Scripture to Read: 1 Corinthians 6:5a
God does not like it when we handle things the way the world handles things. God has given us a new life, and He expects us to live that new life and to cast aside the old life. God tells us in Colossians 3:5–9 to “consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices.” Then, God reminds us in Colossians 3:10–11 that because of His Holy Spirit in us, we “have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” Since God has so radically changed us, we should continually guard against our fleshly nature having any control over the decisions we make each day. But the believers in Corinth were acting fleshly, so, God had Paul write in 1 Corinthians 6:5a, “I say this to your shame.” We must live so that God is never dishonored by us.
Challenge & Application
Why does God expect us to live differently than we did before we had surrendered our lives to Him?
How were the believers in Corinth dishonoring God, and how do we guard against doing this through our lives?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!