Mar 7, 2021
There is a fountain filled with
blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins,
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty
stains.
In this morning’s sermon text from 1 Corinthians, Paul pulls no
punches regarding the “unrighteous” who will not inherit the
Kingdom. He very clearly names these unrighteous behaviors and
lifestyles, even pointing out that some of these had been practiced
by the Corinthians themselves. But this drives us to verse 11: “…
you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Likewise, the service this morning
does not shy away from the reality of depravity—read through the
text of Do You Declare O Earthly Gods (Psalm 58) if you
haven’t yet, on the hurt, violence, and poison of wickedness. But
hymns like Glory Be To God The Father, Jesus Paid It
All, O For A Thousand Tongues, How Sweet The Name
Of Jesus Sounds, Come Ye Disconsolate, and There
Is A Fountain remind us that the redemptive work of Jesus on
the cross overcomes even our vilest sins. He “washed us from each
spot and stain,” we “wash our garments white in the blood of
Calvary’s lamb,” and “His blood can make the foulest clean.” His
atoning sacrifice “makes the wounded spirit whole,” and “earth has
no sorrow” that He cannot cure. Through this whole passage, Paul’s
theme is “redeeming love”—and ours, too, till we die.
—Henry C. Haffner
Key Words: Unrighteous, Inherit, Kingdom,
Deceived, Washed, Sanctified, Justified
Keystone Verse: You were justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians
6:11)
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Or do you not know that
the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor
thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers
will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some
of you. 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.