work on the cross.

Let’s get busy cutting out the bad and focusing on the good.