Series: 1 Corinthians
Title: Holy Motives
Text: 1 Corinthians 6: 9-12
Date: February 14, 2014
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Often we hear the warning against Pharisee-ism. That form of religion imagining men are made righteous and holy (even more and more holy) by the works of the sinner under the law. It is false. God alone justifies and sanctifies his people. Christ is made unto us both Righteousness and Sanctification. Once we are justified and made holy we do not become more righteous or more holy.
But our text deals with another form of godliness which is just as dangerous. That form which imagines one is an heir of God who acknowledges and defends even true doctrine, who appears faithful and consistent in his religious doings and sayings, yet, they have not been made new creatures, there is no change of heart, no change of life and conduct; they go on living in sin and rebellion against God and against men.
This appeared to be the case with some at Corinth. There were many grievous sins which they were committing. They needed to be corrected and Paul did. He bluntly, directly tells them this is not the conduct of saints so stop these things.
Yet, the Holy Spirit of God never moved Paul to use the whip of the law to motivate these saints to obedience. Saints of God are not under the rule of law, not moved by bit and bridle.
Galatians 5:18: If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Romans 6:14: Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
God’s saints are dead to our first husband, the law. Now, we are lawfully married to Christ. It is by Christ, our loving Husband, that we bring forth fruits of righteousness and Christ receives all the glory.
Romans 7: 4: Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Philippians 1:11: Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
God’s saints are motivated to obedience, not by the yoke of law, but by the love of Christ. It is not our works under the law that avail nor is it a knowledge of not being under law that avails. It is faith in Christ which is constrained to obedience by the love of Christ himself. This is the rule of grace, the rule of faith, the rule which God’s saints are under.
Galatians 5: 6: For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
2 Corinthians 5:14: For the love of Christ constraineth us;
Therefore, instead, of using the law, the Spirit of God—be sure to get that—the God the Holy Spirit used Paul to give the saints at Corinth something much stronger to effect obedience by God’s effectual grace. He gave them “Five Holy Motives of Grace.”
Subject: Five Holy Motives of Grace
Proposition: Instead of using the law to turn God’s saints, the Spirit effects obedience in God’s saints using the motives of free and sovereign grace given us in Christ.
THE MOTIVE OF A GOOD HOPE
1 Corinthians 6: 9: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10: Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
This is indeed a warning! But this warning is given while pointing these saints to the good hope of inheriting the kingdom of God. Those sanctified by the Spirit of God are motivated, constrained by the good hope of eternal inheritance. We shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Now, consider the blessings of inheritance. An inheritance is not reserved for strangers but for children. Every sinner born of the Spirit of God is a child of God.
Romans 8: 16: The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.
An inheritance is not earned but is freely given.
1 Peter 1: 3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4: To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5: Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
When we stand before Christ our King in the last day, Christ said,
Matthew 25:34: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Brethren, each of you who are sanctified by the Spirit of God, by Christ being formed in you, get this promise down in your heart. This is more real, more lasting, than any kingdom you see on this earth. Before God made this world, God our Father chose us in Christ, predestinated us to be conformed to Christ’s image, through the blood of Christ’s perfect work and thereby God prepared for you a kingdom from before the foundation of the world. Therefore, in this world, we are “sojourners”—tourists passing through a foreign land. We “look for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Heb 11: 10)
Now, be sure to get our main point. When we have erred into sin in our lives and the Holy Spirit makes this word effectual in our hearts, the hope of inheriting the kingdom of God is a more powerful motive to obey our Lord Jesus Christ than any whip of the law could ever be.
Now, with that in mind—the motive of the good hope of eternal inheritance in God’s kingdom—let’s hear the admonition, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?” We need to look at what it is to be “unrighteous.” There are three ways sinners are unrighteous. These are the three ways Christ makes us righteous. The last two fall under the one heading of sanctification. But we will take them individually.
One, those unrighteous in their person shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who leave this world yet guilty in Adam, guilty before the law of God, without Christ, without hope, without faith in Christ are unrighteous and shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Christ alone is the Righteousness of every saint of God.
Two, those unrighteous in heart shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who leave this world not having the word of God written on their heart so as to be in submission to every word of God in the inward man shall not be accepted of God. Those who delight in unholy, ungodly, unjust imaginations of their hearts shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Christ is the Word. (Jn 1: 1) Christ is the Covenant. (Is 42: 6) When God writes his law on our hearts, Christ is formed in our hearts, the new covenant of grace and the law of Christ—faith, hope, love, righteousness—is written on our heart. Then we follow Christ from the inward man which is created of God in the true righteousness and holiness of Christ.
Three, those unrighteous in their lives shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who pass through this life being unsanctified so that their lives and conduct remains unchanged shall not enter in the kingdom of righteousness. Those who go through life living in unholy, unjust, unrighteous, ungodly deeds towards men and God shall not inherit the kingdom of God. God’s saints are constrained by the love of Christ to love godliness and hate sin.
In context, these last two meanings is the “unrighteousness” spoken of. Notice two words in verses 8 & 9, “Nay, ye do wrong…Know ye not that the unrighteous…” These words “wrong” and “unrighteous” are translated from the same word. Read it this way, “Nay, Ye, you do unrighteousness and rob by fraud, and that your brethren. Know ye not that those who do such wrong shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
We read the word “unrighteous” and think of our natural condition as we are born into this world. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Rom 3: 10) Indeed, God’s saints are unrighteous by nature before God’s holy law. We must be made righteous, justified from our sins by the grace of God by the Lord Jesus Christ through faith in Christ, apart from our works. But the context shows that “the unrighteous” spoken of in our text are the unsanctified, who love and revel in unholy, unjust, unrighteous deeds in their lives.
The saints at Corinth believed the gospel of Christ. They were justified and sanctified by Christ. But they had begun to conduct themselves in a way unbecoming the saints of God. So Paul gives them this stern warning with this word of hope, trusting God to bless it to their hearts and give them repentance from these sinful deeds.
As I was finishing my message yesterday I received a bulletin from a friend. It included an article by Pastor Maurice Montgomery. The article titled “A Born Again, New Creature in Christ.” He made this statement, “Precious soul, if the faith you have has not caused you to think differently, love differently and live differently than you did before you possessed it, then the sooner you get rid of it the better.”
He says, “Be not deceived.” Many would deceive us and by doing so deny the power of God to turn his child from a continued course of such sinful conduct. Our own old, fleshly man would deceives us. But the Holy Spirit of God says, “Be not deceived.” We find this warning many, many places throughout scripture. Self-deception is so very dangerous. Here are two places we find this warning given,
Ephesians 5:6: Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7: Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
There are those self-sanctifiers who clean up the outside of the cup only but are not sanctified in heart by God’s grace. It avails them nothing. But here God is dealing with his saints who are made to love righteousness in Christ and in our lives. God’s grace makes us hate our sin because it is against Christ who is our Sanctification and our Righteousness. Therefore, concerning those God has truly sanctified, the Holy Spirit declares,
1 John 3:7: Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as [Christ] is righteous.
Now, let’s look at this list of scandalous, vile sins. This is not an exhaustive list. But these are things from which God turns us when he sanctifies us. This is a warning by God to us that those who are unsanctified, who continue in these sins, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Remember, though he uses a man to write this, this is God speaking.
· “Be not deceived; neither fornicators”: those who continue a course of any form of unmarried sex “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
· “Be not deceived; nor idolaters”: those who continue in a life of worshipping false gods, who live for self, especially by living in these scandalous sins “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
· “Be not deceived; nor adulterers”: those who continue in a life of extramarital affairs “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
· “Be not deceived: nor effeminate”: those who go through life with no certain affinity or stance. Included are preachers and professing believers who take no certain stance for the gospel of Christ but waver between the truth and lies; such are effeminate. It includes those who take no certain stance in their gender, which today are called transgender and well-received in our society. Those who go through life and leave this world continuing to be effeminate “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
· “Be not deceived: nor abusers of themselves with mankind”: this means those who continue in a life of homosexuality or as God calls it, sodomy. It includes any other form of sexual sin contrary to God’s ordained order. There shall not be one who continues through life unto death living in sodomy who shall “inherit the kingdom of God.” This is the word of God who owns the kingdom.
· “Be not deceived: nor thieves”: those who continue in a life of robbery of any kind. It includes preachers who preach for money or glory or some other personal gain. It includes folks who will not work, when they are capable of working but instead live off the welfare of others. Thieves “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
· “Be not deceived: nor covetous::” those who continue in a course of life living for riches. It includes those who are excessively ambitious for worldly rank and substance. Covetousness is idolatry. Those who are not turned from covetousness but whose life is a continued course of living for money “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
· “Be not deceived: nor drunkards:” those who continue in a course of life living in intemperance, partaking in excess in pleasures, luxury, food, wine, drugs, etc. shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Many teach that God’s saints are forbidden to drink alcohol. God’s word does not. It is no more sinful to partake of wine than it is to partake of food. But it is sin to be a drunk or a glutton. These “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
· “Be not deceived: nor revilers”: those who are foul-mouthed, including those who speak harshly, overbearingly, abusing others with their tongues; including those who spread vile rumors of others and backbite continually, “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
· “Be not deceived: nor extortioners”: those whose course of life is to seek out loop holes and secret ways to take advantage of others. It includes those who put pressure on other men to do as they would have them do. Extortioners “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
God give us grace to hear this word of God. He says, “Be not deceived.” None of these is included in the general tenor of the life of one God has sanctified. God’s saints have an old man of sin with us constantly and so sin is present in all we do. We shall never be free of sin until the day we put off this body of death. God’s saints do fall into sin as the Corinthian saints did. But if one of God’s saints falls into sin, by the presence of Christ in that saint, he is made to repent, to mourn over sin, to turn from it and to ask God’s forgiveness. God’s saints hate our sin. It is not the heart of God’s child to continue in a course of sin in his life. God makes his child a new creature, meaning, God makes him to part with these gross, vile sins which he once loved and engaged in constantly.
2 Corinthians 5: 17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
So Paul warns the saints at Corinth. It shows us that sometimes believers do sin and do need to be reminded of this solemn truth. But the Spirit of God moved Paul to give this warning, not using a legal yoke, not using the law as means of motivating God’s saints, but he used the motive of our good hope of inheriting the kingdom of God!
Let’s always admonish one another, not with the whip of law, but with the good motive of our good hope in Christ. “Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forebearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Rom 2: 4)
THE MOTIVE OF GOD’S GRACE
1 Corinthians 6: 11: 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.
The next motive we see Paul use is the motive of God’s free and sovereign, sanctifying, justifying grace.
He says, “And such were some of you.” When you look at that catalogue of sins—and it is not an exhaustive list—do you see the pit from which you were dug? “And such were some of you.” We were once living in disobedience to God, unrighteous, unholy and would have never changed. We did not want to change; we could not change. So what made the difference?
“But ye are washed.” You are washed clean in regeneration by the Holy Spirit of God.
Titus 3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
“But ye are sanctified.” You are set apart from the flesh and are now in the Spirit, made holy, made pure of heart by a new man being created in you, and you are consecrated to God by Christ our Sanctification being formed in you by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God sprinkled our conscious, turning us from vain works, turning us to obey Christ from the new man of the heart.
1 Corinthians 1: 30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
Galatians 4: 19: My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
Romans 8:9: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
2 Thessalonians 2: 13: But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
1 Peter 1:2: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ…
“But ye are justified.” You are made righteous in Christ, purged of all sin by his obedience unto the death of the cross in our room and stead, so that through faith, God now imputes you exactly what you are in and by Christ and that is, the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5: 21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Romans 5: 18: Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19: For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Romans 6: 6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7: For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Make no mistake this difference was not made by our works or by our will. God, and God alone, made the difference? It is all “in the name of [or by] the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
Brethren, with all the sins they were falling into at Corinth, you might think Paul would say, “But you are all just a bunch of reprobates.” No! He gives them this holy motive of remembering what they were in Adam and what they now are by Christ dwelling in them. He said to them what he said to the Romans,
Romans 6: 17: But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18: Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Nothing humbles a believer like when the Holy Spirit causes us to remember the awful pit from which we were dug. Nothing stirs-up a believer to obedience like when the Holy Spirit cause us to behold what great things God has done for us by his amazing grace. The greater the depths, the greater God’s grace shines forth and the more the love of Christ constrains us.
THE MOTIVE OF PROFITABLITY
1 Corinthians 6: 12: All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: [profitable] all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13: 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. 14: And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
The next motive the Holy Spirit moved Paul to use is the motive of profitability. This motive is so basic but so profound. Why would we do anything that will be unprofitable for us spiritually? Why would do anything that will be unprofitable for our brethren, Christ’s church? It is especially absurd to live for unprofitable of sin when we know that godliness is always profitable according to God’s own promise.
Now, hear what the Holy Spirit moved Paul to write. Paul says, “All things are lawful for me.” Believers are free from the law in every regard by Christ’s obedience under it on our behalf. Our sins are put away past, present and future. The law has nothing else to say to those made righteous in Christ. God’s saints are free to eat and drink whatever we please. Things indifferent like meat and drink and dress and the observance of days have no requirements on God’s saints, whatsoever! Read Colossians 2 and you will see it is so.
Also, at Corinth, like it is in our nation today, like it is in many parts of the world, almost everything in that catalogue of sins was lawful. In their temples at Corinth fornication, adultery, sodomy, idolatry, drunkeness was all part of their worship service. I am sure they legalized drugs of every sort.
But Paul said just because a thing is lawful does not mean it is profitable for me. Just because it is lawful, does not mean it will not bring me under its power and make me a slave to it.
Lawfulness does not equal profitableness.
So when it comes to things indifferent such as meat or drink, it will interrupt my fellowship with God and my brethren then I am to set it aside. If my liberty would cause a weak brother to stumble then it is unprofitable. Though it is lawful for me it becomes sinful if I use my liberty to cause my brother to stumble.
1 Corinthians 8:9: But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
Galatians 5:13: For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14: For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Therefore, brethren, we are not to become a slave to our fleshly appetite, desires or fleshly wants. Remember to regard even things lawful in light of our relationship with Christ and his church. If it is unprofitable to brethren or to ourselves then we are to set them aside for Christ’s glory.
Illustration: My friend and the wine
Not only this but we are to remember that worldly things are only for a moment but godliness is both for now and forever. God has made many things for us to enjoy in this life, “Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats.”
Yet, no earthly thing is profitable eternally, “but God shall destroy both it and them.” We need to eat and drink. But eating and drinking is not our life—Christ is! Christ will remain while all things in this life and our own flesh will one day go back to the dust. Therefore, seek that which is profitable—Christ alone!
This is the thing to remember because God did not make our body for us to follow the lusts of the flesh, he made our body for the Lord, “Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.”
You see here was the problem in their day and it is often the problem in our day. When they heard they were no longer under the law, some at Corinth regarded sexual sin as lawful for a believer. Some in our day think this same thing. It is not so. That is not why God made our body. He made our body to glorify Christ. Sexual sin or any other sin is not glorifying to Christ and is unprofitable.
Yet, following Christ, glorifying him, is always profitable for us. If we live in excess in worldly things it will not profit. But we can live in excess in godliness and we will find nothing but profitableness. In fact, trusting Christ, heeding his word, obeying him, living to honor and glorify the one who Redeemed us and saved us from our sins is for our own profit both now and in the world to come. We have God’s promise on that!
1 Tim 4: 8…For…godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
We know the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ because, “God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.” Therefore, knowing our citizenship is in heaven, we live our lives looking for Christ to return at any moment.
Philippians 3: 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. 4: 1: Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
This is a powerful motive so much greater than the yoke of the law! Everything God does for his people and everything God commands his people is for our good! Why then would we live for that which is unprofitable for us and for his people? Why would we do anything to bring reproach on Christ who has given everything to make us holy and righteous? Why would we not rather use our body for the Lord which will result in nothing but our good and the good of his church and the glory of Christ! The motive of profitableness in the Lord is a motive of grace, not law. It is a powerfully strong motive.
THE MOTIVE OF ONENESS
1 Corinthians 6: 15: Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16: What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17: But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18: Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
The Spirit of God used Paul to give us the motive of oneness with Christ. What a powerful statement! God’s grace has made us so one with Christ that each of our bodies are members of his own body. Read it again, “your bodies are the members of Christ?...he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” Try to enter into this great and glorious truth. The same Spirit that was in Christ is in you who are born of his Spirit. That’s right, Christ is in you in Spirit who are born of his Spirit. Christ in you and you in Christ is an inseparable oneness too incredible for us to enter into in all its fullness. The best example we have was patterned after this union of Christ his bride and it is that of the husband and the wife.
Now, listen to this powerful motive to put away fornication—“shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid!” Oh, God forbid we take Christ’s own members—our bodies—and make them the members of a harlot. Therefore, he does not just say stay away from fornication, he says, “Flee fornication!” Understand the last part of verse 18, “Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against [Christ’s] own body.” We not only sin against our own bodies. But because our bodies are members of Christ’s body we sin against Christ’s own body!
You who are God’s saints, try to remember, even better, ask God to make it effectual in you to remember. Your body is a member of Christ’s body! Treat your body like you would Christ himself!
THE MOTIVE OF OWNERSHIP
1 Corinthians 6: 19: 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? 20: For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Everything God’s saint has we have freely given to us by God’s grace. We earned nothing. The same is true of the new birth and the Spirit of God by whom we are born. He says, “The Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God.” “Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God.”
Not only this, we are not our own. Our bodies are not our own. Christ bought us completely! The price he paid was his life, his own blood when he was made sin for us. He became his people. He was touched with the painful touch of all our iniquities, yet without any sin of his own. The fire of God’s justice burned in his very soul when God turned his back on our Substitute in strict unyielding justice. Oh, what precious blood that justified us from all our sins.
1 Peter 1: 18: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
When you heard the word of the gospel, God gave us the inheritance to insure us he would again return for that which Christ purchased. Oh, read these words and realize our body is not our own. We are a purchased possession.
Ephesians 1: 13…ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Our text says, “Therefore…” So let’s review these five holy motives. Therefore, knowing that we have this good hope of inheriting the kingdom of God; therefore, knowing God’s grace which found us polluted in our sins and washed us, sanctified us and justified us; therefore knowing how profitable it is to live for God having his promise of the life that now is and of eternal life to come; therefore, knowing our bodies and our spirit are one with Christ; therefore knowing Christ has purchased us with his own blood so that we are not own, “Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Amen!