The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 211

Vers. 9-11.-Bifore and after: two pictures. The apostle reminds them that wrong-doing of cYery kind excludes from the kingdom of God, and that consequently their _quarrels a_nd litigat_ion are bringing them into danger. They are forgetting the meanmg of their conversion. I. OuR ORIGINAL CONDITION. Though this dark picture is meant to represent sinners at Corinth, its general features are universally applicable. 1. Sin is various, yet one. The branches are many, but they grow out of the same root. "For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders," etc. (Matt. xv. 19). They are all "works of the Besh" (Gal. v. 19-21), conceived in the heart and brouaht forth in the life. Some are sins directly against God; some against our neighbouls person, estate, good name; some ~gainst ourselves. Let us not excuse ourselves by looking on another's sin, and thankmg God we are free from that. In some other form it besets us, and "Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all" (Jas. ii. 10, 11). How awful a thing is sin! Let it work its way, and it will utterly corrupt soul and body, the family and society. Every man has in him by nature the seed whence these fruits oi Sodom grow. 2. The practice of sin excludes from the kingdom of God. Between such sins and the kingdom there is an absolute contra- diction.. The kingdom is righteousness (Hom xiv. 17), and these are forms of unrighteousness. Religion and morality, faith and works, creed and conduct, go together. "Regenerate thieves! regenerate libertines I regenerate extortioners I There is a horrible contradiction in the very thought" (F. W. Robertson). Let us guard against deception here. No amount of outward observance can atone for an immoral Ji~e. "Without are the dogs" (Rev. xxii. 15). II. OuR CHAKGED co:rIDITION. At conversion all this is changed. We become new creatures, the old things passing away (2 Cor. v. 17). Three aspects of this change are mentioned. 1. Washing. Sin is pollution, and from this we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus (1 John i. 7), "Through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus iii. 5). This is :iet forth in baptism, and it was a prominent idea in the Old Testament ritual (Exod. xl. 30-32; Ps. Ji. 7). 2. Sanctification. Devoted to sin once, we are now consecrs.ted to God. We are separated from the world and devoted to the service of Christ. 3. Justification. 'l'he gmlt of sin is removed, and we are accepted as righteous in Christ on the ground of what he has done for us. And this many-sided blessing of salvation is procured for us by the Lord Jesus Christ, and applied to us by the Spirit of our God. Compare these two pictures and: 1. .Ask which of them represents you. Have you been washed, sanctified, justified? Is there a "but" in your spiritual history, dividing the new from the old? 2. Learn your indebtedness to saving grace, aud be humble and grateful. 3. Have done with sin in every form. It is a return to the condition from which you have been delivered. "Put off the old man with his doings."-B.