And Such Were Some of You

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 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."  I Corinthians 6:9-11

The early church at Corinth was a mess. Instead of growing in Christ and in unity of the faith, the congregation fell into many sinful and prideful practices.  The Apostle Paul penned a letter to the church, giving them a spiritual smack-down, calling them back to sound doctrine and Christian love and unity.  Paul didn't doubt that the congregation was comprised of true believers, having been justified by grace through faith in Christ alone. He was, however, rightly concerned about their lives of cheap grace, evidenced by their disregard for walking in a manner worthy of their calling to Jesus.  So he calls them out on their sins. It's hard not to read the list above and receive my own spiritual smack-down in several areas, but then Paul writes these beautiful words of encouragement:

"And such were some of you."

Paul reminds Christians that we have been washed of all our filthiness, we have been declared holy, our relationship with God has been made right, all because of the righteousness of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, the "bookends of the Christian life," as Jerry Bridges refers to them. We will continue to battle temptations to sin, they are literally all around and in us, but as we remind ourselves of the gospel, that we were bought with a price, that we are no longer our own possession (I Corinthian 6:20), we will yield to the power of the Holy Spirit to do his perfecting work in our lives for his glory.    

We simply can't go back to a life of cheap grace, if we truly understand the gospel.  

Note to Self

In recent years, I've heard several Bible teachers encourage us to preach the gospel to ourselves daily.  Very good advice indeed. . .but what does that look like in practical terms?  Does that involve more than a daily reminder of our need for a Savior and Christ's atonement for our sins on the cross?  How do we take the gospel and apply it to the daily grind?  In writing Note to Self, Joe Thorn purposed to "help others develop a theological understanding and real-life practice of the discipline of preaching to ourselves," noting the difference between law and gospel but emphasizing the need for both. The book consists of forty-eight short daily devotional reads (addressed to Self) divided into the categories of The Gospel and God, The Gospel and Others, the Gospel and You.  


This morning I read the chapter entitled "Give Thanks."  Psalm 100: 4 - 5 encourages us to: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise!  Give thanks to him; bless his name!  For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.  Joe Thorn writes about the psalmist's call to approach God with gratitude:


"[The psalmist] points to three realities: because God is good, because God is loving, and because God is faithful.  A good theologian is thankful, and until you know these truths you are likely to feel entitled and deserving.  How do you know God to be good, loving, and faithful?  These attributes were put on display most beautifully in the gospel.  God is good, loving, and faithful by not giving you what you deserve (judgment) and by lavishing on you grace unmeasured.  He is good and loving in saving us from sin and judgment, giving us hope and life, and adopting us as his own.  He is faithful to his Word and his promise to us, that he will not count our sins against us and will continue the work he began in us to completion.  On top of this, every good thing you have in this life is a gift from your Heavenly Father, and as one who has been justified by the grace of Christ you should see everything in your life as grace that accompanies your salvation.  For such things do not come from a Judge, but your Dad."


Praying today that my faith will not be merely lip service but experiential knowledge of the goodness, love, and faithfulness of God through the means of thanksgiving.