(Review)
1. This is our sixth and final lesson. And it begins with an exhortation from our Apostle Paul, and is designed for you and I, as members of the CBOC, to “walk worthy (honorably) of who God has made us to be, in Christ Jesus. Consistency (steadiness), walking in a straight line with our Identity, In Christ, is Paul’s concern. 1 & 2 Cor. are letters of reproof (rebuke). Paul was scolding the Saints for not practicing the doctrine which was taught in Romans. (Interesting, we just finished Romans Survey, and we are studying Corinth) Paul knew that these Saints were saved unto eternal life, justified, sanctified, and exalted, positionally. (Eph. 4:1).
2. The Corinthian Saints were carnally (earthly) minded. Yes, they were indeed in Christ, but they were not spiritually minded, they were positionally in Christ (as God sees them), But they were still walking after the flesh, & minding the things of the flesh. They still had the mind of Adam, the old man/nature. Paul called them babes in Christ, they were still immature, still drinking the sincere milk of the word. They could not digest meat yet, the advanced doctrines of, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. What was the problem then? The problem was with their sanctification. *Our Sanctification is an “ongoing process, for all of us. “For God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.” It is an ongoing process of making right decisions based on following the doctrine of grace, rightly divided. And as we understand sound doctrine, mature, and believe & understand the mystery, we then will begin perfecting holiness, and we can and will begin producing fruit unto holiness. (1 Cor. 3:1-2; Rom. 8:1, 4; 12:3; 2 Tim.2:15; Eph. 4:12; 2 Cor. 7:1).
3. We notice how Paul greeted the Corinthian believers in Chapter 1 :2; “Unto the Church of God, which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be Saints. Paul says: that is who you are, in your sanctification, holiness, this is who you are, “called to be Saints”. That’s your moniker, that’s your identification, you are a Saint! Paul levels a charge against the Corinthian Saints, “you are sanctified, you were made the holiness of God, but you are not living like it, in reality! Sadly, these Saints were conducting themselves as if they were still in the flesh, in Adam. They were living in sin, compromising in sin, and being conformed to this world.
4. Paul was correcting bad behavior, and conduct, by instruction in righteousness. These Saints were even taking each other to court before the unsaved, to be judged. Paul concludes that their conduct and behavior was out of line with their identity in Christ. They were living and thinking as though they were wearing the moniker of unrighteousness in Adam. Paul says, “don’t you know, that Saints are going to judge the world? And you cannot judge, settle the differences in the smallest matters amongst yourselves, CBOC. Paul says, I speak to your shame. Know ye not, that we shall judge Angels? It is a shame before God! Paul repeats “Know ye not” throughout chapter 6. He Is pointing to the power and the importance of the knowledge of our identification in Christ. And the Grace life does not operate on the basis, of ignorance. That’s why Paul said 6 times, “brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant.” We ought to be mindful of our identity in Christ. Mindfulness is the key to “walking after the spirit.” (2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Cor. 6:1-8).
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5. In 2 Corinthians 7 chp; Titus has returned with good news. Paul loved the brethren, and he was anxious, worried about their spiritual condition. They were guilty of “conduct unbecoming of a saint.
He wrote them a letter pointing out their failure to walk worthy of who they were in Christ. Titus told Paul the Corinthians had received his letter of rebuke with mourning. Paul had made these Corinthian Saints
sorry with his letter. But the letter was effective, they were convicted. The truth, instruction in righteousness, spoken in Agape love, (let us learn this lesson) had done its work in their hearts. AMEN. They saw themselves, and they became ashamed of their ungodly conduct and behavior. Paul rejoiced, not because he had made them sorry, according to the flesh, but on the contrary, he rejoiced that they had been made Godly sorry to repentance (PTL). They had a change of mind toward God’s righteousness, toward who they were in Christ (Identification). (In their assembly, they dealt with the sinning brother that was sleeping with his father’s wife). (1 Cor. 5) They had been compromising with sin, complicit in sin, “know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth lump?”
6. “For Ye were made sorry after a godly manner.” Godly sorrow is sorrow that leads straight to the heart of God. Paul was a godly man and their spiritual father. Any godly man/father doesn’t want to leave his children with spiritual damage, uncorrected, and continuing in wrongdoing, in sin. “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound, God forbid”. Agape love, valuing and esteeming what God values and esteems. “God commendeth (demonstrated) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.“ It is Agape love on display when we lovingly correct each other when wrong, or in error. Godly sorrow has no regrets! That is the world’s sorrow. The sorrow of the flesh, under the law leads to death, spiritual death, self- pity, blame, depression, self- obsession, suicide, & yes, sorry I got caught. Godly sorrow is turning to God with a change of heart, (the inner man) and is the path to eternal joy, peace, restoration, and saves us from doctrinal error. (Rom. 5:8).
7. And then we learn a lesson from the foolish Galatians, who put themselves back under the law. SPOE wants us to be entangled yet again, with the yoke of bondage. So, beware of false teachers who mix grace with law. Paul told us in Rom.11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work”. (Gal. 3.1).
8. “Stand fast (in your Identification) saints, In the Liberty (freedom) where with Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (sin). For we have been called unto Liberty.” Paul cautions us: to not to use your Liberty for an occasion to make provisions for the flesh. THAT IS FUNCTIONAL DEATH! We are “dead to sin” & “alive unto God.” Paul said: “I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live…I am dead to the world, and the world has no power over me. (Gal. 5:1, 13; Rom. 7:15-25; 6:1, 11; Gal. 2:20). Eph. 2:6-7; Col. 3:1-5).
So saints, BE MINDFUL that, not only are you justified unto eternal life (righteousness), you are sanctified (holiness) and you have been exalted: “For he hath raised us up together , and made us it together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus: so If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which I above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. And don’t forget, to “Mortify the flesh!” Set your affections on things above, not on things on this earth. For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. .
Colman J. Gilliland 