"...and such were some of you, *but..."

"...and such were some of you, but..."

"Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or anyone practicing homosexuality, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. ***And some of you used to be like this. ***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." ~I Corinthians 6

Two things stand out to me.

1. Because we were this way, we ought to have empathy for those who are failing and struggling in these areas. Regardless of our pet sins, we all have dark histories that have dishonored God and degraded His image.

2. The fact that we are no longer these types of sinners, is not that we no longer sin. We are at once justified and sinners (simul justus et peccator) according to the same Apostle who penned I Corinthians. (See Romans 7.) We are no longer identified by our sins, *because we are identified in Christ, and by what has been performed by our Triune God.

So, during Gay-pride month, remember to love your neighbor, and to give thanks to God Who does marvelous things for all kinds of sinners, like you and me. Point to the Father, Who sent His Son to redeem us; to the sinner's Savior, Jesus Christ, who bore all our shame and guilt; to the Spirit, sent to live in us and change our course in this life, so that we can enjoy fellowship with Him and one another forever. #Gay #gaypride2021 By way of help, I have a great resource from John Fonville for those who have struggled and failed in the area of sexual behavior/lusts, whether homosexual or heterosexual. If you have not already, listen to this series, "Do You Not Know...?" I guarantee you'll find hope and healing here. If you've listened and are blessed by this series on a personal level, please message me. I am assisting John with a project related to this series. This is part 1/9. Listen to all 9! https://www.paramountchurch.com/sermons/sermon/2012-06-17/do-you-not-know-part-1?fbclid=IwAR2LNDuzjsmMxZkOUmQiEHcka-vUTFUFz-lQfcEAQOgcAgpVAPTlSOdWhi0