1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Who Inherits the Kingdom?
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: February 12, 2020 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
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.
(Understanding the Text) We tend to think that the sins caused by greed and sexual immorality are modern, but this list tells us that the Corinthians practiced all the same sins that are popular now plus a few that are not usually practiced today. Paul starts his list with sexual immorality and later will include specific examples. What’s the difference? I think sexually immoral refers back to the man sleeping with his stepmother. It is not adultery or homosexuality. It is a different kind of sexual immorality. Next on the list is idolaters. Were some of the Corinthians worshiping God while at the same time worshiping some of their old idols? I’m sure some were committing adultery. Their culture of pleasure would have tempted husbands a lot. I wonder if the idolatry and adultery were combined. The easiest place to get sex would have been with a temple prostitute, and there were many in Corinth. Next, comes homosexuality. Paul does not make this out to be worse than any of the other sins, but he also does not say that it is acceptable to God. He says God rejects it. Modern society has tried to make it this big thing that is overwhelming and unchanging and thus, should be accepted. Paul reduces it to one behavior among many that can be transformed by Jesus. The next on the list deals with the Corinthians’ love of making money. They have to be careful not to be thieves and steal from others or be greedy and not act in love. These two sins are the problem that led to the Corinthians going to court. Paul also says that drunkards will not be in heaven. The Bible never presents getting drunk in a good light. It always shows bad results for drunkenness. Then Paul puts revilers in the same list as adulterers, thieves, and swindlers. Revilers are people who speak badly about others. Paul says that they will not be in heaven. A lot of people who would not think of doing the other sins in the list, still would find it okay to put down others and speak about them with malice. Last on the list is swindlers. I think that this is because it refers back to the case of taking someone to court. The person taking another brother to court is doing so either because the brother has swindled him out of money or he is trying to use the court system to swindle his brother.
(Revelation of God) One of the guys in Coming Out Ministries often makes a beautiful point that we miss when we focus on the sins instead of the sinner. Paul says “And such were some of you.” Paul makes the point that these are the sins of their old man, not the new man who has been washed in Jesus’ blood. He points out that the Spirit lives in them. The implication is that they have all the power that they need to overcome these sins and indeed, should have overcome the sins long before.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I need to focus on the last part of this passage in my own life. “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 have been washed by Your blood and made pure by You. I have been justified by Jesus and sanctified through the Spirit living in me. I pray to trust this word. Thank You that You love me and help me to see myself through Your eyes rather than the worldly lens that focuses on sinning rather than on being redeemed.