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Together in Christ: 'Cleansed, Made Holy, and Passionate to Reach the Lost!' — 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Monday, November 4, 2024 Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people — none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. — 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT Key Thought... "Some of you were once like that." Ah, yes! Jesus came into the world to save sinners, [1] and we have all been one of those sinners. Thanks be to God for the grace given us in Jesus Christ, grace that provided our salvation [2] and led to both our forgiveness of sins and also our cleansing. [3] As Paul told the Corinthians, we "were cleansed; [we] were made holy; [we] were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." While Paul was referring to our initial cleansing and salvation, that same cleansing and forgiveness are ours continually through confession of our sins and depending upon our Father's love and grace. [4] Jesus is our mediator Who paid the ransom price to redeem us from our sins. [5] He now presents us before God as "holy and blameless as [we] stand before him without a single fault." [6] This new relationship with God that has made each of us a new creation that is holy in His sight [7] and that has several implications for our relationships that we should embrace: Praise to God for His grace lavished upon us in Jesus and His personal indwelling inside us through the Holy Spirit. [8] Fellowship with other believers in Christ who are part of God's redeemed and cleansed family. [9] Reaching out in love — not condemnation or avoidance — to those who do not yet know Jesus and God's saving grace that He longs extend to them and bring them into His family and our fellowship. [10] [1] 1 Timothy 1:15. [2] Ephesians 2:1-10. [3] Our cleansing, or purifying as it is sometimes called, means we were made holy and new as if we had never sinned. [4] 1 John 1:5-10. [5] 1 Timothy 2:5-6. [6] Colossians 1:22. [7] 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. [8] Acts 2:38-47; Romans 8:9-16. [9] Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:1-7; 2 Corinthians 13:14. [10] Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 10:45; 1 Corinthians 10:31-33, 11:1. Today's Prayer Father, thank You for Your loving grace that provided my redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus and that is made real in me through the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit. Draw me close to You and to Your children, saved by grace, who are now my spiritual family. And, dear Father, keep my heart open and tender toward those who are lost and do not yet know Jesus. All honor and glory to [You] God forever and ever! [You are] the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; [You] alone [are] God. Amen. [A] [A] 1 Timothy 1:17. Related Scripture Readings 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 1 John 1:5-10, 2:1-2