1 “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? …Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1Cor 6:1,7-12 The word “washed” is the common meaning. The word “sanctified” is the word “ ἁ γιάζω” which means “to make holy, to set apart from the common for sacred purposes, that which is acknowledged as God’s own possession, that which is acknowledged or accepted by God.” The word “justified” is the word “δικαιόω” which Lenski describes, “The word δικαιο ῦ ν and its passive δικαιωθ ῆ ναι always have a forensic force: “ye were declared just” by God, the Judge, by a verdict pronounced from his judgment seat. God justifies the sinner for Christ’s sake the instant that God brings that sinner to contrition and faith: “My son, thy sins are forgiven thee!”

2 “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? …Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1Cor 6:1,7-12 We may have spent our former years in drunkenness or covetousness, stealing or sexual immorality, BUT God washed away our sinful past. He also sanctified us, which means He made us holy or sacred. Then to finish it, He declared us right and then tested us and proved that we are righteous by His own standard of perfection.

3 “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? …Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1Cor 6:1,7-12 I know a lot of Christians who did some really foolish things before they came to Christ (imagine that). I also know many Christians who did foolish things after coming to Christ. It is important to get our orientation right or we will struggle with our past.

4 “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? …Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1Cor 6:1,7-12 To continue carrying the guilt of foolish choices is to make yet another foolish choice. To continue to carry guilt is to focus on your own actions, and to totally ignore the work of Jesus on the cross. It is to look Him in the eyes and say, “Yes, what you did for me on the cross was nice, very gracious – but look at what I did!” Can we ever put forward our sin as a worthy comparison to the infinite mercy and grace of God?

5 “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? …Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1Cor 6:1,7-12 There is only one healthy way to consider your sinful choices, once you have come to repentance and agree with God that it was unprofitable. “WOW – I can’t believe how easy it is for me to slip into independent thinking apart from Jesus and do really stupid and destructive things. My foolish choices have only demonstrated how desperately I need Jesus and how incredibly loving and patient He is with me. I can’t live a moment without Him.”

6 “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? …Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1Cor 6:1,7-12 Those thoughts are helpful and holy, but when we entertain guilt instead of conviction our thoughts look something like this: “I am so stupid. I don’t deserve His goodness. I’m sure He is disappointed in me again and loves me because He has to. I know He loves the others who make better choices than I do much more than He loves me – and He should. I am such a disappointment to Him. I’m lucky to be able to go to Heaven at all. I’ll just sit in my shame. It is what I deserve.” A lot of Christians actually think that way. What is wrong with it?

7 “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? …Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1Cor 6:1,7-12 Those thoughts are helpful and holy, but when we entertain guilt instead of conviction our thoughts look something like this: “I am so stupid. I don’t deserve His goodness. I’m sure He is disappointed in me again and loves me because He has to. I know He loves the others who make better choices than I do much more than He loves me – and He should. I am such a disappointment to Him. I’m lucky to be able to go to Heaven at all. I’ll just sit in my shame. It is what I deserve.” Jesus loved us perfectly, completely, before we were saved, not any less when we choose outside of faith. Now, after coming under His blood and being declared righteous, when we sin and quarantine ourselves, all we are doing is denying Him the fellowship He wants because we convince ourselves that He isn’t pleased with us. It is like saying, “I have a disease, I am polluted and need to stay as far away from pure antibiotics as I can.” Antibiotics are MADE for pathogens. There is no better place for an antibiotic than right next to a pathogen!

8 “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? …Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” 1Cor 6:1,7-12 Because of all the wonderful things that the Lord has done in me and on my behalf, because of my new standing in Christ, there is not one thing in the list below that should have any appeal to me in any way.