The Cleansing Effects of the Spirit

"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. And such were some of you. 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.”

-I Corinthians 6:9-11

When a home catches fire, no matter how small the blaze, the effects can be devastating. A fire destroys everything in its path. Nothing is immune. But even when the fire is safely extinguished, extensive damage from smoke and water often remain. If the fire is extinguished quickly, the home can be saved. However, everything that has been exposed to the fire, smoke, and water, must be extensively cleansed in order for the home to be livable once again.

Photograph by Hollyn Johnson, The Bay City Times

This is analogous of sin, which, much like fire, consumes everything in its path. Its pervasive flame cannot, and will not, be stopped unless extinguished by Christ.

Paul therefore rhetorically asks the Corinthians if they understand that no unrighteous will be in heaven. He then lists a number of sins that are grotesque to God: sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, theft, greed, drunkenness, and others. Apparently someone had been intentionally misleading this group of Corinthian believers by telling them that they could still partake in these sins, while claiming to have salvation, and receive the kingdom of God. However, Paul’s point in writing this is to say that those who continually commit sin without conviction and repentance have no righteousness within them. They are merely posing as believers. There are always times when we struggle with certain sins, but the mark of true faith in Christ is the conviction of the Holy Spirit, which causes repentance in our hearts and forgiveness by God. Just as a home that has suffered extensive fire damage is unlivable for human beings, so a soul that continually commits sin without repentance is unlivable for the Holy Spirit. A person cannot truly be a believer while engaging in these destructive sins.

However, Paul follows this warning with words of hope. Prior to their faith, the Corinthians had been dead to righteousness. They were engulfed in the pervasive flames of these particular sins. But Paul says that Christ has extinguished that unrighteousness, washed their souls, and provided a clean place for the Holy Spirit to reside where it could do its work of sanctification. With that cleansing, His people have been justified by the name of Christ and by the Spirit of God.

The Lord can cleanse a heart that has suffered from the pervasive effects of sin. He can save His people from these horrendous sins. A believer may have a relapse from the past life every now and again, but true faith always yields conviction and repentance. Let us strive to have a repentant heart, seeking to do all that is necessary to eliminate temptation to sin.

Take Up Your Cross in Humble Submission

"And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me."

-Matthew 10:38

What does Christ mean when He tells us to take up our cross and follow Him? What is the cross that we must bear? Those that do not do it are not worthy of Christ.

Jesus had just previously said that, in order to be His follower, a person must place Him above all other things, including one's own parents and children. In verse 38, Christ is saying that His people must love Him more than life itself. Christ wants His people to be faithful to Him. He desires for us to live a life of faithfulness and repentance. 

Think of this statement that Jesus has made. How many people would follow a man who taught that they must put Him first above all? This man would be hailed as a raving lunatic, instead of a teacher. That's because Jesus is much more than just a teacher: He is the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

The cross we must carry is faithful submission to Him. If we cannot do that, we are not worthy of His salvation. But if we live a life of repentance and faithful submission to Him, we are blessed above all others.

Repentance Brings Restoration

“But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, so that I walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies—if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land."

Leviticus 26:40-42 

Before arriving in the Promised Land, the Lord gave His covenant people Israel the law. The book of Leviticus specifically describes the laws that the Lord expected His Israel to follow at present and upon arrival in Canaan. All of these laws were enacted in order to reflect the coming of the promised Messiah, who would lead the people out of bondage from the law.

After enacting laws about everything from proper offerings to handling the poor, the Lord then told the people what would happen if they refuse to follow His law. The Lord warned the people that if they disobey Him, He would strike the people with great physical and mental illnesses (26:14-16), attacks from enemies and animals (17-19, 21-22), great plagues, droughts (20), and hunger (23-26). 

But the Lord gave a hopeful promise in Leviticus 26:40-42. The remnant of the Lord’s people would have to repent in exile, turning their backs against false gods and the evil culture of their conquerors, and turning toward the Lord in order to experience true restoration. The Lord would also continue to hold to the covenant that He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, promising to make them a great nation, through which all the people of the world would be blessed forever.

It was only a several hundred years after the writing of Leviticus that the people, which had been continually living in sin, were sent into exile by conquering powers. 

The warnings, lessons, and hope for restoration of the people of Israel apply spiritually to New Covenant believers today. Those who are recklessly living in sin, ignoring the law of the Lord, can experience true and lasting spiritual restoration only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If our sin is confessed, He has promised to forgive and to cleanse His people from all unrighteousness, restoring us into a right and proper standing before the King. Thanks be to the Lord for His forgiveness and restoration.