WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.760 Well, good morning, church. 00:00:01.480 --> 00:00:06.960 Turn with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 9 to 11. 00:00:07.100 --> 00:00:13.419 We're doing a series this year through this whole book, one of Paul's most lengthy epistles. 00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:21.519 And this morning we are at chapter 6, starting at verse 9. 00:00:23.480 --> 00:00:27.740 As a parent raising kids and living in downtown New Haven, 00:00:27.739 --> 00:00:32.600 I find myself constantly warning my kids about potential dangers. 00:00:33.379 --> 00:00:35.659 When they were a bit younger, it was simple things like, 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:41.079 when we're walking to our car, don't cross the parking lot unless we're with you. 00:00:41.799 --> 00:00:46.239 Or when we come to a crosswalk, don't walk into the street unless you're holding an adult's hand. 00:00:47.519 --> 00:00:52.980 When you're climbing the tree near our front door, don't climb higher than you can climb down without help. 00:00:52.979 --> 00:00:58.399 When we're at the playground, don't pick up random pieces of trash, 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:00.679 because you really never know what they're going to be. 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:06.079 Now, after reinforcing all these warnings, what feels like hundreds of times over, 00:01:06.200 --> 00:01:10.400 our kids are now 5 and 3, and we can take a walk around downtown without fear of grave danger. 00:01:11.819 --> 00:01:16.979 But along the way, we've had the occasional scare when our kids have disregarded our warnings. 00:01:17.659 --> 00:01:19.179 One day my wife was home alone. 00:01:19.960 --> 00:01:22.000 She gave me permission to share this story, by the way. 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:26.460 And she was changing our daughter's diaper, who had just woken up for a nap upstairs. 00:01:27.260 --> 00:01:32.300 Our 2-year-old son was playing downstairs, and for some reason, he decided to open the front door, 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:34.500 which he had just learned to do. 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:39.360 And not only did he walk out onto our front porch and onto the grass, 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:41.920 but he walked down the walkway and toward the street. 00:01:42.700 --> 00:01:46.360 And when my wife realized what had happened and found him just a moment later, 00:01:46.500 --> 00:01:48.219 he said, Mommy, I saw a bus go by. 00:01:49.180 --> 00:01:56.660 Well, let us say that was both an occasion for a stern warning and some strong comfort. 00:01:58.700 --> 00:02:01.100 And it hasn't, nothing like that has happened again. 00:02:02.540 --> 00:02:08.719 Well, the Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians, he describes himself in chapter 4 as a spiritual father 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:14.020 who is writing to admonish his beloved children in the church at Corinth. 00:02:14.020 --> 00:02:18.380 And so he begins with today with a word of warning, but he ends with a word of encouragement. 00:02:18.540 --> 00:02:21.300 So let me read this passage to us, 1 Corinthians 6, 9 through 11. 00:02:21.300 --> 00:02:24.140 Paul says, 00:02:24.219 --> 00:02:30.460 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? 00:02:31.100 --> 00:02:32.740 Do not be deceived. 00:02:33.880 --> 00:02:40.780 Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 00:02:40.780 --> 00:02:50.860 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 00:02:51.699 --> 00:02:53.379 And such were some of you. 00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:56.319 But you were washed. 00:02:57.259 --> 00:02:58.280 You were sanctified. 00:02:59.060 --> 00:03:05.139 You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 00:03:05.139 --> 00:03:09.039 This passage begins with a very strong warning. 00:03:09.259 --> 00:03:09.559 Paul says, 00:03:09.799 --> 00:03:10.879 Do you not know? 00:03:11.679 --> 00:03:13.819 Paul uses this phrase a few times in his letter. 00:03:14.699 --> 00:03:15.959 Chapter 3, verse 16. 00:03:16.239 --> 00:03:17.839 And several times in chapter 5 and 6. 00:03:17.959 --> 00:03:24.479 Most likely referring to basic Christian teachings that he had personally communicated to them 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:26.579 during his visit to Corinth. 00:03:27.159 --> 00:03:29.079 Just a couple of years before he wrote this letter. 00:03:30.439 --> 00:03:30.839 And he says, 00:03:30.839 --> 00:03:32.259 Do not be deceived. 00:03:32.259 --> 00:03:40.060 In other words, this should be obvious to you, but I know you are prone to forget or think that you know better. 00:03:40.219 --> 00:03:41.799 Don't be deceived. 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:43.859 And twice he repeats himself, 00:03:43.959 --> 00:03:48.060 The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:03:49.259 --> 00:03:54.680 Now you might wonder what motivated Paul to issue such a strong warning. 00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:59.520 Was Paul an angry religious traditionalist, 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:03.980 venting his frustrations about all the sinful practices of godless Corinth? 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:05.780 Well, no. 00:04:05.980 --> 00:04:07.599 That's not Paul's motivation here. 00:04:08.960 --> 00:04:13.240 Paul certainly had his concerns about and criticisms of Corinthian culture. 00:04:13.379 --> 00:04:17.060 But Paul was not writing an open letter to the Corinthian parliament. 00:04:17.579 --> 00:04:19.660 Or to the city of Corinth as a whole. 00:04:19.660 --> 00:04:24.540 Paul was writing first and foremost to the Christian church. 00:04:25.620 --> 00:04:31.240 And Paul's burning concern was that the Corinthian church was falling into, 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:34.220 or perhaps running headlong into, 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:42.240 the self-promoting, self-indulgent, and ultimately self-destructive patterns of the culture in which they lived. 00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:44.820 So look back at chapter 5, verse 1. 00:04:44.819 --> 00:04:51.459 Chapter 5, verse 1, we learn that a man in the church was sleeping with his stepmother. 00:04:52.659 --> 00:04:54.800 And the church as a whole thought nothing of it. 00:04:55.819 --> 00:04:58.279 In fact, as Paul says in verse 2, they were arrogant. 00:04:59.100 --> 00:05:00.159 They celebrated it. 00:05:00.219 --> 00:05:02.019 And it seems like they thought as follows. 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:05.159 We have freedom in Christ Jesus. 00:05:06.180 --> 00:05:07.539 We're no longer under the law. 00:05:07.659 --> 00:05:08.500 We're under grace. 00:05:09.100 --> 00:05:11.100 And therefore, everything is lawful for us. 00:05:11.139 --> 00:05:13.019 We can do whatever we feel like. 00:05:13.019 --> 00:05:14.959 And Paul says no. 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:21.299 In this case, he says, you must no longer treat this man as a fellow Christian. 00:05:21.979 --> 00:05:28.379 Because his pattern, his ongoing pattern of life is so far out of line with his profession of faith. 00:05:29.699 --> 00:05:30.459 Chapter 6. 00:05:31.459 --> 00:05:36.779 Beginning of chapter 6, we learn that some church members were suing each other in court. 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:41.539 Most likely, this involved a civil dispute over money or property. 00:05:41.540 --> 00:05:44.340 And again, Paul responds very strongly. 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:46.319 Verse 7 and 8, he says, this is a shame. 00:05:47.500 --> 00:05:49.840 Is there no one in the church wise enough to mediate? 00:05:50.500 --> 00:05:54.439 If you're hauling one another into court, you've already lost the battle. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:57.800 You're wronging each other. 00:05:58.640 --> 00:06:01.180 This is not how the church is supposed to be. 00:06:01.180 --> 00:06:11.699 You see, Paul's underlying belief here is that being a Christian means belonging to the kingdom of God. 00:06:12.579 --> 00:06:17.680 In other words, living under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:06:18.500 --> 00:06:23.100 In Romans chapter 14, verse 17, Paul described the kingdom of God. 00:06:23.100 --> 00:06:30.600 He said, the kingdom of God is characterized by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 00:06:31.700 --> 00:06:37.460 And Paul is concerned that many of the Corinthian Christians' patterns of life were way out of line. 00:06:37.540 --> 00:06:46.080 That instead of displaying righteousness, joy, and peace, there was evidence of disloyalty and division and dissatisfaction. 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:49.500 And Paul says, you can't have it both ways. 00:06:49.599 --> 00:06:51.500 This is a walking contradiction. 00:06:53.219 --> 00:07:00.120 Now, before we dive into the content of verse 9 and 10, let me make two broader observations about these verses. 00:07:00.339 --> 00:07:07.899 First, in one commentator's words, that Paul is not talking about isolated acts of unrighteousness, 00:07:08.159 --> 00:07:11.180 but a whole way of life pursued persistently. 00:07:11.879 --> 00:07:13.819 The words in this list are nouns. 00:07:13.819 --> 00:07:18.000 He says, the sexually immoral or idolaters. 00:07:19.139 --> 00:07:23.659 In other words, these are ongoing patterns that have come to define a person's character. 00:07:25.219 --> 00:07:31.259 Second, this is not an entrance exam for joining the Christian community. 00:07:32.139 --> 00:07:37.500 So it's not like a job application where you have to answer a series of yes-no questions. 00:07:38.379 --> 00:07:40.060 Have you ever been convicted of a felony? 00:07:40.860 --> 00:07:43.539 Have you ever been evicted from a prior apartment? 00:07:43.819 --> 00:07:46.579 Are you a U.S. citizen with proper ID? 00:07:47.139 --> 00:07:48.420 Did you finish high school? 00:07:48.540 --> 00:07:53.719 And if you answer even one of those questions the wrong way, you're automatically out. 00:07:54.019 --> 00:07:55.920 That's not what Paul is doing here. 00:07:56.800 --> 00:08:00.240 In fact, in verse 11, he says, such were some of you. 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:08.019 Now, what Paul is doing is he's warning against patterns of unrighteousness, what he calls unrighteousness, 00:08:08.060 --> 00:08:10.300 that don't belong in God's kingdom. 00:08:10.300 --> 00:08:18.259 Paul does this a few places in his letters, most extensively in Galatians 5 and Romans 1 and 2, 00:08:18.819 --> 00:08:22.100 more briefly in Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5. 00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:27.260 But here, Paul focuses mostly on two categories in this list. 00:08:27.760 --> 00:08:30.200 He focuses on sex and he focuses on money. 00:08:31.280 --> 00:08:36.480 And that's not an accident because, as we saw, the issue in chapter 5 was sexual immorality, 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:41.600 and the issue in chapter 6 was a dispute over money. 00:08:42.740 --> 00:08:46.539 In chapter 6 and 7, Paul gives more extensive teaching about sex and marriage. 00:08:46.940 --> 00:08:52.460 In chapter 11, he addresses, among other things, divisions between the rich and the poor and the community. 00:08:53.100 --> 00:08:57.620 Paul has already addressed issues of power and status in chapters 1 through 4. 00:08:57.620 --> 00:09:07.080 So, the big picture is Paul's concern that the Corinthian Christians are using power, money, and sex in order to gratify themselves 00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:09.960 rather than to advance God's kingdom. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:13.240 And Paul wants to reorient their thinking. 00:09:14.679 --> 00:09:16.740 Now, if we think about money and sex, 00:09:17.620 --> 00:09:21.179 the prevailing assumption in our world, 00:09:21.779 --> 00:09:23.779 which is similar to that of ancient Corinth, 00:09:23.779 --> 00:09:27.959 is that money and sex are basically private matters 00:09:27.959 --> 00:09:32.500 where each individual should determine what is right for themselves. 00:09:33.740 --> 00:09:35.039 All right, so many people would say 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:37.839 that sex is generally okay 00:09:37.839 --> 00:09:40.959 as long as it's between consenting adults. 00:09:41.539 --> 00:09:46.159 As long as you don't violate someone else's autonomy and privacy. 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:48.679 And similarly with money. 00:09:49.819 --> 00:09:50.079 Right? 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:52.240 Nobody else needs to know how much you earn 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:54.000 or how much you give 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:55.780 or how you spend your money. 00:09:56.120 --> 00:09:58.000 That's your business, not theirs. 00:09:59.340 --> 00:10:00.560 Let me put it this way. 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:04.320 Have you ever raised a serious concern 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:05.820 with someone, 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:08.080 perhaps a close friend, 00:10:08.700 --> 00:10:09.860 about their attitude 00:10:09.860 --> 00:10:11.600 or their practices 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:13.440 with regard to sex 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:14.620 or money? 00:10:16.920 --> 00:10:17.780 And if so, 00:10:17.780 --> 00:10:18.740 how did they respond? 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:20.560 Right? 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:23.139 Most of us are naturally very self-protective 00:10:23.139 --> 00:10:25.160 in both of these areas. 00:10:25.900 --> 00:10:27.879 We think no one ought to tell us otherwise. 00:10:28.020 --> 00:10:28.920 It's not an accident 00:10:28.920 --> 00:10:31.460 that two out of the three 00:10:31.460 --> 00:10:34.600 most common factors in marital conflicts 00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:37.060 are sex and money. 00:10:37.720 --> 00:10:38.879 The other one is the in-laws, 00:10:39.220 --> 00:10:42.160 which is sometimes a power issue. 00:10:42.780 --> 00:10:42.980 Right? 00:10:43.100 --> 00:10:43.980 Sex, money, and power. 00:10:43.980 --> 00:10:47.700 And for the most part, 00:10:47.779 --> 00:10:49.899 the only time we seek help in these areas 00:10:49.899 --> 00:10:52.539 is when our lives have nearly fallen apart. 00:10:52.940 --> 00:10:54.100 If there's an affair. 00:10:54.820 --> 00:10:55.259 Right? 00:10:55.420 --> 00:10:57.759 Or when we're facing bankruptcy or eviction. 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:04.139 But the Bible has an entirely different vision 00:11:04.139 --> 00:11:07.180 of the purpose of money, sex, and power. 00:11:07.179 --> 00:11:10.079 You see, in the kingdom of God, 00:11:10.779 --> 00:11:13.279 power, money, and sex are not our own 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:15.279 to use as we please. 00:11:16.359 --> 00:11:19.019 They're gifts from God entrusted to us 00:11:19.019 --> 00:11:22.120 for the sake of building God's kingdom. 00:11:23.459 --> 00:11:24.459 So in God's kingdom, 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:27.099 money is a blessing from God. 00:11:27.239 --> 00:11:28.019 Deuteronomy says, 00:11:28.139 --> 00:11:30.579 it is God who gives you the power to get wealth. 00:11:31.500 --> 00:11:32.439 First Timothy says, 00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:35.279 God richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:38.480 But it's a blessing not just for ourselves, 00:11:38.579 --> 00:11:39.879 it's a blessing to be shared 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:42.699 with God's people in need throughout the world. 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:45.699 Paul talks about this in 2 Corinthians, 00:11:45.899 --> 00:11:47.939 chapters 8 and 9, quite extensively. 00:11:48.959 --> 00:11:50.399 At that time, he was raising money 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:54.339 to help the famine-stricken Christians in Jerusalem. 00:11:55.339 --> 00:11:56.339 And he says this, 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:56.720 he says, 00:11:56.799 --> 00:11:59.459 you will be enriched in every way 00:11:59.459 --> 00:12:03.600 in order to be generous in every way. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:07.040 And the result will be thanksgiving to God. 00:12:08.100 --> 00:12:10.460 Money, which is inherently temporary and fleeting, 00:12:10.560 --> 00:12:13.680 is a tool for serving and blessing 00:12:13.680 --> 00:12:17.159 and honoring people who will last forever. 00:12:18.019 --> 00:12:21.040 That's the purpose of money in the kingdom of God. 00:12:21.300 --> 00:12:23.480 And therefore, greed, when money becomes an idol, 00:12:25.100 --> 00:12:27.840 Paul says it's out of place in God's kingdom. 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:31.860 Now, of course, very few of us self-identify as greedy. 00:12:33.560 --> 00:12:36.480 There was a pastor who was teaching a Sunday school class 00:12:36.480 --> 00:12:37.759 on the seven deadly sins. 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:40.060 Greed is one of those. 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:43.300 Greed was the lowest attendance of all the days, 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:44.040 by far. 00:12:45.060 --> 00:12:45.340 Right? 00:12:45.940 --> 00:12:49.340 People came when it was pride and lust 00:12:49.340 --> 00:12:51.879 and sloth and gluttony, 00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:53.540 but not greed. 00:12:54.259 --> 00:12:56.139 You see, greed is insidious. 00:12:56.139 --> 00:12:59.559 Sometimes it's manifested in envy, 00:13:01.019 --> 00:13:04.819 fantasizing as we browse catalogs or store aisles 00:13:04.819 --> 00:13:07.860 or internet sites, even if we don't buy anything. 00:13:09.199 --> 00:13:11.039 Maybe it's manifested in anxiety, 00:13:12.500 --> 00:13:14.199 constantly checking the account balances 00:13:14.199 --> 00:13:18.120 or feeling that our security correlates 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:20.120 to our financial status. 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:21.700 Or distraction. 00:13:21.700 --> 00:13:25.120 We become so engaged in enjoying and managing 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:27.440 and increasing our possessions 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:31.020 that we ignore the people who are right next to us. 00:13:31.540 --> 00:13:33.460 That was an issue in the church in Corinth. 00:13:33.580 --> 00:13:34.940 Later on, Paul goes on and he says, 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:36.700 when you gather together to eat, 00:13:37.860 --> 00:13:39.340 one of you is going hungry 00:13:39.340 --> 00:13:41.280 and the other is getting drunk. 00:13:42.460 --> 00:13:45.160 Some of you are so focused on enjoying yourselves 00:13:45.160 --> 00:13:46.680 and overindulging yourselves 00:13:46.679 --> 00:13:49.099 that you're completely ignoring 00:13:49.099 --> 00:13:50.879 the person next to you 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:52.079 who's hungry, 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:53.799 who doesn't have enough to eat. 00:13:54.759 --> 00:13:56.459 Greed sometimes blinds us 00:13:56.459 --> 00:13:58.779 to the basic needs of our neighbors 00:13:58.779 --> 00:13:59.959 who we pass on the street 00:13:59.959 --> 00:14:02.799 or sitting next to us in church. 00:14:05.099 --> 00:14:05.839 Jesus said, 00:14:05.959 --> 00:14:08.120 be on your guard against all kinds of greed, 00:14:08.359 --> 00:14:10.099 for life does not consist 00:14:10.099 --> 00:14:11.620 in the abundance of possessions. 00:14:11.620 --> 00:14:14.720 Now in God's kingdom, 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:16.480 just as our money belongs to God 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:18.139 and God enriches us 00:14:18.139 --> 00:14:19.279 so that we might be generous, 00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:21.519 our bodies belong to God. 00:14:22.899 --> 00:14:24.060 So in God's kingdom, 00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:28.320 sex is not primarily a biological drive 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:30.500 or a means of self-expression. 00:14:31.060 --> 00:14:32.399 Sex is the embodiment 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:35.460 of God's covenant faithfulness. 00:14:36.740 --> 00:14:39.019 Sex is intended to be a physical union 00:14:39.019 --> 00:14:42.720 that accompanies a whole life union. 00:14:44.079 --> 00:14:45.840 Sex is meant to be a reaffirmation 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:47.039 of the marriage promises, 00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:48.980 a way of saying, 00:14:49.179 --> 00:14:51.860 I would marry you all over again today. 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:54.860 And so in God's kingdom, 00:14:55.079 --> 00:14:56.579 marriage is not just two people 00:14:56.579 --> 00:14:58.439 entering into a mutually beneficial 00:14:58.439 --> 00:15:01.159 arrangement to please one another. 00:15:02.019 --> 00:15:04.019 It's two people vowing to display 00:15:04.019 --> 00:15:06.139 to the world something far greater 00:15:06.139 --> 00:15:06.799 than themselves. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:08.459 Paul says, 00:15:08.859 --> 00:15:11.159 Christian marriage depicts the union 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:12.759 of Christ and the church. 00:15:13.819 --> 00:15:16.740 That is two fundamentally different entities 00:15:16.740 --> 00:15:19.159 joined together as one for all time. 00:15:20.839 --> 00:15:21.079 And you know, 00:15:21.139 --> 00:15:22.019 if you think about it, 00:15:22.439 --> 00:15:24.139 the way we think about money 00:15:24.139 --> 00:15:25.399 and the way we think about sex, 00:15:25.479 --> 00:15:26.519 we tend to think of them 00:15:26.519 --> 00:15:28.500 in a self-centered way. 00:15:29.419 --> 00:15:30.559 And when we hear about this 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:32.240 God's kingdom way of thinking, 00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:35.079 it feels different to us. 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:35.580 Right? 00:15:36.580 --> 00:15:37.580 Marriage is not primarily 00:15:37.580 --> 00:15:38.460 about the two of you. 00:15:38.700 --> 00:15:39.040 No! 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:40.860 Not in God's kingdom. 00:15:42.940 --> 00:15:44.639 It's about displaying to the world 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:46.680 Christ's love for his people 00:15:46.680 --> 00:15:48.400 and the union between 00:15:48.400 --> 00:15:50.100 two fundamentally different entities. 00:15:50.460 --> 00:15:51.620 And that is one reason 00:15:51.620 --> 00:15:53.120 why the Bible, 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:55.120 including Jesus himself, 00:15:55.580 --> 00:15:57.120 always describes marriage 00:15:57.120 --> 00:15:58.900 as male plus female. 00:15:58.899 --> 00:16:00.240 That is, 00:16:00.299 --> 00:16:01.699 our fundamental difference 00:16:01.699 --> 00:16:04.639 is inscribed on our very own bodies 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:06.720 and in our unity together 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:09.740 we display the reconciling grace of God. 00:16:10.439 --> 00:16:12.459 That's the broader biblical vision 00:16:12.459 --> 00:16:14.159 for the purpose of marriage 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:15.220 in God's kingdom. 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:17.699 And that is one reason 00:16:17.699 --> 00:16:19.039 why Paul includes 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:20.899 men who practice homosexuality 00:16:21.659 --> 00:16:24.079 alongside the sexually immoral 00:16:24.079 --> 00:16:25.699 and adulterers in verse 9. 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:26.759 Now, 00:16:27.280 --> 00:16:28.680 that is the elephant in the room 00:16:28.680 --> 00:16:29.500 we have gotten here. 00:16:30.160 --> 00:16:30.320 Okay? 00:16:30.460 --> 00:16:30.660 So, 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:32.080 let me take a few moments 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:34.140 to clarify three things 00:16:34.140 --> 00:16:35.580 about what Paul is saying 00:16:35.580 --> 00:16:37.500 and what Paul is not saying 00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:40.620 in including that in the list. 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:42.120 Number one, 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:44.280 Paul is speaking about 00:16:44.280 --> 00:16:45.580 sexual practice, 00:16:46.220 --> 00:16:47.540 not what we would call 00:16:47.540 --> 00:16:48.820 sexual attraction 00:16:48.820 --> 00:16:49.940 or orientation. 00:16:49.940 --> 00:16:51.660 So, 00:16:51.760 --> 00:16:52.900 Paul is not saying 00:16:52.900 --> 00:16:54.340 that the only people 00:16:54.340 --> 00:16:55.760 who belong in the church 00:16:55.760 --> 00:16:57.220 are those who feel 00:16:57.220 --> 00:16:58.280 exclusive attraction 00:16:58.280 --> 00:16:59.540 to the opposite sex. 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:02.260 If you're a Christian 00:17:02.260 --> 00:17:03.300 who experiences 00:17:03.300 --> 00:17:05.360 homosexual feelings, 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:06.500 you will have 00:17:06.500 --> 00:17:07.600 particular struggles 00:17:07.600 --> 00:17:09.519 as well as particular 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:11.160 insights and gifts 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:12.799 to bring to the church. 00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:14.460 We need you. 00:17:15.620 --> 00:17:16.420 One book that's 00:17:16.420 --> 00:17:17.400 particularly insightful 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:18.299 in this respect 00:17:18.299 --> 00:17:19.440 is called 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:20.440 Washed and Waiting 00:17:20.440 --> 00:17:22.559 by a guy named Wesley Hill. 00:17:23.419 --> 00:17:23.919 It's available 00:17:23.919 --> 00:17:25.099 on the bookstall downstairs. 00:17:25.899 --> 00:17:26.500 I'd recommend it 00:17:26.500 --> 00:17:27.039 to anybody 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:30.259 who wants to explore 00:17:30.259 --> 00:17:31.480 this topic 00:17:31.480 --> 00:17:32.980 and wants to hear 00:17:32.980 --> 00:17:33.700 his insights. 00:17:34.940 --> 00:17:35.139 So, 00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:37.019 sexual practice, 00:17:37.139 --> 00:17:38.200 not sexual attraction 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:38.619 or orientation. 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:39.559 Second, 00:17:40.460 --> 00:17:41.240 Paul mentions 00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:42.079 gay sex 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:42.779 generally 00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:44.379 as a practice 00:17:44.379 --> 00:17:45.359 that does not belong 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:46.139 in God's kingdom. 00:17:46.140 --> 00:17:47.360 Now, 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:48.000 some scholars 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:48.580 have argued 00:17:48.580 --> 00:17:49.160 that Paul 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:49.920 is referring 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:51.440 specifically to 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:52.360 prostitution 00:17:52.360 --> 00:17:53.860 or exploitation. 00:17:55.120 --> 00:17:56.020 But there is 00:17:56.020 --> 00:17:57.400 a pair of Greek words 00:17:57.400 --> 00:17:59.340 that refer specifically 00:17:59.340 --> 00:18:00.740 to sexual relations 00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:02.080 between an older man 00:18:02.080 --> 00:18:03.240 and a younger boy, 00:18:03.820 --> 00:18:04.520 which was one 00:18:04.520 --> 00:18:05.320 prominent form 00:18:05.320 --> 00:18:06.259 of homosexuality 00:18:06.259 --> 00:18:07.220 in the ancient world. 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:08.880 Paul did not use 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:09.720 those words 00:18:09.720 --> 00:18:10.960 in this list. 00:18:11.940 --> 00:18:12.520 If you look 00:18:12.520 --> 00:18:13.640 in the Pew Bibles 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:14.420 or the ESV, 00:18:14.420 --> 00:18:15.420 there's a text note 00:18:15.420 --> 00:18:16.480 at the bottom 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:18.500 which rightly says 00:18:18.500 --> 00:18:19.620 the two Greek words 00:18:19.620 --> 00:18:21.279 translated by this phrase 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:22.740 refer to the passive 00:18:22.740 --> 00:18:24.019 and active partners 00:18:24.019 --> 00:18:25.080 in consensual 00:18:25.080 --> 00:18:26.220 homosexual acts. 00:18:27.220 --> 00:18:27.779 In particular, 00:18:27.900 --> 00:18:29.360 the second word 00:18:29.360 --> 00:18:30.039 Paul uses 00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:31.740 is arsenokoitai. 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:33.480 It's a compound word 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:34.220 from arsen, 00:18:34.420 --> 00:18:35.300 which means male, 00:18:35.800 --> 00:18:36.720 and koitai, 00:18:36.860 --> 00:18:37.680 which means bed 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:38.620 or intercourse. 00:18:39.340 --> 00:18:39.980 It's derived 00:18:39.980 --> 00:18:41.320 from the Greek translation 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:43.359 of Leviticus 20.13, 00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:44.539 which says, 00:18:44.740 --> 00:18:46.019 whoever lies with a male 00:18:46.019 --> 00:18:46.799 as with a woman, 00:18:46.899 --> 00:18:47.859 they have both done 00:18:47.859 --> 00:18:49.059 what is not pleasing 00:18:49.059 --> 00:18:50.119 to God. 00:18:51.339 --> 00:18:52.519 So that's the second thing. 00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:53.759 Third, 00:18:54.579 --> 00:18:55.939 though Paul mentions 00:18:55.939 --> 00:18:56.960 gay sex 00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:57.759 as one among 00:18:57.759 --> 00:18:58.639 many practices 00:18:58.639 --> 00:18:59.740 that do not belong 00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:00.659 in God's kingdom, 00:19:01.319 --> 00:19:02.059 Paul does not 00:19:02.059 --> 00:19:03.019 single it out. 00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:05.200 If the church 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:05.700 preaches 00:19:05.700 --> 00:19:07.480 against homosexuality 00:19:07.480 --> 00:19:09.039 while tolerating 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:09.900 or ignoring 00:19:09.900 --> 00:19:10.920 other sins 00:19:10.920 --> 00:19:11.880 in this list, 00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:14.120 that displays hypocrisy 00:19:14.120 --> 00:19:15.819 and self-righteousness 00:19:15.819 --> 00:19:17.620 of which we must repent. 00:19:18.900 --> 00:19:20.440 To take one other example 00:19:20.440 --> 00:19:21.319 from this list, 00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:23.620 along with the sexually immoral 00:19:23.620 --> 00:19:24.220 and the greedy, 00:19:24.360 --> 00:19:24.819 which are sort of 00:19:24.819 --> 00:19:26.259 the true major categories, 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:27.819 Paul lists in verse 10 00:19:27.819 --> 00:19:29.000 revilers. 00:19:30.019 --> 00:19:30.940 Reviling means 00:19:30.940 --> 00:19:32.440 verbal abuse, 00:19:33.700 --> 00:19:34.799 slander or gossip 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:35.599 that destroys 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:36.659 someone's reputation, 00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:38.579 misrepresenting 00:19:38.579 --> 00:19:39.599 someone else's views 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:41.219 in order to undermine them, 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:42.439 treating someone 00:19:42.439 --> 00:19:43.159 with scorn 00:19:43.159 --> 00:19:44.119 and derision. 00:19:45.480 --> 00:19:46.119 Sometimes 00:19:46.119 --> 00:19:48.000 the LGBT community 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:49.259 has received this 00:19:49.259 --> 00:19:49.899 from the church 00:19:49.899 --> 00:19:51.799 and it is wrong. 00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:53.980 Our world is full 00:19:53.980 --> 00:19:54.719 of reviling, 00:19:54.959 --> 00:19:56.099 especially on the internet. 00:19:57.299 --> 00:19:58.000 But Paul says, 00:19:58.079 --> 00:19:59.500 reviling has no place 00:19:59.500 --> 00:20:00.779 in the kingdom of God. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:02.719 In chapter 4, 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:03.439 Paul said, 00:20:03.439 --> 00:20:04.619 when reviled, 00:20:04.619 --> 00:20:05.799 we bless. 00:20:07.339 --> 00:20:08.159 Chapter 13, 00:20:08.259 --> 00:20:08.559 he says, 00:20:08.939 --> 00:20:10.279 love is patient 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:11.500 and kind, 00:20:12.219 --> 00:20:13.179 is not arrogant 00:20:13.179 --> 00:20:14.479 or rude. 00:20:16.899 --> 00:20:18.439 So this is Paul's warning. 00:20:19.939 --> 00:20:20.599 Paul's warning 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:21.019 is that 00:20:21.019 --> 00:20:21.899 to the church 00:20:21.899 --> 00:20:22.519 in Corinth, 00:20:22.639 --> 00:20:23.139 Paul's warning 00:20:23.139 --> 00:20:24.479 to the Christian community 00:20:24.479 --> 00:20:25.319 today is that 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:26.219 those who persist 00:20:26.219 --> 00:20:27.759 in patterns of unrighteousness 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:28.939 will not inherit 00:20:28.939 --> 00:20:29.579 God's kingdom. 00:20:30.379 --> 00:20:31.099 We are called 00:20:31.099 --> 00:20:32.019 to be part 00:20:32.019 --> 00:20:32.979 of the kingdom of God 00:20:32.980 --> 00:20:33.539 and to orient 00:20:33.539 --> 00:20:34.599 our whole lives, 00:20:35.160 --> 00:20:35.500 sex, 00:20:35.860 --> 00:20:36.140 money, 00:20:36.500 --> 00:20:36.900 power, 00:20:37.360 --> 00:20:38.039 our words, 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:40.660 under the authority 00:20:40.660 --> 00:20:41.640 of Jesus Christ 00:20:41.640 --> 00:20:42.460 and for the good 00:20:42.460 --> 00:20:43.180 of our neighbors. 00:20:44.779 --> 00:20:45.940 So that's the warning. 00:20:47.740 --> 00:20:48.980 It's a strong warning, 00:20:49.120 --> 00:20:49.960 but it's also followed 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:50.980 by an even stronger 00:20:50.980 --> 00:20:52.079 word of encouragement. 00:20:53.140 --> 00:20:54.120 Paul says in verse 11, 00:20:54.119 --> 00:20:55.719 such were some 00:20:55.719 --> 00:20:56.500 of you, 00:20:57.339 --> 00:20:57.839 but 00:20:57.839 --> 00:20:59.739 you were washed, 00:21:00.500 --> 00:21:01.579 you were sanctified, 00:21:01.779 --> 00:21:02.479 you were justified 00:21:02.479 --> 00:21:03.179 in the name 00:21:03.179 --> 00:21:04.399 of the Lord Jesus Christ 00:21:04.399 --> 00:21:05.539 and by the spirit 00:21:05.539 --> 00:21:06.759 of our God. 00:21:08.379 --> 00:21:09.699 Such were some 00:21:09.699 --> 00:21:10.199 of you. 00:21:11.500 --> 00:21:12.479 The Corinthian church 00:21:12.479 --> 00:21:13.799 was not a social club 00:21:13.799 --> 00:21:16.099 dominated by people 00:21:16.099 --> 00:21:17.679 with impeccable 00:21:17.679 --> 00:21:18.979 moral and religious 00:21:18.979 --> 00:21:19.879 upbringings 00:21:19.879 --> 00:21:21.099 from nice 00:21:21.099 --> 00:21:22.239 middle-class families 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:23.160 and everyone 00:21:23.160 --> 00:21:23.720 who didn't fit 00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:24.400 that profile 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:25.140 was marginalized. 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:26.220 No. 00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:28.440 The Corinthian church 00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:29.420 included people 00:21:29.420 --> 00:21:30.779 who had complicated 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:31.799 sexual histories. 00:21:32.460 --> 00:21:33.700 The church included 00:21:33.700 --> 00:21:34.279 people who had 00:21:34.279 --> 00:21:35.279 manipulated others 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:35.880 financially 00:21:35.880 --> 00:21:37.640 in order to get ahead. 00:21:38.380 --> 00:21:39.359 The church included 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:39.900 people who had 00:21:39.900 --> 00:21:40.720 turned to alcohol 00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:42.200 to drown their sorrows. 00:21:42.680 --> 00:21:43.579 The church included 00:21:43.579 --> 00:21:44.120 people who had 00:21:44.120 --> 00:21:44.960 slandered others 00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:45.900 behind their backs. 00:21:46.220 --> 00:21:46.920 The church included 00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:47.620 people who had been 00:21:47.620 --> 00:21:49.380 hurt by people 00:21:49.380 --> 00:21:49.759 who had done 00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:50.359 all these things 00:21:50.359 --> 00:21:50.759 to them. 00:21:51.879 --> 00:21:52.379 Paul says, 00:21:52.459 --> 00:21:53.059 such were some 00:21:53.059 --> 00:21:53.439 of you. 00:21:54.819 --> 00:21:55.240 And he says, 00:21:55.319 --> 00:21:57.000 God didn't choose 00:21:57.000 --> 00:21:57.659 you to be part 00:21:57.659 --> 00:21:58.240 of his kingdom 00:21:58.240 --> 00:21:59.740 because you were 00:21:59.740 --> 00:22:00.779 better suited for it 00:22:00.779 --> 00:22:01.500 than everyone else. 00:22:01.579 --> 00:22:02.319 God chose you 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:03.099 in his mercy. 00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:05.119 And the door is open 00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:06.219 for anyone 00:22:06.219 --> 00:22:07.019 who wants to come in. 00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:09.079 Paul says, 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:09.559 such were some 00:22:09.559 --> 00:22:09.799 of you, 00:22:09.959 --> 00:22:12.279 but God has intervened 00:22:12.279 --> 00:22:14.199 and set your life 00:22:14.199 --> 00:22:15.139 on a new course. 00:22:15.939 --> 00:22:17.000 In Jesus Christ, 00:22:17.099 --> 00:22:17.819 through the Holy Spirit, 00:22:17.879 --> 00:22:18.819 you have a new identity 00:22:18.819 --> 00:22:19.819 and a new calling. 00:22:20.220 --> 00:22:20.899 You were washed, 00:22:21.000 --> 00:22:21.779 you were sanctified, 00:22:21.879 --> 00:22:22.559 you were justified. 00:22:23.799 --> 00:22:24.319 Now, those aren't 00:22:24.319 --> 00:22:25.299 three things that happen 00:22:25.299 --> 00:22:26.539 one after the other 00:22:26.539 --> 00:22:27.519 in sequence, 00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:28.460 but three ways 00:22:28.460 --> 00:22:29.119 of describing 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:30.019 what it means 00:22:30.019 --> 00:22:31.339 to become a Christian, 00:22:32.019 --> 00:22:32.679 to be brought 00:22:32.679 --> 00:22:33.500 into the kingdom 00:22:33.500 --> 00:22:34.559 of God. 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:36.279 First, 00:22:36.379 --> 00:22:37.399 we've been washed clean 00:22:37.399 --> 00:22:39.200 from sin and shame. 00:22:40.599 --> 00:22:40.759 I mean, 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:41.879 think about how you feel 00:22:41.879 --> 00:22:43.220 if you don't take a shower 00:22:43.220 --> 00:22:44.759 for a few days. 00:22:45.980 --> 00:22:47.079 Before my freshman year 00:22:47.079 --> 00:22:47.659 in college, 00:22:48.740 --> 00:22:51.240 I went on foot 00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:52.899 on freshman pre-orientation 00:22:52.899 --> 00:22:53.639 camping trip, 00:22:53.919 --> 00:22:55.759 hiking on the Appalachian Trail 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:56.519 for four days. 00:22:56.679 --> 00:22:57.379 By the end of the trip, 00:22:57.460 --> 00:22:58.240 we all stank. 00:22:59.299 --> 00:23:00.359 Our clothes had got wet 00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:00.939 in the rain, 00:23:01.819 --> 00:23:02.519 we were sweaty 00:23:02.519 --> 00:23:03.500 and dirty. 00:23:04.779 --> 00:23:05.019 Now, 00:23:05.099 --> 00:23:06.039 when we were on the trip, 00:23:06.819 --> 00:23:07.759 all of us could tolerate 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:08.299 each other 00:23:08.299 --> 00:23:09.359 because we were all 00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:10.039 in the same boat. 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:11.819 We were all stinky. 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:13.639 And then when we got 00:23:13.639 --> 00:23:14.559 back to campus 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:16.839 and met our new roommates 00:23:16.839 --> 00:23:17.839 for the first time, 00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:20.119 we were immediately 00:23:20.119 --> 00:23:20.960 self-conscious, 00:23:22.299 --> 00:23:23.240 immediately aware 00:23:23.240 --> 00:23:23.919 of how dirty 00:23:23.919 --> 00:23:24.859 and stinky we were 00:23:24.859 --> 00:23:25.940 compared to everyone else. 00:23:28.440 --> 00:23:29.159 But of course, 00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:29.980 it's a lot easier 00:23:29.980 --> 00:23:31.179 to shower and change 00:23:31.179 --> 00:23:33.079 than to cleanse 00:23:33.079 --> 00:23:33.799 our conscience 00:23:33.799 --> 00:23:35.220 from shame. 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:37.940 Maybe you felt shame 00:23:37.940 --> 00:23:39.859 because of past 00:23:39.859 --> 00:23:41.619 sexual sin, 00:23:41.619 --> 00:23:43.199 whether it's adultery 00:23:43.199 --> 00:23:45.879 or pornography. 00:23:47.679 --> 00:23:48.439 Perhaps you've been 00:23:48.439 --> 00:23:49.299 sexually abused 00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:51.219 and you bear the shame 00:23:51.219 --> 00:23:51.919 of what someone else 00:23:51.919 --> 00:23:52.579 has done to you. 00:23:54.979 --> 00:23:55.979 Whatever the source, 00:23:56.239 --> 00:23:57.279 shame can make us feel 00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:58.699 extremely self-conscious, 00:24:00.059 --> 00:24:01.539 maybe even self-hating. 00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:04.619 It can make us anxious 00:24:04.619 --> 00:24:05.339 and unsettled 00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:06.179 around other people 00:24:06.179 --> 00:24:06.899 that we perceive 00:24:06.899 --> 00:24:08.679 to be clean 00:24:08.680 --> 00:24:10.460 relatively 00:24:10.460 --> 00:24:11.380 in some way 00:24:11.380 --> 00:24:11.799 or other. 00:24:12.779 --> 00:24:13.720 We feel dirty. 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:14.380 We don't know 00:24:14.380 --> 00:24:15.080 how to deal with it 00:24:15.080 --> 00:24:16.100 and so we try to hide. 00:24:17.220 --> 00:24:18.080 We don't want anyone 00:24:18.080 --> 00:24:19.080 to know about certain 00:24:19.080 --> 00:24:20.120 parts of our past 00:24:20.120 --> 00:24:21.560 or some of our present 00:24:21.560 --> 00:24:23.000 struggles and temptations. 00:24:24.779 --> 00:24:25.700 Paul says there is 00:24:25.700 --> 00:24:26.320 good news. 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:28.500 There's a way 00:24:28.500 --> 00:24:29.680 to move 00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:30.980 beyond shame 00:24:30.980 --> 00:24:33.019 because God 00:24:33.019 --> 00:24:33.920 and Jesus Christ 00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:35.820 has come to find us 00:24:35.819 --> 00:24:37.379 in our shame, 00:24:37.720 --> 00:24:39.179 in our ugliness, 00:24:39.299 --> 00:24:40.220 in our dirtiness. 00:24:40.419 --> 00:24:41.059 He has come 00:24:41.059 --> 00:24:42.179 to embrace us 00:24:42.179 --> 00:24:44.119 and to wash us clean 00:24:44.119 --> 00:24:44.859 and clothe us 00:24:44.859 --> 00:24:45.419 in his beauty 00:24:45.419 --> 00:24:46.240 and his love. 00:24:48.579 --> 00:24:49.179 Wesley Hill 00:24:49.179 --> 00:24:50.679 in that book 00:24:50.679 --> 00:24:51.259 Washed and Waiting 00:24:51.259 --> 00:24:51.579 writes, 00:24:51.679 --> 00:24:52.659 God has cleansed 00:24:52.659 --> 00:24:54.119 the stains of sin 00:24:54.119 --> 00:24:55.859 from the crevices 00:24:55.859 --> 00:24:56.720 of my mind, 00:24:56.859 --> 00:24:57.159 heart, 00:24:57.220 --> 00:24:57.759 and body. 00:24:58.519 --> 00:24:59.519 He has included me 00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:00.279 in his family, 00:25:00.599 --> 00:25:01.159 the church, 00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:03.259 where I can find support, 00:25:03.259 --> 00:25:04.519 comfort, 00:25:05.240 --> 00:25:06.339 and provocation 00:25:06.339 --> 00:25:08.420 toward Christian maturity. 00:25:09.460 --> 00:25:10.000 Of course, 00:25:10.059 --> 00:25:10.720 that's what baptism 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:11.559 symbolizes. 00:25:11.700 --> 00:25:12.879 God washing us clean, 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:13.920 renewing us 00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:14.839 through his Holy Spirit, 00:25:15.160 --> 00:25:15.879 making us part 00:25:15.879 --> 00:25:16.559 of his family 00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:17.319 and Paul says, 00:25:17.480 --> 00:25:17.960 live as people 00:25:17.960 --> 00:25:18.740 who've been washed. 00:25:20.460 --> 00:25:20.700 You know, 00:25:20.740 --> 00:25:21.839 if you've been washed clean 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:22.839 through Christ 00:25:22.839 --> 00:25:23.559 and the Holy Spirit, 00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:24.480 you can approach God 00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:25.140 with confidence. 00:25:26.700 --> 00:25:28.019 You can face your past 00:25:28.019 --> 00:25:28.680 with honesty 00:25:28.680 --> 00:25:29.720 and transparency 00:25:29.720 --> 00:25:31.180 instead of hiding 00:25:31.180 --> 00:25:32.240 and defensiveness. 00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:33.599 You don't have to go around 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:37.059 extremely self-conscious 00:25:37.059 --> 00:25:38.180 feeling like you're 00:25:38.180 --> 00:25:39.140 stinky and dirty 00:25:39.140 --> 00:25:40.380 because you're not 00:25:40.380 --> 00:25:40.940 anymore 00:25:40.940 --> 00:25:42.279 before God. 00:25:43.160 --> 00:25:44.519 God's washed you clean 00:25:44.519 --> 00:25:46.220 from the inside out. 00:25:47.380 --> 00:25:48.059 Your past 00:25:48.059 --> 00:25:49.180 doesn't define you anymore. 00:25:50.819 --> 00:25:51.140 Second, 00:25:51.240 --> 00:25:51.519 Paul says, 00:25:51.579 --> 00:25:52.500 we've been sanctified. 00:25:53.380 --> 00:25:54.359 That word means 00:25:54.359 --> 00:25:54.980 set apart 00:25:54.980 --> 00:25:56.680 for God's holy purposes. 00:25:56.880 --> 00:25:57.519 It was a word 00:25:57.519 --> 00:25:58.299 that was used 00:25:58.299 --> 00:25:59.059 in the Old Testament 00:25:59.059 --> 00:25:59.940 for the priests 00:25:59.940 --> 00:26:02.340 and for the instruments 00:26:02.340 --> 00:26:03.000 in the temple. 00:26:04.160 --> 00:26:05.200 They were sanctified. 00:26:05.320 --> 00:26:05.580 That is, 00:26:05.620 --> 00:26:06.160 set apart 00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:07.680 as fitting vessels 00:26:07.680 --> 00:26:09.420 in which God's presence 00:26:09.420 --> 00:26:10.059 could dwell 00:26:10.059 --> 00:26:11.259 and through which his glory 00:26:11.259 --> 00:26:12.600 could be displayed. 00:26:14.140 --> 00:26:14.980 Andrew Walls wrote, 00:26:15.140 --> 00:26:16.180 not only does God 00:26:16.180 --> 00:26:16.759 in Christ 00:26:16.759 --> 00:26:17.360 take people 00:26:17.360 --> 00:26:18.180 as they are, 00:26:18.759 --> 00:26:19.480 he takes them 00:26:19.480 --> 00:26:21.039 in order to transform them 00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:22.240 into what he wants 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:22.779 them to be. 00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:25.019 It's like the great sculptor 00:26:25.019 --> 00:26:25.840 Michelangelo 00:26:25.840 --> 00:26:27.259 walking through 00:26:27.259 --> 00:26:27.940 a stone quarry 00:26:27.940 --> 00:26:29.279 and coming upon 00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:30.320 a large slab 00:26:30.320 --> 00:26:31.160 of marble. 00:26:31.700 --> 00:26:32.240 And he says 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:32.700 to the owner 00:26:32.700 --> 00:26:33.240 of the quarry, 00:26:33.340 --> 00:26:34.240 I want to buy 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:36.000 that piece of marble 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:36.900 because I don't just 00:26:36.900 --> 00:26:37.799 see a large slab 00:26:37.799 --> 00:26:38.340 of marble 00:26:38.340 --> 00:26:39.980 with some jagged edges. 00:26:40.380 --> 00:26:41.519 I see the sculpture 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:42.860 that I will one day 00:26:42.860 --> 00:26:43.720 make from it. 00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:45.299 It will take 00:26:45.299 --> 00:26:46.059 a long time. 00:26:47.080 --> 00:26:47.900 I will have to 00:26:47.900 --> 00:26:48.600 chip away at it 00:26:48.600 --> 00:26:49.279 relentlessly, 00:26:49.740 --> 00:26:50.360 but one day 00:26:50.360 --> 00:26:50.940 it will become 00:26:50.940 --> 00:26:52.299 one of my masterpieces. 00:26:54.940 --> 00:26:55.880 That is how God 00:26:55.880 --> 00:26:56.559 looks at us 00:26:56.559 --> 00:26:58.159 through Jesus Christ. 00:26:58.599 --> 00:26:59.179 Or it's like 00:26:59.179 --> 00:27:00.480 a restoration architect 00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:02.000 coming upon 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:03.099 a boarded up house 00:27:03.099 --> 00:27:04.700 with peeling paint, 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:06.159 a leaky roof, 00:27:06.700 --> 00:27:07.319 and a backyard 00:27:07.319 --> 00:27:08.299 full of trash 00:27:08.299 --> 00:27:09.139 in the middle 00:27:09.139 --> 00:27:09.960 of a bad neighborhood. 00:27:11.019 --> 00:27:11.599 And he says 00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:12.539 to the real estate agent, 00:27:12.639 --> 00:27:13.139 I want to buy 00:27:13.139 --> 00:27:13.819 this house. 00:27:15.740 --> 00:27:16.859 I'm not buying it 00:27:16.859 --> 00:27:17.359 so I can become 00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:18.099 a slum lord 00:27:18.099 --> 00:27:20.839 and make minimal repairs 00:27:20.839 --> 00:27:21.619 and rent it out 00:27:21.619 --> 00:27:22.500 at the highest price 00:27:22.500 --> 00:27:23.000 I can 00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:24.480 and make money. 00:27:24.819 --> 00:27:25.079 No, 00:27:25.179 --> 00:27:25.839 I'm moving in. 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:28.240 I'm buying the house 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:28.919 so I can move in 00:27:28.919 --> 00:27:29.419 and renovate 00:27:29.419 --> 00:27:30.220 the whole thing. 00:27:30.779 --> 00:27:31.699 I'm going to clean up 00:27:31.699 --> 00:27:32.199 the yard 00:27:32.199 --> 00:27:33.579 and plant a garden. 00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:35.000 I'm going to fix up 00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:35.399 the roof 00:27:35.399 --> 00:27:36.359 and put in a balcony. 00:27:36.519 --> 00:27:36.959 I'm going to 00:27:36.959 --> 00:27:38.299 knock down the side wall 00:27:38.299 --> 00:27:39.279 and put on an addition. 00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:40.119 When the renovation 00:27:40.119 --> 00:27:40.779 is finished, 00:27:40.839 --> 00:27:42.240 you will hardly recognize 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:44.439 what it once was. 00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:45.879 But this will be 00:27:45.879 --> 00:27:46.419 my home. 00:27:48.399 --> 00:27:49.279 Ephesians 2 says 00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:50.139 in Jesus Christ, 00:27:50.279 --> 00:27:51.199 we are being built 00:27:51.199 --> 00:27:51.759 together 00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:53.459 into a dwelling place 00:27:53.460 --> 00:27:54.059 for God 00:27:54.059 --> 00:27:55.920 by his spirit. 00:27:57.259 --> 00:27:58.299 God has claimed us 00:27:58.299 --> 00:27:58.880 for his own. 00:27:58.980 --> 00:27:59.720 He has bought us. 00:27:59.980 --> 00:28:00.980 We have been sanctified. 00:28:01.120 --> 00:28:01.900 That is set apart 00:28:01.900 --> 00:28:03.360 for his holy purposes 00:28:03.360 --> 00:28:05.059 and so that means 00:28:05.059 --> 00:28:05.819 our lives will never 00:28:05.819 --> 00:28:06.480 be the same. 00:28:07.600 --> 00:28:08.000 God, 00:28:08.059 --> 00:28:08.880 the master artist, 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:10.279 will gradually chip away 00:28:10.279 --> 00:28:12.259 at everything 00:28:12.259 --> 00:28:13.220 that does not display 00:28:13.220 --> 00:28:13.860 his glory, 00:28:14.860 --> 00:28:16.160 at our greed 00:28:16.160 --> 00:28:17.880 and our lust 00:28:17.880 --> 00:28:19.200 and our anger 00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:20.660 and our power 00:28:20.660 --> 00:28:21.380 hungriness. 00:28:22.100 --> 00:28:22.300 God, 00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:23.180 the master architect, 00:28:23.280 --> 00:28:23.940 will not allow 00:28:23.940 --> 00:28:24.620 the garbage 00:28:24.620 --> 00:28:25.800 to remain 00:28:25.800 --> 00:28:26.660 in the backyard 00:28:26.660 --> 00:28:28.980 because he has come 00:28:28.980 --> 00:28:29.620 to dwell in us 00:28:29.620 --> 00:28:30.400 by his spirit. 00:28:33.020 --> 00:28:33.580 You see, 00:28:33.640 --> 00:28:34.300 God doesn't just 00:28:34.300 --> 00:28:35.420 wash us clean 00:28:35.420 --> 00:28:36.840 and then say, 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:37.340 here's a bunch 00:28:37.340 --> 00:28:38.240 of rules to follow, 00:28:38.580 --> 00:28:39.560 work really hard. 00:28:40.640 --> 00:28:41.780 He comes to dwell 00:28:41.780 --> 00:28:42.440 in us. 00:28:43.440 --> 00:28:44.060 He's with us 00:28:44.060 --> 00:28:45.280 every step 00:28:45.280 --> 00:28:46.120 of the way. 00:28:46.119 --> 00:28:48.759 When the spirit 00:28:48.759 --> 00:28:49.579 came on Jesus, 00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:50.979 when he was baptized, 00:28:51.219 --> 00:28:51.899 it said the spirit 00:28:51.899 --> 00:28:53.399 descended on him 00:28:53.399 --> 00:28:55.000 and remained on him 00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:56.279 and when the Holy Spirit 00:28:56.279 --> 00:28:57.259 came upon the church 00:28:57.259 --> 00:28:58.399 on the day of Pentecost, 00:28:59.099 --> 00:29:01.099 it descended upon them 00:29:01.099 --> 00:29:02.979 and it didn't fly back away 00:29:02.979 --> 00:29:04.579 but the Holy Spirit 00:29:04.579 --> 00:29:06.759 remained with God's people. 00:29:07.859 --> 00:29:08.939 When the Holy Spirit 00:29:08.939 --> 00:29:10.219 comes to you, 00:29:11.639 --> 00:29:12.759 when you ask Jesus 00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:14.239 to fill you 00:29:14.239 --> 00:29:14.959 with his spirit, 00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:17.319 he comes to dwell 00:29:17.319 --> 00:29:18.180 and to remain 00:29:18.180 --> 00:29:19.799 and to be with you 00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:20.640 every day, 00:29:21.740 --> 00:29:23.299 we've been sanctified, 00:29:24.120 --> 00:29:25.079 set apart 00:29:25.079 --> 00:29:26.420 for God. 00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:27.000 Third, 00:29:27.360 --> 00:29:28.519 we've been justified. 00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:30.160 That is, 00:29:30.220 --> 00:29:31.079 given a new status 00:29:31.079 --> 00:29:31.680 before God. 00:29:31.740 --> 00:29:32.360 The word justified 00:29:32.360 --> 00:29:33.279 means to be declared 00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:33.960 righteous. 00:29:34.500 --> 00:29:35.319 That is to be 00:29:35.319 --> 00:29:36.600 on good terms 00:29:36.600 --> 00:29:37.539 with God. 00:29:38.220 --> 00:29:39.539 We've received pardon 00:29:39.539 --> 00:29:40.799 for our past offenses. 00:29:41.600 --> 00:29:42.579 We have a place 00:29:42.579 --> 00:29:43.720 in his family. 00:29:43.720 --> 00:29:45.519 Some time ago, 00:29:45.579 --> 00:29:46.059 I was talking 00:29:46.059 --> 00:29:46.620 with a guy 00:29:46.620 --> 00:29:47.720 who had been 00:29:47.720 --> 00:29:48.539 in and out of prison 00:29:48.539 --> 00:29:50.140 multiple times. 00:29:51.140 --> 00:29:52.000 Even though he hadn't 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:52.519 been convicted 00:29:52.519 --> 00:29:53.220 of a crime 00:29:53.220 --> 00:29:54.519 in several years, 00:29:54.600 --> 00:29:55.480 his life was still 00:29:55.480 --> 00:29:57.180 very much constrained 00:29:57.180 --> 00:29:59.059 by his past offenses. 00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:01.259 His criminal record 00:30:01.259 --> 00:30:02.140 made him ineligible 00:30:02.140 --> 00:30:03.680 to apply for most jobs, 00:30:04.019 --> 00:30:04.779 so he struggled 00:30:04.779 --> 00:30:05.880 to find steady work. 00:30:06.640 --> 00:30:07.460 Because he struggled 00:30:07.460 --> 00:30:08.079 to find work, 00:30:08.140 --> 00:30:08.600 he couldn't pay 00:30:08.600 --> 00:30:09.220 for an apartment, 00:30:09.819 --> 00:30:10.900 so he bounced around 00:30:10.900 --> 00:30:12.000 from one place 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:12.480 to another. 00:30:12.900 --> 00:30:13.740 He was on probation, 00:30:13.920 --> 00:30:14.420 which created 00:30:14.420 --> 00:30:15.360 additional demands 00:30:15.360 --> 00:30:15.960 and restrictions. 00:30:16.540 --> 00:30:17.340 But if he violated 00:30:17.340 --> 00:30:17.900 his probation, 00:30:18.019 --> 00:30:18.480 he would end up 00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:19.180 in jail again, 00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:20.040 and he was often 00:30:20.040 --> 00:30:21.400 depressed and fearful 00:30:21.400 --> 00:30:22.280 and anxious. 00:30:23.820 --> 00:30:24.840 When you're on probation, 00:30:24.940 --> 00:30:25.720 you're living under 00:30:25.720 --> 00:30:26.280 the shadow 00:30:26.280 --> 00:30:27.780 of a guilty verdict. 00:30:29.120 --> 00:30:29.880 And the burden 00:30:29.880 --> 00:30:30.759 is on you 00:30:30.759 --> 00:30:32.140 to demonstrate 00:30:32.140 --> 00:30:33.420 to the courts 00:30:33.420 --> 00:30:34.720 and to society at large 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:35.380 that you're worthy 00:30:35.380 --> 00:30:36.300 of obtaining freedom 00:30:36.300 --> 00:30:36.840 once again. 00:30:36.839 --> 00:30:38.539 Now, 00:30:39.220 --> 00:30:40.559 from a human perspective, 00:30:41.939 --> 00:30:42.339 the rationale 00:30:42.339 --> 00:30:42.919 for probation 00:30:42.919 --> 00:30:43.819 is understandable, 00:30:44.779 --> 00:30:45.599 though the system 00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:46.759 can be flawed. 00:30:48.399 --> 00:30:49.099 But when it comes 00:30:49.099 --> 00:30:49.720 to our relationship 00:30:49.720 --> 00:30:50.359 with God, 00:30:51.859 --> 00:30:52.480 Jesus Christ, 00:30:52.619 --> 00:30:53.039 through his death 00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:53.720 on the cross, 00:30:54.220 --> 00:30:54.819 has provided 00:30:54.819 --> 00:30:56.079 not probation, 00:30:57.099 --> 00:30:58.159 but pardon 00:30:58.159 --> 00:30:59.879 for everyone 00:30:59.879 --> 00:31:00.679 who repents 00:31:00.679 --> 00:31:01.679 and turns to him. 00:31:03.159 --> 00:31:03.399 You see, 00:31:03.459 --> 00:31:04.339 we don't have to live 00:31:04.339 --> 00:31:05.139 under the shadow 00:31:05.140 --> 00:31:06.920 of a guilty verdict. 00:31:09.240 --> 00:31:10.320 Through Jesus Christ, 00:31:10.400 --> 00:31:11.360 we live in the light 00:31:11.360 --> 00:31:13.020 of resurrection promise. 00:31:14.160 --> 00:31:15.400 Jesus Christ died 00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:16.100 for our sins. 00:31:16.200 --> 00:31:16.800 He was condemned 00:31:16.800 --> 00:31:17.660 for us, 00:31:17.820 --> 00:31:18.820 and he was raised 00:31:18.820 --> 00:31:19.240 to life 00:31:19.240 --> 00:31:20.220 for our justification. 00:31:20.820 --> 00:31:21.740 It is his verdict 00:31:21.740 --> 00:31:22.780 that matters. 00:31:23.620 --> 00:31:24.400 In Jesus Christ, 00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:26.480 there is no condemnation. 00:31:28.400 --> 00:31:29.560 And so we can live 00:31:29.560 --> 00:31:31.620 in that freedom. 00:31:33.020 --> 00:31:33.759 We can live 00:31:33.759 --> 00:31:34.360 in that joy. 00:31:35.140 --> 00:31:37.560 we've been brought 00:31:37.560 --> 00:31:38.300 into the kingdom 00:31:38.300 --> 00:31:38.900 of God. 00:31:39.860 --> 00:31:40.440 The kingdom 00:31:40.440 --> 00:31:41.080 of righteousness, 00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:42.040 peace, 00:31:42.420 --> 00:31:43.000 and joy 00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:44.280 in the Holy Spirit. 00:31:44.759 --> 00:31:45.780 That is Paul's 00:31:45.780 --> 00:31:46.259 encouragement. 00:31:49.680 --> 00:31:50.460 May we heed 00:31:50.460 --> 00:31:50.900 his warning 00:31:50.900 --> 00:31:52.180 and be strengthened 00:31:52.180 --> 00:31:52.880 by his encouragement 00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:53.240 today. 00:31:53.400 --> 00:31:53.820 Let's pray. 00:31:53.820 --> 00:31:53.880 Let's pray. 00:31:53.880 --> 00:31:53.920 Let's pray. 00:31:53.920 --> 00:31:54.880 Let's pray. 00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:56.020 Let's pray. 00:31:56.019 --> 00:32:11.319 Lord Jesus, 00:32:11.319 --> 00:32:11.460 Lord Jesus, 00:32:11.940 --> 00:32:15.180 we thank you 00:32:15.180 --> 00:32:19.500 for your transforming 00:32:19.500 --> 00:32:20.740 power. 00:32:23.539 --> 00:32:24.680 That is at work 00:32:24.680 --> 00:32:27.680 in this world. 00:32:29.340 --> 00:32:30.460 That is at work 00:32:30.460 --> 00:32:32.620 in us 00:32:32.620 --> 00:32:34.000 who trust in you. 00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:35.600 Lord, 00:32:36.360 --> 00:32:38.500 we pray that we would 00:32:38.500 --> 00:32:41.560 live in that new identity 00:32:41.559 --> 00:32:42.740 that you have given us. 00:32:46.099 --> 00:32:46.480 Lord, 00:32:46.519 --> 00:32:47.299 that we would walk 00:32:47.299 --> 00:32:51.319 in our identity 00:32:51.319 --> 00:32:51.779 as people 00:32:51.779 --> 00:32:52.679 who have been washed, 00:32:54.000 --> 00:32:55.220 who have been sanctified, 00:32:56.279 --> 00:32:57.240 who have been justified 00:32:57.240 --> 00:32:59.919 by you. 00:33:03.919 --> 00:33:04.740 We pray these things 00:33:04.740 --> 00:33:05.159 in your name. 00:33:05.579 --> 00:33:05.799 Amen. 00:33:05.799 --> 00:33:05.919 Amen. 00:33:06.240 --> 00:33:06.419 Amen. 00:33:06.419 --> 00:33:06.799 Amen. 00:33:06.799 --> 00:33:07.259 Amen. 00:33:07.259 --> 00:33:07.279 Amen. 00:33:07.279 --> 00:33:07.859 Amen. 00:33:07.859 --> 00:33:07.940 Amen. 00:33:07.940 --> 00:33:07.960 Amen. 00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:08.259 Amen. 00:33:08.259 --> 00:33:08.480 Amen. 00:33:08.480 --> 00:33:08.500 Amen. 00:33:08.500 --> 00:33:08.559 Amen. 00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:08.859 Amen. 00:33:08.859 --> 00:33:09.799 Amen. 00:33:09.799 --> 00:33:09.899 Amen. 00:33:09.899 --> 00:33:09.919 Amen. 00:33:09.919 --> 00:33:10.019 Amen. 00:33:10.019 --> 00:33:10.879 Amen.