Read 1 Corinthians 6.
At the end of our reading yesterday in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul stated that he does not judge outsiders to the church. Instead, God would judge them (5:12-13).
Here in chapter 6 he picked up the theme of judgment and rebuked the Corinthian believers for using secular courts and unbelieving judges to decide their disputes (v. 1). Throughout this chapter, Paul rebuked the Corinthians by making distinctions between how unbelievers live and how believers should live.
- Unbelievers go to court when they have a dispute with another person. Believers should go to the church leaders to resolve those issues (vv. 1-5)
- Unbelievers will never accept being cheated and wronged. Believers should never wrong each other–we’re brothers and sisters in Christ, after all. But, if we are wronged, we should accept being wronged rather than expose our problems to the secular world (vv. 7-9).
- Unbelievers live in all kinds of sinful ways. Believers used to be like that, but were redeemed by Christ (vv. 9-11).
- Unbelievers justify their sinful behavior by any rationalization necessary. Believers understand that we belong to God and, therefore, want to live for him with our bodies, especially in the realm of our sexuality (vv. 12-20).
Does your life look any different than the unbelievers around you? If you’re in Christ, it certainly does.
But are there any areas where you need to grow in your submission to the Lordship of Christ? You may not sue another believer, but will you gossip and backstab him if possible?
You may not live an immoral life, but do you have food habits or drinking habits or entertainment habits that are not glorifying to God?
A passage like this one calls us to reflect on our lives. Verses 19-20 say, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” Is there anything you’re consistently doing with your body or your mind that the Holy Spirit would not do?
