1 Corinthians 6 & 7

In these two chapters Paul spends a lot of time talking about how the church ought act when it comes to conflict between believers, sexual immorality and marriage. Paul spends time in this section of the letter trying to teach the church how to live in, but not of the world. The world around them was so perverse, so Paul helps them see a better way to live.

As a youth pastor, one of the key verses I point students to when the, “sex, drugs and rock and roll” kind of questions come is 1 Corinthians 6:12. Students want to know where the boundaries are and what is ok. Paul says, “Everything is permissible for me – but not everything is beneficial…” It’s not that you can’t do certain things, but why would you want to? Why would you want to live outside the will of God?

The Good News in these two chapters is found in chapter 6, verse 11. Paul reminds us that we were all once in sin. When he lists all the ways people sin – he says – “…and this is what some of you were, but you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ…”

Thanks be to God that he didn’t leave us in our sin. It’s for this reason that we ought to live differently. We’ve been set free. Let’s use that freedom not for our own lust, greed, addictions or selfish gain…but for the glory of God.