"Paul, a called apostle of Christ Jesus, through the will of God, and Sosthenes, a brother, to the ecclesia of God which is in Corinth, hallowed in Christ Jesus, CALLED SAINTS...Grace to you and peace from God..." (1 Corinthians 1:1-3)
"Now you are the body of Christ..." (1 Corinthians 12:27)
"Saints" are not perfect people, and the Corinthians were a good example. "Saints" are just sinners "sancified" by Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God. Paul reminds them of who they were and lays out the wrongs they were still doing, even after God had declared them "saints" and placed them in the "body of Christ".
"...you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were..." (1 Corinthians 6:8-10 NIV)
What a motley crew! Paul tells these "saints" that they should not continue in that lifestyle because they were now "washed" by the blood of Jesus, "sanctified" by Jesus, and "justifed" by in the name of Jesus and the Spirit of God - through the "grace" of God.
"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...
These "saints" protested to Paul saying...
'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'you have the right to do anything'—but you should not be mastered by anything..." (1 Corinthians 6:11-12)
Paul acknowledged that they were free to do as they please, most likely having told them the same thing he told the Romans...
"Yet where sin increases, grace superexceeds..." (Romans 5:20)
But Paul insists that continuing to live like that does not "honor" God, reminding them that their bodies were now temples of the Holy Spirit...
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
"Saints" have freedom because the "spirit of the Lord" dwells in us...
"Now the Lord is the spirit; yet where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17)
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)
Although "saints" are free to do as we please, Paul gives us some advice...
"Do not become diversely yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness? Or what communion has light with darkness? Now what agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with the unbeliever? Now what concurrence has a temple of God with idols?" ( 2 Corinthians 6:14-19)
This is what Paul is saying to me:
1. Believers and unbelievers do not mix well together.
2. Grace and law are not partners.
3. You either walk in the light of truth or stumble in the darkness of error.
4. Never make an agreement with the devil, or those he has deceived.
5. Believers bring glory to the body of Christ, unbelievers do not.
Going to church does not make anyone a saint, and some religious organizations enslave their members to their doctrine. Unfortunately, if one joins as kid they never leave, even after they mature. Such is the power of deception.
"For Satan himself is being transfigured into a messenger of light. It is no great thing, then, if his servants also are being transfigured as dispensers of righteousness - whose consummation shall be according to their acts." (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)
"Saints" have freedom to join religious organizations, however, they should pay attention to what it teaches or they may find themselves unintentionally becoming a servant of Satan.
Paul acknowledged that they were free to do as they please, most likely having told them the same thing he told the Romans...
"Yet where sin increases, grace superexceeds..." (Romans 5:20)
But Paul insists that continuing to live like that does not "honor" God, reminding them that their bodies were now temples of the Holy Spirit...
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
"Saints" have freedom because the "spirit of the Lord" dwells in us...
"Now the Lord is the spirit; yet where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17)
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)
Although "saints" are free to do as we please, Paul gives us some advice...
"Do not become diversely yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness? Or what communion has light with darkness? Now what agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with the unbeliever? Now what concurrence has a temple of God with idols?" ( 2 Corinthians 6:14-19)
This is what Paul is saying to me:
1. Believers and unbelievers do not mix well together.
2. Grace and law are not partners.
3. You either walk in the light of truth or stumble in the darkness of error.
4. Never make an agreement with the devil, or those he has deceived.
5. Believers bring glory to the body of Christ, unbelievers do not.
Going to church does not make anyone a saint, and some religious organizations enslave their members to their doctrine. Unfortunately, if one joins as kid they never leave, even after they mature. Such is the power of deception.
"For Satan himself is being transfigured into a messenger of light. It is no great thing, then, if his servants also are being transfigured as dispensers of righteousness - whose consummation shall be according to their acts." (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)
"Saints" have freedom to join religious organizations, however, they should pay attention to what it teaches or they may find themselves unintentionally becoming a servant of Satan.