By Sarah Wootten
Hypocrites. They drive us all crazy. If you want to insult someone, you call them a hypocrite. We’ve all witnessed one or two in our lifetimes. It’s the person who says one thing with his mouth, but his actions are completely opposite of what he says. Like a business owner who refuses to forgive a $5 debt right after he has been forgiven a $5 million dollar debt. Or the lady who says she adores her best friend when the friend is around, but then gossips about her at the beauty shop. And it’s when someone sings praises to God with their lips, and yet, disobeys God’s commands at every turn.
Hypocrites have been walking on this earth for thousands of years. An Old Testament prophet wrote that people were drawing near to God with their lips while their hearts were distant from God (Isaiah 29:13). People have been playing “pretend Christian” for a long time – saying they love God and believe in Him, while simultaneously living in rebellion to Him. This is exactly what Paul was warning the church at Corinth against.
After Paul addressed the two men in the lawsuit, he warned the church against being deceived by thinking that they were following Christ when they were really far from Him. He wrote, “But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! 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,” (1 Corinthians 6:8-10, ESV). When Paul warned the church against immorality and wronging a brother through lawsuits, Paul wasn’t just telling the congregation to clean up their act. He was caring for their souls.
Our sin and disobedience deserves God’s wrath. We are born enslaved to unrighteousness, and apart from God’s kindness, we would never choose to humbly repent and follow God. But God sent His Son to take the punishment that we deserve upon Himself so that God can justly forgive those who trust in Him for salvation. There is no more wrath reserved for believers because Jesus Christ has taken it upon Himself. What’s left for Christians is God’s unceasing and immeasurable grace.
So if Jesus has taken the punishment for Christians’ sins away for eternity, can we live however we want to and shamelessly enjoy our sin? Not at all. Jesus said that those who love Him keep His commandments (John 14:15). Keeping the commandments of God is a sign that someone truly loves and trusts in Jesus.
Paul was warning a church who had ignored its corporate and individual sin. It was a church filled with strife, arrogance, immorality, and the wronging of one another. Paul was telling them to watch out; don’t deceive yourselves! Actual Christians don’t live like this!
Truthfully, some people within the congregation could have been described using that list of sins in 1 Corinthians 6:8-10 before they met Christ. They were immoral, thieves, drunkards, and cheaters. But Paul followed up that list of sins with these precious words, “And such were some of you,” (6:11a, ESV). Because of the grace of God, the list of sins no longer accurately described the people within the church. A change occurs in those whom God saves. And there’s a new, better list that describes all believers. However, this second list is interesting – it’s not a list of good deeds. It’s a list of God’s actions towards believers. “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,” (6:11b, ESV).
Those who have been washed, sanctified, and justified by God cannot live in a way that reflects their old lifestyle. There is a new way to live that reflects the gracious gift of salvation we have been given. And that way is one of obedience to God.
This article originally appeared in The Clarion Newspaper.
Corinth Baptist Church 