I
Cor. Chapter 6:1-20
Memory
verses for this week: 1 Pet 1:24 For all flesh
is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The
grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 1 Pet 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the
word which by the gospel is preached unto you..
Introduction:
Last
week in Chapter 5, we discussed how church discipline should be
administered and how it should be done in a very planned and orderly
manner. This week, we study about how Christians should forgive one
another for offenses.
I.
Christians Warned Against Going to Law
1
Cor 6:1 Dare any of
you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust,
and not before the saints?
Paul
had to be amazed at these saints in the church there at Corinth.
In our study last week, we found that they had a member
living in gross sin, and had done nothing at all to correct the
problem. Then he finds
that the members of the church were going to law when problems came
up between brethren. In
today’s society, we find many think that hiring a lawyer and
taking someone to court is the way to find happiness.
Paul was upset with this line of thinking, and
Urges
them to settle minor issues among themselves.
To take an issue between a Christian before an unsaved judge
is not necessarily going to get the proper remedy for our problems.
1
Cor 6:2 Do ye not know
that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be
judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Paul
argues that since believers will one day have a part in the judgment
of both men and angels, they should certainly come to agreement
among themselves with small issues.
Paul was not forbidding them to use worldly courts, but just
trying to make them see that they are unnecessary in the vast number
of cases. While the
Christian’s citizenship is in heaven, that does not remove us from
our responsibilities to the government and state.
We have a responsibility to each one.
1
Tim 2:1 I exhort
therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1
Tim 2:2 For kings, and
for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
1
Tim 2:3 For this is
good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1
Tim 2:4 Who will have
all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Paul
certainly knew about the court system, and had much experience
standing before judges, particularly in the latter years of his
ministry.
Acts
25:10 Then said Paul, I
stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the
Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
Acts
25:11 For if I be an
offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not
to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse
me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.
Rom
13:1 Let every soul be
subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God:
the powers that be are ordained of God.
Rom
13:2 Whosoever
therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and
they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Rom
13:3 For rulers are not
a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be
afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have
praise of the same:
Rom
13:4 For he is the
minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil,
be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the
minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth
evil.
The
reference we have here in Chapter 6 is not about large issues that
might need to be settled in court, but rather were minor disputes
among brethren that could be handled by Christians among themselves.
1
Cor 6:3 Know ye not
that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to
this life?
1
Cor 6:4 If then ye have
judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who
are least esteemed in the church.
Verse
4 teaches that if you were going to seek a judgment on some
question, would you seek the judgment of the least esteemed member
of the church? Would
you want a babe in the Lord making a judgment for you, or would you
want a seasoned Christian. If
you would not choose the weak Christian to judge, how would you
logically look to get advice and judgment from an unsaved judge.
Minor issues and church disputes have no place in state
courts before the unbeliever.
I think that disagreements between church members cause the
lost to want to stay away from the church. We
should try our best to get along and all have the same mind, that
being the mind of Christ.
1
Cor 6:5 I speak to your
shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one
that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
1
Cor 6:6 But brother
goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
1
Cor 6:7 Now therefore
there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with
another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather
suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
1
Cor 6:8 Nay, ye do
wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
It
truly is a shame when Christian brothers can not bet along and
especially shameful that there can be cases tried between two
brothers in the church. It
would be much wiser in my estimation that we endure wrong, even if
it means being defrauded, than to run to the heathen courts to find
a remedy. Many who do
these kind of things are not truly seeking justice, but looking to
hurt someone else’s testimony or to defraud them.
1
Pet 3:15 But sanctify
the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer
to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear:
1
Pet 3:16 Having a good
conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers,
they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in
Christ.
1
Pet 3:17 For it is
better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing,
than for evil doing.
1
Pet 3:18 For Christ
also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he
might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but
quickened by the Spirit:
Matthew
Henry in his Commentary on the Whole Bible had this to say about
lawsuits among Christians.
Christians
should not contend with one another, for they are brethren. This, if
duly attended to, would prevent many law-suits, and end many
quarrels and disputes. In matters of great damage to ourselves or
families, we may use lawful means to right ourselves, but Christians
should be of a forgiving temper. Refer the matters in dispute,
rather than go to law about them. They are trifles, and may easily
be settled, if you first conquer your own spirits. Bear and forbear,
and the men of least skill among you may end your quarrels. It is a
shame that little quarrels should grow to such a head among
Christians, that they cannot be determined by the brethren. The
peace of a man's own mind, and the calm of his neighborhood, are
worth more than victory. Lawsuits could not take place among
brethren, unless there were faults among them.
II.
The Corinthians Had Been Justified in the Name of
Jesus Christ
1
Cor 6:9 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,
1
Cor 6:10 Nor thieves,
nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall
inherit the kingdom of God.
If
you read verses 9 and 10, it sounds like it would be impossible for
someone who had sinned to enter into heaven.
But no unsaved sinner can enter the kingdom of heaven. A person who has accepted their position as a lost
sinner without hope and turned to Christ in faith with repentance,
certainly can be saved. (See
verse 11)
1
Cor 6:11 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.
And
such were some of you… were you one of those kind of sinners? I’m afraid that most of us have been involved in sin
that we would like to forget. But
Praise the Lord, there is only one sin that is unforgivable. If we blaspheme the Holy Spirit and reject Him when He deals
with us about sin, we have no hope.
But anyone, no matter what they have done, can find
Christ’s loving salvation if they will truly seek God’s face and
turn to Christ. The sin of unbelief is what sends a sinner to hell.
And Christ has already paid the price.
Why anyone would want to try to make it in this old wicked
world without Christ is beyond my understanding.
But Satan has many deceived today.
If he can get us to put off salvation one more day, he will
slowly lure your life away and you will go to the grave lost and
undone.
III.
Fornication is a Sin in the Sight of God
1
Cor 6:12 All things are
lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are
lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
1
Cor 6:13 Meats for the
belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and
them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the
Lord for the body.
Does
salvation give us a ticket to sin without price?
Absolutely not. Our
sins may be forgiven in regards to salvation, but every sin has a
price and can ruin our lives down here.
We have to live in this world, and a Christian that lives
worldly and is involved in sin will have a horrible life.
The joy of salvation can become a thing far from us, and our
lives can be a living hell. But
when we live for God, we have a life that is more abundant.
Paul said all things may be lawful, but not all things are
expedient. The lost man or woman that sees us living with sin in our
lives will have no desire to be like us.
Paul said he might be free from sin, and he would not be
brought under the bondage of any sin.
We must be careful to flee sin or it will dominion over us.
We either live to self and the flesh, or we live to God and
the Spirit. The
teaching is clear that we are to flee the sin of fornication.
We discussed last week how that when we are involved in sins
like fornication and adultery, we associate the Holy Spirit in our
sins since those sins involve the body and the Holy Spirit dwells
inside the believer. Paul
wanted his life to be profitable, and living in sin is not the way
to the effective, successful Christian walk that God so desires us
to walk. Meats
for the belly and the belly for meats speaks of how that food
certainly is not the main issue of life.
Both the belly and the food will ultimately return back to
the dust. The things
that matter are the things we do for God that make up the silver,
gold, and precious stones in the day of judgment.
When we stand at the judgment seat of Christ, we will stand
there to determine what rewards we will receive.
Those things done the proper way that honored God will bring
us a reward. Those
done in the flesh (wood, hay, and stubble), will be burned up.
1
Cor 6:14 And God hath
both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
1
Cor 6:15 Know ye not
that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the
members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God
forbid.
1
Cor 6:16 What? know ye
not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith
he, shall be one flesh.
Our
bodies are the members of Christ.
Should we then take them and make them members of a harlot?
Paul answers clearly and forcefully.. GOD FORBID.
Paul uses the relationship between man and wife to explain
that joining oneself with a harlot makes you to become one body
together. The greatest
need among Christians is to be joined with the Lord, and be away
from the things of this world.
1
Cor 6:17 But he that is
joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
1
Cor 6:18 Flee
fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he
that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
There
are many sins that hurt the Christian, but those of a sexual nature
involve the body as well as the soul.
Sexual sin (unmarried men and women committing fornication
with one another) differs in that it is a sin against ones own body.
Many times people involved in sexual sins wind up with
physical diseases that cripple or ultimately may bring death such as
syphilis or Aids. When
I was a child, there was no such thing as Aids.
But in just a few short years, we have a deadly disease that
kills thousands of people each year.
Most of those infected with the disease get it from either
fornication or having sin with the same sex. (Homosexuality).
God is clear on this teaching, and the child of God should
not be involved in these sins.
Does that mean a lost person who has been involved can not be
saved? Absolutely not.
But they are to forsake the sin and turn to God in
repentance.
IV.
Our Bodies are the Temple of the Holy Ghost
1
Cor 6:19 What? know ye
not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1
Cor 6:20 For ye are
bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God's.
Verse
19 makes it clear that the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside the
Christian the day he or she accepts Christ as Savior.
And because we are bought with a price, the precious blood of
Jesus, we are not our own.
What a price Jesus paid to obtain our redemption.
1
Pet 1:18 Forasmuch as
ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver
and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from
your fathers;
1
Pet 1:19 But with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without
spot:
1
Pet 1:20 Who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in
these last times for you,
1
Pet 1:21 Who by him do
believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him
glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1
Pet 1:22 Seeing ye have
purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto
unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a
pure heart fervently:
1
Pet 1:23 Being born
again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Because
of what Christ has done for us, we should make our bodies a living
sacrifice for the Lord. Everything
we say or do should be done to the honor and glory of God.
Rom
12:1 I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.
Rom
12:2 And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.
We
don’t have to wait to see if this is the will of God.
It says that to present our bodies a living sacrifice is the
PERFECT WILL OF GOD.
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