AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU

“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” (1 Corinthians 6:11, KJV).

“And such were some of you.” These six words are some of the most hope-filled in all the New Testament.

I have a real affinity for the Corinthian letters. I never tire of reading about this troubled but dynamic church. I suppose it’s because it reminds me so much of today’s American/Canadian church. A troubled, stumbling church that can’t quite get its act together and stand up like an adult. One day it’s making forward strides and the next showing its dirty laundry in the form of scandals, usually over sex and money.

First Corinthians is a pastoral letter written to resolve doctrinal and practical issues within the church. The letter shows some of the cultural problems that followers of Jesus had to deal with, including sexual immorality, idolatry and the spirit of litigation. There were, of course, other issues but isn’t it interesting that the same spirit of litigation is running rampant in our world, as well as immorality and materialism (idolatry)?

One of the things I personally like about the Corinthian letters is the underlying message of hope! The letters speak of the power of the gospel to reach and change people, a message of hope to all who are caught in the vise-like grip of sin. It was Paul who said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16, NIV). The word power in the original is dunamis, meaning energy, might, great force. When you share your testimony you are sharing a message of great power and you must never underestimate that. It is the dunamis of the gospel unleashed in lives that brings change, deliverance and healing. Is it any wonder that the enemy is anxious to divert the message to less lethal subjects?

In First Corinthians chapter six, Paul first takes the church to task over lawsuits between church members. The apostle seems to be somewhat incredulous that believers would actually be suing one another in a secular court. He then goes on and lists a group that will not be inheriting the kingdom of God. And quite a list it is, including those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers. I’m not sure who Paul left out of the list but it wasn’t many. Paul, of course, is referring to the sins that were committed prior to their receiving Christ as their Savior.

But then comes Paul’s powerful statement of hope! With the Corinthian church in mind, he says, “And such were some of you.” Some of you used to be sinners just like those on the list but your life has changed. Because you embraced the power of God, the grip of sin has been broken and you are a new person.

I don’t believe any other New Testament writer could say these words with more “hope” in them than Paul. Before the apostle became a Christian, he was a Christ-hating, Christian-killing terrorist. Before he experienced the “new birth,” Paul lived life on the dark side and he knew intimately the power of the gospel to change a life.

“And such were some of you.” Paul immediately lays out the foundational process that brought these Christ followers to victory and established the “were” in their lives.

“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” (l Corinthians 6:11, NIV). For many of us these words are not quickly or easily understood but they are important, so let me try and simplify what the apostle is saying here.

“But you were washed.” This is an action that is initiated on the part of the individual. A better rendering would be, “You washed yourself,” meaning you took a step of faith and invited Jesus Christ into your life. When you did that, it initiated the washing or cleansing of being “born again.” Sin was washed away by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ.

“You were sanctified.” Sanctification begins at the moment of salvation when the Holy Spirit, heaven’s agent of change, comes to dwell in us. The focus of sanctification is to heal all the destructive work (dysfunctionality) that sin has done in you. For most of us the healing of sanctification is a process that takes place over a period of years or even a lifetime, just as physical healing is most commonly a process. Sanctification will be completed the moment we step into eternity. Second Corinthians 3:18 speaks of us as “…being transformed.”

“You were justified.” Justification focuses on the removal of the guilt of sin. Justification is by faith alone and not works and is complete at the moment of salvation. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that “…there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.” The foundation for victory, as I call it, was placed into your life because you called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation and at that moment the Holy Spirit came to live in you.

Praise God for His power to change a life. Because Jesus came and gave His life to pay the ransom for sin, no life, no matter how messed up it is, is outside the ability of the gospel (the power of God) to change it! “…If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV).

“And such were many of us.”