How does 1 Corinthians 6:11 emphasize the transformative power of Jesus Christ? Before-and-After Snapshot • 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 lists sins that once defined the Corinthians—idolatry, sexual immorality, drunkenness, greed, and more. • Verse 11 pivots: “And that is what some of you were.” The past tense underscores a real, completed break with the old life. Washed—Cleansed Completely • “You were washed” (1 Corinthians 6:11). • Picture the Old Testament laver where priests washed before service (Exodus 30:17-21). Christ fulfills that cleansing for every believer. • Titus 3:5-6: “He saved us… by the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” • Revelation 1:5: Jesus “has freed us from our sins by His blood.” The stain is gone, not merely covered. Sanctified—Set Apart for God • “You were sanctified.” • Sanctification is both positional (Hebrews 10:10: “We have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”) and progressive (1 Thessalonians 4:3). • The verb here is aorist—indicating a decisive act. God moved them from common to holy ground. Justified—Declared Righteous • “You were justified.” Courtroom language: the Judge declares the sinner righteous on the basis of Christ’s finished work. • Romans 8:1: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” • 2 Corinthians 5:21: God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” The Person and Power Behind It All • “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”—His authority, merit, and reputation secure the transformation. • “And by the Spirit of our God”—the practical agent applying salvation. • Ephesians 2:4-5: “But because of His great love for us, God… made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses.” Living the New Reality • Transformation is not theoretical—it reshapes daily conduct (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). • Believers now belong to Christ’s body, indwelt by His Spirit, empowered to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). • 2 Corinthians 5:17 sums it up: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” |
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