1 Corinthians 6 ~ such cases

1 Corinthians 6

1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! [brothers and sister]

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous [wrongdoers] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, [The two Greek terms translated by this phrase refer to the passive and active partners in consensual homosexual acts] 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. 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.

12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined [holds fast] to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Helpful. To take matters pertaining to this life and find a way to have our lives and our bodies glorify God. To take the every day and make events where we act and talk washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

We all have different circumstances in our lives, I've been in a lawsuit. No, not the variety where you try to suit someone to gain the advantage. The type where you have a contract and the contract is grossly violated. I went to the Church and asked the Priest if it would be alright to proceed with the case. I found the Priest agreed with me and we went forward. I have to say the passage knows of what it speaks. It is Months of back and forth, one month it is all roses and the next all is Lost. It is reliving all the details to see if there was something you missed and explaining it again and again. There isn't a lot of rest. This is a wearisome burden.

But most of us have lived this. Yes. We all have someone who has made us angry. We are justified. Really. In our own conscience. But it isn't restful. The whole passage is about the tangle we are capable of getting ourselves into. The directions are the way, the truth and the life - the peace of Jesus Christ. Come as you are, we are all invited in to be part of Jesus. Have you made a mess of it? You are still welcome. We are not capable of saving ourselves.

Going forward? You are Jesus Christ's own. You are bought with a price. Know you are loved. You are chosen, special. Believe it. Act on it.

Hebrews 12:12-15
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

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