CHAPTER 6

1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

The subject here is about one Christian suing another in public court.
Paul's introduction of the subject with "Dare any of you," is actually a question of whether
it is appropriate or right according to the conduct of Christians.

The church is to be known by its LOVE for one another (John 13:35).
If we truly have love for one another, we should be able to settle differences WITHIN the church.

Matthew 18:15-17 should be the precedence for settling differences.

2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

I believe everyone knows that it will be JESUS Who shall judge the world.
However, truly born-again Christians have "the mind of Christ" today. (See 1Corinthians 2:16).
We do have the Spirit of God and the Bible.
We are "partakers of the Divine nature" even today (2Peter 1:4).
And, in that final judgment day, Christians will be round the throne understanding and assenting to the
proper judgment that Jesus delivers.

Keep in mind, Paul is using terminology which indicates Christians should be able to judge matters
WITHIN the church!

At the final judgment day, Jesus shall determine the eternity of all human beings by whether or not they
have surrendered to and followed Him.
And the "saints" shall KNOW that He delivers righteous judgment. (Matthew 19:28)
Therefore, truly born-again Christians should be able to discern the same among one another today.

3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Not that we shall be THE judge of angels, but that we shall concur with Jesus at His righteous judgment of them.

What happened in heaven to cause angels to depart from following God?
ONE angel got, what we call today, "full of himself."
He was "the great dragon....that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan..." (Rev. 12:9)
He decieved some of the other angels to turn against God!
BUT -- he was "cast OUT!"
Thrown out of heaven!

If the devil turned against God, do you not think his judgment of eternal hell should be righteous?
He was created to SERVE God -- but he REBELLED!

Is this not the case with mankind?
We were created to have fellowship with and to serve God!
Those who have refused to surrender to Christ and be His followers and servants are REBELLIOUS!

If Christians then have this discernment, are they not capable of determining righteous judgment
among each other?
This is what Paul is saying.

4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

John the Baptist had a dictum from God to prophecy of Messiah coming into the world.
He had the revelation of God to know Whom Messiah was.
He had the Spirit of God upon him for preaching the "good news" that Messiah was coming.

However, Christians -- truly born-again believers in Christ are SEALED in the Spirit of God (Ephesians 1:13).
Christians have the Gospel -- the preaching of the truth that Christ HAS COME!
He has paid the price of redemption from the slavery of sin.
He has overcome death, hell and the grave.
He has procured a place in eternal glory for all those who surrender to Him.
He is returning one day (soon I believe) to gather His "jewels" (Christians) (Malachi 3:17).

John the Baptist only had the Old Testament.
Christians today have the Old and New Testaments.

Therefore, even the "least esteemed in the church" have more discernment than John the Baptist,
as concerns the affairs of the church.

5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

There are many "wise" men in the church!
Let not one go against another "before unbelievers".
This exemplifies disdain for one another - and not LOVE!

True discernment is clouded when we are "full of ourselves!"
Let us defer to Christ our Head, and willingly settle differences under His guidance through the Word of God, and
by the Spirit of God within us!
And, let us who are named for Christ, settle our differences WITHIN the church!

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

"Be not deceived."
Don't be confused, sin CAN BE forgiven.
However, constant action of sin indicates God is no present in the life of that person!

He/she who CONTINUES in a lifestyle of one or more of these does not exhibit genuine salvation!

Salvation is when God forgives and His Spirit moves into the person.
Then, sin becomes SHAME!
And, the truly saved Christian will seek to SHUN the sin!

Sadly, in today's "politically correct" world, many who call themselves Christians exhibit a continued life of evil!

There is no mistaking the Greek word arsenokoites.
It is best defined by sodomy -- homosexual activity.

If a person is genuinely saved, he/she will not CONTINUE in that lifestyle.
The same goes for adultery, idolatry, drunkards, thieves, those who continually covet, and extortioners.

Let me just point out that truly saved Christians are NOT sinless!
But they certainly should sin LESS!

When a person is saved, he/she receives a NEW SET of desires according to the Spirit of God.

Those new desired stem from God residing WITHIN the person.
Christians are the TEMPLE of God in this earth.

Too often we "deceive" ourselves with ungodly desires.
Too often we allow the world to deceive us by how others are acting and living.
And, the ole devil USES those two things to cause our deception.

But we are to listen to GOD more than MEN!
For the truly saved Christian, God TELLS us what is RIGHT!

If God is truly working IN a person, he/she will not continually exhibit a life of sin!
BECAUSE.....

11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

The truly saved Christian is "washed" in the blood of Christ;
"sanctified", or set aside to do the work of God's pleasure in this world; and, "justified" by the grace and mercy of God to have RIGHT STANDING with God through faith in Christ.

Those three things are accomplished solely by "the Spirit of our God" when He enters a truly repentant soul!
Paul states basically the same thing in Titus 3:5-7:
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The "washing" is to cleanse from all sin, and indicates a continued action.
Being "sanctified" is to realize a continued work of God in progress through the soul.
"Justified" is to be ACCEPTED (See Ephesians 1:6).

Once God's work BEGINS in a truly saved person, that person will DESIRE the work to continue, and
will seek God's guidance in his/her life through daily prayer and Bible study.

12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

The actual subject of this paragraph is "fornication."

Paul seems to be mimicking the words of some who called themsevles believers, yet indulged in and defended the actions of verses 9-10 above.
(There are many who defend themselves for these actions today!)

Indeed, God created the body with appetites. Yet, ALL things are NOT really "lawful" according to God's Word.

The idea is that all things are not "expedient," neither are we to allow ourselves to be "under the power of any."

The Christian's body is "for the Lord!"
And, the Christian's lifestyle should REFLECT that in his/her living.

One day, we shall DIE!
What appetites will we have exhibited in our lives?

One day, we will all be raised up by the Lord for final judgment!
Therefore, our appetites should be "FOR the LORD!"

The Greek word for fornication is porneia.
It indicates adultery, incest or even idolatry! (Which, in some cases is worship of SELF more than God.)

If the body of the Christian is "for the Lord," it certainly will NOT be for fornication!
Paul continues this conversation.....

15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

The truly saved Christian is "joined unto the Lord" and is "one spirit" WITH the Lord.
One spirit in desire to exhibit glory to Christ in his/her lifestyle.
One spirit in desire to serve the Lord in adherence to His Word.

Certainly a person who is "one spirit" with the Lord will not allow himself/herself to utilize his/her body
in fornication -- harlotry, adultery, incest.

The act of "two" becoming "one" in sexual intercourse is meant ONLY FOR MARRIAGE!!
It is indeed a physical actwhich brings pleasure.
But, under God's Word, it has spiritual significance.
Gen 2:24 says, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

If a person is spiritually joined to Christ, he/she should be spiritually inclined to glorify and serve Christ!!
THEREFORE.....

18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

FLEE fornication!!
RUN from it!
AVOID it - even at cost like Joseph.
(See Genesis 39:11-12).

Theft, reviling (hatred), falsehood, coveting, etc - are OUTSIDE the body.
They do not take away ability, even though they defile purpose.

But fornication is WITHIN the body.
It produces disease!
It weakens the will!
It impairs strength - both physical and spiritual!

Over 80% of all cervical cancer is caused by HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) today.
It is a direct result of fornication!

FLEE fornication!

19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

The Christian's body is the "temple" of God on earth today!
He resides in the truly saved Christian by His Holy Ghost.

The body of the Christian is given "of God" and,
we are NOT our "own"!

Christians have been purchased with an awful and Holy price -- the blood of Christ!

Therefore, we are to live more spiritually than physically!
We are to "glorify God" in how we live and what we do.

Paul's discussion here shows there is no argument for professing to be a Christian and living a life of sinfulness.

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.
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