Daily Bread

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Washed, Sanctified, Justified

Date: Mar. 26, 2021

Passage

1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Lawsuits Against Believers

6:1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

9 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, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 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.

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 6:11b

11 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.

1. Disputes among believers (1-6)

Given the divisions in the Corinthian church, it is not hard to imagine that there were also legal disputes among the Christians. But they did not settle the matter amongst themselves. They sued each other! In doing this they denied Christ's work in them. He had died for them and made them holy! They were competent to judge even angels. They should resolve disputes within the church. God would judge those outside the church. Paul had pointed out they had authority to judge inside the church (5:12,13) They were behaving shamefully.

2. You were sanctified (7-11)

In these verses, Paul gave a fatherly lecture to his spiritual children. The lawsuits among them made it look like they were defeated. Paul counseled them: It would be better to let themselves be cheated or wronged than cheat and wrong each other. They should remember who they were at one point. They were unwashed and unsanctified. But Christ died for them to wash them, sanctify them and justify them. They were whom Christ died for. So are we! Do we let disputes make us forget this?

Prayer: Father, help me love my brothers and sisters in the gospel.

One Word: You were justified

We Are Your Sheep, Lord

Psalm 79:1-13

Key Verse: 79:13

But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Today's Question

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