Law and Gospel (1 Cor. 6:9-11)

 

This portion of Scripture excluded Israel Folau from playing rugby for Australia and has been outlawed by the Victorian government since February 2021. Martin Luther: ‘The law reveals the disease; the gospel ministers the medicine.’ Samuel Bolton: ‘The law sends us to the Gospel, that we may be justified, and the Gospel sends us to the law again to enquire what is our duty being justified.’

  1. Sin deceives us.
    • 6:9a. We easily deceive ourselves – 1 Cor.15:33; Gal.6:7; Gen.3:6. Those terrorists who hijacked the four American planes on 11 September 2001 and suicided by crashing them apparently believed that Islamic martyrs receive favours from 72 virgins in heaven.
  2. God’s holy law.
    • 6:9b-10. There are ten in this vice list, although the ESV only lists nine as it combines two words for homosexuals. Grace abounds e.g. Manasseh in 2 Chron.33:1-9, 12-13. But we ought not kid ourselves that we can believe in God and live as we please.
    • Noah got drunk, and David committed adultery and murder by proxy, but there is no such thing as a Christian drunkard or a Christian adulterer. See Hab.1:13a; Heb.12:14.
  3. God’s amazing grace.
    • 6:11. See Matt.9:13. There is hope. That is why the recent Victorian legislation is so cruel; it locks people up in their darkness. But three things happened to some of you Corinthians:
      1. you were washed. Tit.3:5; Ezek.36:25-27.
      2. you were sanctified. The word means ‘set apart’. See Luke 7:44-48 for the woman who was a sinner.
      3. you were justified.