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May turn in your Bibles to 1 
Corinthians chapter 6 for our study this evening. 1 Corinthians 
chapter 6. We're going to look at a familiar 
portion of Scripture, specifically verses 9 to 11. I just want to 
make six observations on Paul's words here to the Corinthians. This is sort of a side note, 
but it's filled with doctrine. It's filled with instruction. 
Basically, the issue that Paul is dealing with is that the unrighteous 
are not fit to hear your matters in terms of civil litigation, 
civil affairs, criminal matters, because they are not inheritors 
of the kingdom of God. And that causes him to state 
this in verses 9 to 11. But I'll just read beginning 
in verse 1 so we can appreciate the larger context. Dare any 
of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the 
unrighteous and not before the saints. Do you not know that 
the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged 
by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you 
not know that we shall judge angels? How much more things 
that pertain to this life? If, then, you have judgments 
concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint 
those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say 
this to your shame. Is it so that there is not a 
wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge 
between his brethren? But brother goes to law against 
brother, and that before unbelievers. Now, therefore, it is already 
another failure for you that you go to law against one another. 
Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather 
let yourselves be cheated? No, you yourselves do wrong and 
cheat, and you do these things to your brethren. Do you not 
know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? 
Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, 
nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor 
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the 
kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but 
you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified 
in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. 
All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under 
the power of any. Foods for the stomach, and the 
stomach for foods. But God will destroy both it 
and them. Now the body is not for sexual 
immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And 
God both raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by 
His power. Do you not know that your bodies 
are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members 
of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not. Or 
do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body 
with her? For the two, he says, shall become 
one flesh. But he who is joined to the Lord 
is one spirit with them. Flee sexual immorality. Every 
sin that a man does is outside the body. But he who commits 
sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know 
that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in 
you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For 
you were bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your 
body and in your spirit, which are God's. Amen. Well, let us 
pray. Father, we thank you for this 
portion of Scripture. And, God, I pray that we would 
take time to reflect now upon our own place before you, before 
our holy God. that our foundation, our hope, 
our realization of acceptance with You is solely upon the basis 
of Jesus' blood and righteousness. How we thank You, Father, for 
our perfect Savior, how we thank You for His perfect salvation, 
and how we pray now that You would cause us to appreciate 
afresh this wonderful gospel of free and sovereign grace. 
And, Father, for those who do not know You, we pray. She would 
bring conviction for sin and cause them to look unto Christ 
and to know the forgiveness that is held forth in Him. We ask 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, there 
is a specific context here and there is a lot of things going 
on. So instead of being a strictly expository message, we're just 
going to make several observations on those key passages around 
that statement in verses 9 to 11. Do you not know that the 
unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be 
deceived. He then goes on to highlight 
the various infractions, the various transgressions of God's 
holy law. And then he says, in such were 
some of you. And then he highlights the redemptive 
work of our Lord Jesus Christ. As I said, six observations on 
this particular portion. The first is simply this. The 
existence of the kingdom of God is a reality. Do you not know 
that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? I 
suspect that everyone here believes in the existence of the kingdom 
of God. Everyone here would affirm that 
there is a kingdom to be gained and a kingdom to be lost. There 
is a kingdom wherein God dwells and rules in righteousness, a 
kingdom that is entered into by grace alone, through faith 
alone, in Jesus Christ alone. The reason, however, I want to 
highlight this is because we live in a generation that oftentimes 
either A, denies the existence of the kingdom of God, or B, 
lives as if there is no such thing. They act like there is 
no thing, nothing rather, beyond the grave. Men are materialistic. That means they only function 
in terms of the things around them. Men are physical. Men are 
sensual. Men are carnal. Men only concern 
themselves very often with what we can touch, feel, sense, taste, 
and all those sorts of things. And it is our duty or our responsibility 
or our blessed privilege to try and remind men that there is 
eternity following the great, as the man of God Moses said 
in Psalm 90, if perhaps of strength, you live 70 or 80 or 90 years, 
then you fly away. What is it that men are going 
to fly into? A Christless eternity? Rejecting 
the Lord God Almighty? We need to understand that eternity 
is a reality. Remember that thief on the cross. 
He says, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. He 
knew there was more to life than just what he saw physically around 
him. And I think the Christian church 
would do well to think in terms like these. And as you witness, 
or as you talk to your neighbors, I'm not mandating that you go 
to 15 people and set before them these particular truths, but 
in the context of friendship, when you're seeking to be the 
salt of the earth and the light of the world, and you see an 
open door, you see an avenue, this is a great way to break 
the ice, if you will, to direct men to consider the fact that 
there is eternity. That this is but a drop in the 
bucket, that we've not begun to see what there is in terms 
of reality. Do you not know that the unrighteous 
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? And as Christians, we 
ought to take verse 9. We ought to think about that. 
You know, very often as I read the scripture, I'm struck with 
my lack of compassion. I read men like the psalmist 
who says, rivers of water run down from my eyes because men 
do not keep your law. I read in the book of Jonah when 
God says, should I not pity Nineveh, that great city with 120,000 
people that don't know their right from their left and much 
livestock? I mean, God even mentions the 
livestock and says, should I not pity that particular city? When we get to the book of Romans, 
for instance, just another great example of this sort of compassion. 
You can turn to Romans chapter nine, Romans chapter nine, verse 
one, Paul says, I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience also bearing me 
witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and continual 
grief in my heart. That's an amazing statement there. 
If we understand the implications of 1 Corinthians 6 9, do you 
not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom 
of God? It ought to promote in us something of a brokenness, 
something of a compassion, something of a pitying attitude for those 
who are dead in their trespasses and sins. Those who are hellbound, 
those who have rejected Christ, are in the process of rejecting 
Christ and will ultimately be rejected by Christ and enter 
into the kingdom of hell rather than the kingdom of God. Paul 
says, I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart, 
for I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for 
my brethren. The word that he uses here is 
the word anathema. It means to be devoted to destruction. He uses that term specifically 
in Galatians 1. Remember what he says, if we 
or an angel out of heaven or any other person Preaches another 
gospel to you. Let him be anathema. Let him 
be damned to hell. Let him be a curse. Paul here 
is actually saying what he's saying. He says, I could wish 
that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen, 
according to the flesh. who are Israelites, to whom pertain 
the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the 
law, the service of God, and the promises of whom are the 
fathers, and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who 
is overall the eternally blessed God. Amen. Compassion, the souls 
of men. Pity for the souls of men. Certainly, 
1 Corinthians 6-9 ought to at least be an argument in our prayer 
arsenal or in our hearts or in our minds as to why we ought 
to have pity, why we ought to have compassion, when we consider 
the people that we know and love are heading to a Christless eternity. 
This is what the Apostle says. Now, in saying this, I realize 
that there are pastors or preachers out there that seek to manipulate 
people and seek to bind people's consciences. You've got to lead 
100 people to the Lord in 2012, or you've got to knock on 15 
doors before the end of the month. That's, I hope, not the way you're 
receiving this. I think it is a legitimate observation, 
though, that we all need a better dose or a greater dose of compassion. If you've got a corner on this, 
if you're doing well, then please pray for me and Pastor Porter 
that we would have more compassion, that we would be more like, and 
I'm speaking for Pastor Porter here, he's nodding, I can request 
prayer in this particular regard. I mean, think about it. Do you 
not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom 
of God? That's what's at stake. Our unconverted friends and family 
and loved ones, It's not that they're just not having their 
happiest life now. It's not that they're just not being fulfilled 
now. It's not just that they're having 
the way of the unfaithful is hard now. They're heading to 
a Christless eternity. They're heading to hell, conscious 
torment in the lake of fire, God We ought to pray to God that 
he takes those things and makes them real in our heart. The things 
of eternity are so distant from the thoughts of materialistic 
man. But the thoughts of eternity 
or the things of eternity are oftentimes very far from the 
thoughts of Christian man. We need to see, as it was said 
of Edwards as he preached, he saw the glory of heaven with 
one eye and the terrors of hell with the other eye. And having 
witnessed those realities, he preached in such a manner. Paul 
the Apostle in another place says, knowing therefore the terror 
of the Lord, we persuade men. Understanding the gravity of 
a holy God and His revulsion against sin and sinners, Paul 
says, we therefore persuade men to be reconciled unto God through 
our Lord Jesus Christ. And then a third observation 
with reference to this observation, reference to the unbeliever out 
there, our response with reference to this observation. Let's ask 
the question, do you think about the kingdom of God? Are you entering 
the kingdom of God? Do you understand the concept 
of the kingdom and access therein too? Do you understand why it 
is you are entering? Or do you understand why it is 
you aren't entering? And does that promote fear in 
your hearts? In other words, examine yourself. 
If you were to die tonight, where would you end up? Would you end 
up in a Christless eternity or would you end up in the kingdom 
of God with our blessed and beloved Lord? These are all weighty questions 
we ought to examine ourselves with from time to time. So the 
second main observation is the reality of self-deception. Notice what he says in verse 
nine. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit 
the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. And then 
he highlights those various infractions of God's holy law. I think there's 
an observation or principle here that self-deception is a reality. Do not be deceived. We considered 
this this morning in our study in the London Baptist Confession, 
chapter 18, of the assurance of grace and salvation. The framers of our confession 
start off their subject this way. They said, although temporary 
believers and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves 
with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God 
and state of salvation, which hope of theirs shall perish. 
And then it goes on to say positively, yet, such as truly believe in 
the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk 
in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly 
assured that they are in the state of grace and may rejoice 
in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them 
ashamed. The framer is understood correctly. Self-deception is a reality. 
There's temporary believers. There are those who, for a time, 
make a profession. There are those who, for a time, 
say they're Christ's. There are those who, for a time, 
give at least the appearance of being in Him. We looked at 
two examples this morning in our study. We looked at the prophet 
Micah. Micah condemns the leaders of 
his age. Micah condemns the political 
leaders. He condemns the prophets. He 
says that as a result of their wickedness, as a result of their 
ungodliness, the city of Zion was filled with bloodshed. There 
was a perversion of justice. Bribery was rampant. Prophets 
and priests plied their trade simply for pay. They engaged 
in the prophetic and priestly ministry only to get a paycheck. We mentioned, or we noted, that 
that doesn't sound too far removed from the things that we face 
today. Political leaders, prophetic ministers of God engaged in just 
seeking a paycheck, bloodshed, perversion of justice. I mean, 
you only need to open your eyes for a few minutes to see these 
things played out before our eyes. But yet, in the midst of 
all that, The prophet indicts, the prophet condemns, the prophet 
highlights where they had fallen short. And here's what they had 
the gall to say. It says, now hear this, you heads 
of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel who abhor 
justice and pervert all equity, who build up Zion with bloodshed 
and Jerusalem with iniquity. Her heads judge for a bride, 
her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money. 
Yet they lean on the Lord and say, is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us. That's 
some chutzpah, the Jews would say. That's gall. The prophet says the civil leaders 
are corrupt. The prophets are corrupt. The 
city's filled with bloodshed. There's a perversion of justice, 
perversion of equity. I mean, it's a mess. And this 
is what they say. Yet they lean on the Lord and 
say, is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us. Self-deception, 
isn't it? Do not be deceived, Paul said. 
Don't fool yourself. Don't play games. These matters 
are too grave, these matters are too weighty, these matters 
are too great. The New Testament example in 
Matthew 7, 21 to 23, many will say to me on that day, Lord, 
Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not cast out 
demons in your name? Didn't we do mighty things in 
your name? You see, their hope of acceptance 
with God was not grounded upon the finished work of the Lord 
Jesus, but rather it was grounded upon their works, upon their 
performance, upon their doing. They were deceived. This is a 
characteristic of unbelievers. This is a characteristic of the 
heathen. It is a characteristic of many. 
I dare say, if you ask a hundred people, a large majority of those 
people will think that they are heaven-bound. And then when you 
ask the question, why are you heaven-bound, the myriad of answers 
will probably blow your mind. The only answer that anyone can 
ever give for being accepted into the Kingdom of God Most 
High is the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. There's 
not two ways, there's not three ways, there's not four ways. 
There is one way to heaven, and it is through Christ. So, the 
existence of the kingdom of God, the reality of self-deception. 
Thirdly, the presence of an ethical standard established by God. The presence of an ethical standard 
established by God. Do you not know that the unrighteous 
will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, 
nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites. Now, we define 
homosexual and sodomite the exact same way. Without getting too 
detailed, Paul is not crazy. Paul is using two technical terms 
to describe the two companions in a homosexual relationship. 
He knew exactly what he was talking about. He's not repeating himself. 
He is identifying the male and the female companion or the roles 
within a homosexual relationship. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, 
nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor 
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will 
inherit the kingdom of God. It is not man's call. It is not 
up to man. He cannot say, well, you know, 
as long as I don't do this or that, then God will let me into 
heaven. God sets the standard. God has 
provided the framework. God has provided specifically 
his moral law, codified at Sinai, summarized there for us in ten 
abiding words. Paul says in Romans 3 that all 
the world will become guilty before God. What does that mean? They're liable to just punishment 
as a result of having broken his holy law. The Ten Commandments 
reflect his character, reflect his will, reflect his abiding 
perfections and attributes, and man violates that. There is an 
ethical standard. The church should preach this 
ethical standard. We have considered this before, 
the necessity of preaching the law so that sinners will see 
their sin and thus flee to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not just 
a matter of being a little bit hindered, a little bit hampered, 
a little bit difficult. No, you need to see yourself 
as a lawbreaker before God Most High, because that's when healing 
comes. There is an ethical standard 
established. He is the moral governor of the 
universe. He has legislated, he has given 
us his truth, and he tells us here very clearly, don't be deceived. None of these sorts of people 
who practice these things, who continue in these things, who 
are impenitent in these things, will enter the kingdom of God. You will not inherit it when 
you continually engage in wickedness. We see that in the book of Galatians 
as well, a similar passage, similar construction. He says the works 
of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, 
lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, 
outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, 
murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which I tell 
you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those 
who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. There is an ethical standard. Fourthly, another observation 
that we can pull out of this passage, is the fact that all 
men are guilty before God. Now, I realize we prioritize, 
don't we? I remember before I was converted, 
perhaps your experience was similar. Somebody were to say to you, 
boy, you're a real sinner. Well, hopefully they wouldn't 
say it like that. Somebody witnessing to you said, well, you know, 
you're a sinner. Or do you think you're a good person? What do 
you normally do? I've never murdered anyone. I've 
never committed adultery. We have our sort of two benchmark 
sins, don't we? As long as we haven't done that, 
then we're going to enter the kingdom of God. Right? Is that anybody else's experience? Congratulate yourself because 
you were such a wonderful moral specimen, because you never actually 
murdered someone or committed adultery. Oh, how the sinner 
lowers the bar, doesn't he? How we lower the bar to try and 
justify ourselves. Well, it's an interesting thing 
when you look at Paul's vice lists. He doesn't prioritize in the 
same manner that we do. He throws things into his lists 
that I believe some of us would never throw there. Of course 
we're not deceived. Fornicators, they're not going 
to enter the kingdom of God. No way. It's wicked. Sexual Congress, apart from the 
covenantal parameters that God has established, is wicked. Idolaters, 
they will never enter the kingdom of God. violates the first and 
the second commandments. You shall have no other gods 
before me. The definition of who it is we 
are to worship. You shall not make for yourself 
an idol. The second commandment tells us how we are to worship 
Yahweh. Adulterers. Again, Congress apart 
from covenant. It's wicked. It's the breaking 
of a covenant. We all agree with that, don't 
we? These people aren't going to inherit the kingdom of God. 
Of course, the homosexuals and sodomites, they're not going 
to. I mean, this is a perversion. Paul says it's unnatural. Paul 
says this is just a wretched practice. Leviticus 18 says it's 
an abomination. Verse 10 says thieves. Yeah, 
no thief ought to enter into the kingdom of God. I wonder 
if at times when we consider this priority structure, we've 
always reflected on our business dealing. We've always reflected 
on our honesty. We've always reflected on our 
ability to conduct ourselves with a clear conscience before 
the God of the universe in matters concerning property. But even 
so, let's just suppose for a moment. Covetous. That's it. We're done. Every one of us. 
You may not have been a homosexual. You may not have been an idolater. 
Who in this room or who in this world can ever say, I have never 
coveted? I want to meet that man. Well, 
there is. There's only one. He's enthroned at the right hand 
of God most high. He is the champion. He is the 
victor. He is the redeemer of God's elect. 
Because he didn't violate these rules, because he didn't violate 
these laws, he alone was able to satisfy the just requirements 
of God. And through his active obedience 
of the law, we receive his righteousness. Through his substitutionary death 
at Calvary, that passive obedience, we receive pardon of our iniquity. to work our way through thieves, 
covetous drunkards. Not many people today in this 
world can say I've never done this. Revilers. Remember your priority structure. 
Listen to how Barnes describes or defines reviler. So let's just say you jump through 
the hoop successfully of all these other big sins here. What's reviling? A reproachful 
man, a man, of course, harsh and bitter words. A man whose 
characteristic it was to abuse others, to vilify their character. It means to attack or assassinate 
someone's character. So if we jump down a little bit 
in terms of application, gossip, slander, backbiting, wounding 
people's reputation with our unjust approach to them. How many times have you and I 
violated Proverbs 18, the two rules for interpersonal relationships 
that pretty much no one obeys? The first to plead his cause 
seems right until his neighbor comes and examines him. How many 
times in the life of Christ's church and among his people do 
we hear half a story and we condemn? Proverbs says that's wrong, man. 
He who answers a matter before he hears it It's falling to him. So you see, reviling is a broad 
category. Covetousness is a broad category. He goes on to say, to vilify 
their character, to wound their feelings. It is needless to say 
how much this is contrary to the spirit of Christianity and 
to the example of the master who, when he was reviled, reviled 
not again. I mean, back in that section 
in Galatians as well, again, the big sins, the ones that we 
call the big sins, he throws in there selfish ambitions, dissensions, 
envy. I mean, these are things that 
find us all out. So that's the point. That's the 
observation. That's what we're looking at. The fact that all 
men are guilty before God. The vice list in Romans, chapter 
one, where the apostle is describing the heathen. Go there for just 
a moment. Again, he starts off with the 
sin of homosexuality. He doesn't neglect that. He doesn't 
negate that. But he doesn't stop there. That's 
why the Westboro Baptist, and I put it in quotation marks, 
church is out to lunch. Campaigning actively against 
homosexuals. Campaigning actively against. Instead of preaching the gospel 
to them. So, after highlighting the fact 
that even the women exchanged the natural use for what is against 
nature, verse 28, and even as they did not like to retain God 
in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind to 
do those things which are not fitting, being filled with all 
unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, 
full of envy, murder, strife. Deceit, evil-mindedness, they 
are whispers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, 
inventors of evil things. I mean, proud? Who on this earth 
isn't proud? Just show of hands here. Who 
here isn't proud? Come on, you see this? See the 
point? We're guilty. Guilty, vile, helpless, 
we. Spotless Lamb of God was he. Full atonement, can it be? Hallelujah. What a Savior. That's the point 
I want us to appreciate, because it's in that context, it's with 
that backdrop, that the glory of the Savior shines. Paul says, 
proud boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents. Kids, you realize that a vice 
list that includes murder also includes disobedience to parents, 
undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful. This is a comprehensive list, 
and yet it only scratches the surface of the depravity and 
wickedness of man. The fact is, all men are guilty 
before God. Notice, fifthly, by way of an 
observation. Paul says, and such were some 
of you. Such were some of you. What's 
the observation? The truth that sin is not genetic. The sin is not that sin is not 
hardwired into us. We're hearing that today. It's 
just the way he is. He pursues this particular course 
of life or this particular act of wickedness, because that's 
how God made him. Yes, certainly, our nature and 
our nurture work hand in hand. Things we're exposed to as a 
young person oftentimes has an effect upon us and can direct 
that sinful bent in a particular direction or not. But to suggest 
that sin is genetic is to say there's no hope. To suggest that 
sin is hardwired into you, there's no hope. to suggest that it's 
mental illness. I mean, look at that man living 
among the tombs, who would break those shackles, who was naked, 
who was cutting himself with stones, who was crying out and 
weeping and wailing all night long. Men were afraid of him. 
What would be our response today? That man is nuts. Lock him up, 
put him in a straitjacket, put him in a padded cell, put a crash 
helmet on him so that when he bangs his head into the wall, 
he doesn't do any major damage. One of the men preaching at this 
conference, the Sola Scriptura conference, preached on Sola 
Scriptura, the foundation of Scripture alone. This man, prior 
to his conversion, was a psychologist, worked in a major hospital in 
New York. He said he has seen the effect 
of psychotropic drugs on individuals, people that are branded mentally 
ill and then shot up with drugs, basically reducing them to the 
place of a zombie. Wandering the halls, lifeless, 
senseless. I suspect we do that with the 
man who dwelt among the tombs. Just shoot him full of psychotropic 
drugs so that we don't have to mess with it. Jesus goes to the 
man. The man falls before Jesus. Jesus 
heals him. Jesus then sits with the man 
who is clothed and sitting in his right mind. It wasn't genetic. It wasn't hardwired in. It was sin that Christ forgave. You see, we do no sinner any 
good by neglecting to preach against sin. Jesus came to seek 
and save that which was lost, not that which was genetically 
altered. He came for sinners. And that 
brings us to the sixth and the final observation. the blessing 
that Jesus is a real Savior for real sinners. Notice how he ends. 
Such were some of you. Before we continue, just consider 
that statement. If I were to ask you which New 
Testament church most manifested what we might call some inconsistent 
Christian living, for lack of a better phrase. The Corinthians, 
wasn't it? I mean, look at the things that 
Paul has to deal with in Corinth over and over again. He has to 
deal with things that are just absolutely incredible, which 
praise God, not praise God for their sin, but praise God for 
the letters to the Corinthians. Their sinfulness, their departure 
from biblical norms and truth caused the apostle to write specific 
things addressing these things. So, such were some of you. They 
had been fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, 
thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners. They 
had been that. But the powerful grace of God 
delivered them. Such were some of you, He says, 
but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were 
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit 
of our God. Doesn't that statement stand 
in stark contrast? Doesn't that statement shine 
when we consider the previous verses? Doesn't that statement 
cheer and encourage your heart when you see yourself in that 
vice list, when you hear that blessed statement? And such were 
some of you. But you were washed. You were 
sanctified. You were justified. You were 
called out of darkness into marvelous light. You're no longer practitioners 
of these things. The Corinthians still stumbled. 
They were not perfect in terms of sanctification. They still 
had issues, to be sure. But definitively, there was a 
breach made with sin. That, my dear brothers and sisters, 
is a way, or I hope, is a means of encouragement to each and 
every one of us. Such were some of you. You were washed, you were sanctified, 
you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the 
Spirit of our God." Remember, many years ago, this was before 
ever coming here, I preached on Jeremiah 3 at a different 
church. Jeremiah chapter 3. It's one 
of those gems of Scripture. You could say that about every 
chapter, so I kind of struggle with Pastor Wellen this morning, 
you know, it's my favorite book, but all books, you know, are 
a favorite. You know what he meant, right? 
There's certain passages that we're drawn to. There's certain 
chapters that thrill our hearts. There's certain things, perhaps, 
when we're in a particular place in our lives, either we're down 
or we're tried or we're suffering or, you know, having some difficulty, 
that a passage of Scripture just really speaks to us. Jeremiah 
3 is one of those. Jeremiah 3, in the space of the 
chapter going in a little bit to chapter 4, God says five times. five times to Israel. Yet return 
to me, says yet return to me, says the Lord. Yet return to 
me, says the Lord. Yet return to me, says the Lord. Yet return to me, says the Lord. 
Five times in that chapter. So before we got into chapter 
three, I wanted to paint the context of chapter two. Because you can't appreciate 
those five yet return to me, says the Lord, until you see 
where they are. Read Jeremiah 2 sometime. Make 
that a priority in your quiet time sometime this week. Read 
Jeremiah 2 and chapter 3. Maybe it'll speak to you. Maybe 
you're in a place like I was those years ago that really, 
really was a boon to my own heart. But what it does is that it shows 
how sinful Judah was at the time. It shows how wicked they were 
at the time. Now you're all probably saying, 
what wickedness was he doing at that particular time? I think 
that text could find us all out at any time. But Jeremiah 2 is 
crucial to understanding Jeremiah 3. The backdrop of our depravity 
highlights the graciousness of God in such a vivid and beautiful 
and amazing way that I think, by the time you get to that fifth, 
yet return to me, says the Lord. You're worshiping, you're praising, 
you're adoring. You're saying, what manner of 
God is like this? You're like the prophet Micah. 
Who is it, God, like you? Pardoning iniquity. That's how 
this functions. Do you not know that the unrighteous 
will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. All 
these vices, all these sins, all these transgressions. You 
may not be guilty of each and every one, but you're guilty 
of something. And it's out of that mass, or 
it's out of that destruction, or it's out of that wretchedness, 
that such were some of you. But you were washed. You were 
sanctified. You were justified. God didn't 
come to you because you deserved it. God didn't come to you because 
you were righteous. God didn't come to you because 
you merited. God didn't come to you because 
you could gain acceptance with Him. God came to you out of the 
sovereignty of His own good pleasure. He reached out, He lifts you 
up, He washes, He sanctifies, He justifies. Brethren, I think 
for us, we need to consider passages like these and what Christ has 
done in saving us. If that doesn't cause you to 
praise, if that doesn't cause you to worship, if it doesn't 
cause you to celebrate, if it doesn't promote thankfulness, 
then arguably you might still be in that state. of depravity. How can we consider a God who 
stoops down in such condescension to lift such vile sinners out 
of the dust heap and convey upon them every spiritual blessing 
in the heavenly places in Christ? What Paul says is the believer's 
portion, the believer's lot. He says, Of him you are in Christ 
Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness, 
and sanctification, and redemption, that as it is written, He who 
glories, let him glory in the Lord. Consider what you were, 
consider what by God's grace you have become, and let that 
fuel praise, worship, adoration, thankfulness, and prayer to our 
good God. Gardner Springs says, One reason 
why our religious emotions are so languid and cheerless, why 
our hearts are so often hung upon the willows and under the 
mere twilight of spiritual joy, is that we keep it such a distance 
from the cross and the realities of eternity are kept at such 
a distance and forgotten. Stay close to the cross. Live 
what one man calls a cross centered life. You read 1 Corinthians, 
you'll see how Paul combats every issue. How does he do it? You know, you've got a sexual 
immorality problem, 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Go check into sexualaddicts.com. Go to the next meeting. He plants 
the cross in their bedroom. When people are eating meat and 
violating their brother's consciences, what does he say? He plants the 
cross at their dinner table. When there's sectarianism among 
the people of God in Corinth, I'm a Paul, I'm a Cephas, I'm 
a Vipaulus. What's he say? Well, each one 
have your own favorite preacher. Each one have a bookmark for 
your favorite preacher. No, he plants the cross in their 
midst. Every problem that the Corinthians 
faced, Paul brings it back to the cross. And that's what we 
need to do. That's how we need to live. We 
need to appreciate what God in Christ has done on our behalf. Well, let us pray. Father, thank 
You for Your Word. Thank You for such a gracious 
Savior that He saves us from all manner of sin. And we pray 
now that You would go with us, that You would cause Your face 
to shine upon Your people in this congregation. We pray for 
those traveling. We pray for those, God, who are 
away from us. We think of Joanne and ask that 
You would just continue to bless her and strengthen her. spiritually 
dark and difficult place. We pray that you would just give 
her a large heart and an able mind to be able to minister effectively 
to the people in need there. We just pray, Father, that you 
would be glorified in the midst of this assembly. And for those, 
Father, in our midst that, again, are suffering, are tried, are 
having difficulties, we pray that you would come to their 
aid and, indeed, bless and encourage them. We ask these things in 
Jesus' name. Amen.