My friend Sharon and I were discussing what 1 Corinthians 6 meant. We agreed that truly ANYONE--no matter how far they strayed off the straight and narrow--ANYONE may be saved, born again and headed for Heaven (John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23; Romans 10:9). So what did Paul mean when he wrote:
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [malakos], nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Paul himself was guilty of murder in the past before accepting Y'shua as the Messiah (see Acts Chapter 7 and 8 when he was called Saul)!
The key is to turn away from the sin of our past:
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.
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.
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. 1 Corinthians 6:11-13
So what if a person does not turn away from the sin? If a homosexual continues in that lifestyle is that person saved? I agree with commentators who believe that only God Himself can judge if a person has truly been 'washed' and baptized with the Holy Spirit.
"Washed" precedes both, and so must refer to the Christian's outward new birth of water, the sign of the inward setting apart to the Lord by the inspiration of the Spirit as the seed of new life ( Jhn 3:5 Eph 5:26 Tts 3:5 Hbr 10:22 ). Paul (compare the Church of England Baptismal Service), in charity, and faith in the ideal of the Church, presumes that baptism realizes its original design, and that those outwardly baptized inwardly enter into vital communion with Christ ( Gal 3:27 ). He presents the grand ideal which those alone realized in whom the inward and the outward baptism coalesced. At the same time he recognizes the fact that this in many cases does not hold good ( 1Cr 6:8-10 ), leaving it to God to decide who are the really "washed," while he only decides on broad general principles. Blue Letter Bible
Next Paul exhorts those who believe on Christ to not forfeit their liberty by coming under the power of anyone or anything else!
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? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
The "power" ought to be in the hands of the believer, not in the things which he uses [BENGEL]; else his liberty is forfeited; he ceases to be his own master ( Jhn 8:34-36 Gal 5:13 1Pe 2:16 2Pe 2:19 ). Unlawful things ruin thousands; "lawful" things (unlawfully used), ten thousands. Blue Letter Bible
The Spirit of Christ that dwells within those of us who have made Him their Lord empowers us to be overcomers (1 John 4:2-4)! There is much more, of course, that can be said of this. Life in this world is not easy. But life in the Holy Spirit causes us to supersede this world!
In this brief video Miriam Alexander shares her amazing story of how through her sincere relationship with God even during her time of lesbianism and using drugs she was powerfully delivered from it all!
