“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom
of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians
6:9-10).

Is your identity in yourself, or is it in the Lord?  Do you live working to gain what you desire, or are you living abiding in the Lord?  This is not some law re-expressed.  This is a declaration of living in the salvation which Christ alone makes possible.  Are those who “were” going to be in heaven?  Yes, because that will include all of us.  The question is: what is your identity?

Lord, help me see that there is not a particular lifestyle that is damning, for they all are.  We are sinners in need of redemption.  Lead me into the life that knows that true life is found only in You.  Guide me to simply abide in You and You in me.  Help me to see that salvation is not by merit or chosen lifestyle, but through the shed blood of Christ.  I need to be led in righteousness.

Holy Spirit, guide me according to Your goodness in the way of everlasting life.  I too am included in this list.  Remove from me those behaviors in my life which hamper my godly growth so that I may learn to simply abide in Your grace and mercy.  Grant me honesty in my spirit to see that only by Your leading will I overcome these things that have separated me from You.  Holy Spirit, lead me now and forever.  Amen.

“Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits
with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?  On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and
defraud. You do this even to your brethren” (1 Corinthians 6:7-8).

Why is it so important that you
think you are right?  Even if you are,
what will it accomplish?  Yes, if one is
harming the fellowship, remove them, but do not do so simply because you
believe them wrong.  Following the Lord
is not about being right; it is about putting on the righteousness of
Christ.  You do not know all the Father
is up to, so relax and let God be God.

Lord, teach me to be discerning so that I do not live my life in such a
way that I feel I must assert what I believe to be right.  I only need to look at the history of the
church to see how much damage has been done in the name of “right.”  Lead me into a life that seeks to be in
harmony with Your will and Your ways. 
Guide me into a life that seeks to mirror Christ in all things.

Lord Jesus, You know all that is
needed.  You are the Savior, I am not.  Guide me in the way You know will feed my
soul and guide me along Your pathway. 
Help me to be humble, knowing that there is more than enough contention
in this life.  Teach me to be at peace with
all insofar as I am able.  Help me to be
content in all of life’s circumstances, turning to You for the right way to
respond in every case.  Amen.

“I say this to your shame.  Is it
so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between
his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before
unbelievers?”  (1 Corinthians 6:5-6)

What kind of people are those
who follow Christ supposed to be?  Are we
to quarrel with one another, asserting dominance and fighting over trivial matters?  Following Christ is about learning to put on Christ
and seek the Father’s will in all things. 
Sinners abound in the church, but are you going to follow the crowd, or
follow Christ?  Be earnest in your
commitment to Christ.

Lord, teach me the way to go.  The world tugs at me and I am tossed about by the waves of ideas in this world.  Simplify my thinking that I would walk humbly with You and learn.  Teach me the better portion that I would abide in Your presence and purpose.  When wronged by a neighbor, teach me how to respond as You would respond that I may grow to be more like You in all things.

Lord Jesus, I need the salvation
which only You can provide.  Help me to
see more clearly those times and places where I do act like the world.  Show me the way in which to deal with the
daily struggles that will strengthen me in faith and charity.  Guide me, O Lord, according to Your purposes
that I would now and forever humbly abide in You and Your ways.  Teach me to be like You in all things.  Amen.

“Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of
this life?  So if you have law courts
dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no
account in the church? (1 Corinthians 6:3-4).

We were created in God’s image
to be with Him forever.  What we will be
we do not know, but we do know that we shall be like Christ.  Be firm on your commitment to live the
Christ-life to which you were called with all humility, letting the Lord of
your salvation guide you in all of His ways. 
Be resilient and step into the life He gives as He leads you by grace in
His salvation.

Lord, I often try to figure all of these things out.  Instead, give me a willing spirit to trust
that You will lead me all the days of my life. 
Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth that I may now and always abide in
Your leading and trust that You will take me where I need to go.  Help me to listen and follow as You
lead.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of
truth.

Lord Jesus, You are the One who
has come to lead the way.  The world is
already judged because of sin.  You have
come that we may have life and have it abundantly.  Lead me, O Lord, this day in the way You know
I need to go.  You who have come into
this world and lived as one of us knows all that is needed.  By Your wisdom, grant me a heart that is
willing to always follow You.  Amen.

“Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to
go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints?  Or do you not know that the saints will judge
the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute
the smallest law courts? (1 Corinthians 6:1-2)

In the beginning, Adam was given
dominion over the earth.  He relinquished
that dominion to sin and sin reigns in this age.  In eternity, the redeemed will once again
have dominion, for this is one thing grace restores.  If this be true, then ought we not to put
into practice the way things are meant to be? 
We are called to live by the truth of the Lord and not according to the
ways of this temporary age of sin.

Lord, original sin lies deep in me and I default to the old Adam.  Teach me discernment that I may see things as
You would have me see them.  Guide me
according to Your goodness to be discerning in all things and to live according
to Your purposes.  Lead me, O Lord, in the
way of truth that I might now and always abide in You as You abide in me,
seeing things as You do.

Lord Jesus, without the grace You
have purchased for me from the cross, this would be impossible.  With You, I can do all that You require in my
life.  Lead me in Your strength to see
that in You I am able to discern what is right and true that I may live
according to the Father’s will.  Help me
today to put into practice those things that will prepare me for eternity.  Guide me always, Lord.  Amen.

“For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those
who are within the church?  But those who
are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves” (1
Corinthians 5:12-13).

Listen carefully.  We are to judge those inside the fellowship,
but note the judgement.  This is not the
judgement of eternal separation.  This
has to do with behavior.  There is a
behavior which is unacceptable.  Such
behavior should not be accepted in the church. 
Remove those who are doing wickedness and let the Lord do as He
will.  But within, be on guard against
those who bring the world in.

Lord, I hear, “You should not judge,” so often.  Help me to understand Your word that I may
properly discern between right and wrong and stand firm upon what is
right.  Lead me in all of Your ways, O
Lord, that I would hold fast to the truth of all that You have spoken.  Guide me according to your word to be bold
enough to confront those who bring the world into the fellowship.

Lord Jesus, You said that the
world is already condemned, so I need not speak condemnation.  But You have also given us many instructions
concerning how we live with one another. 
Teach me first to always love and be motivated by love and not the
hatred of the old Adam.  Guide me to see
through the wiles of the wicked one to live humbly and firmly in the truth You
have spoken.  Amen.

“But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler – not even to eat with such a one” (1 Corinthians 5:11).

You will become like those you
hang out with.  If you walk with Jesus,
you will become like Him.  We have been
created in such a way that we do not think it true, but we do conform to our
surroundings and to those with whom we associate.  This is not a cause for shunning others, but
of recognizing that we need to protect our boundaries.  Be on your guard that you remain faithful.

Lord, show me how I am influenced by those around me.  Guide me to see clearly that I need to
protect myself from some.  Guide me to
always be gracious, but to realize that I need not accommodate everyone who
wants my attention.  Help me to continue
faithfully walking with You amidst all the noise of this world that I would be
conformed to the image of Christ.

Lord Jesus, You are the One who
has come to save us.  We need what You
alone can give.  Help me to understand
how to walk in a world that is filled with sinners like me.  Help me to walk the narrow path You have
planned before me.  Guide me to walk with
You always knowing that You alone have the words of eternal life.  Lead me into faithfulness, Jesus, that I
would always walk beside You.  Amen.

“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did
not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and
swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world”
(1 Corinthians 5:9-10).

The idea is not one of isolating
oneself from the world, for we are born in a specific time and place, but one
of seeking to have the fellowship be one that is safe, filled with those who
are not double-minded, but of the same mind concerning things of the Lord.  We are influenced by those whom we
trust.  Trust carefully and do not be
caught up in wickedness through the wanton behavior of others.

Lord, help me to see clearly those who do not repent and are unwilling
to work on their own salvation.  Lead me
according to all that is right to hold fast to Your Word of truth and to be
uncompromising in those things which are essential.  Lead me according to Your purposes to abide
richly in the grace You have given, sharing that grace with all whom I meet,
but also holding fast to what is true.

Lord Jesus, You know all that lies
ahead of me.  Guide me according to Your
purposes that I may live humbly in the circumstances You have placed me in.  Lead me to walk the narrow way in a world
filled with wickedness that I may reach out to others without accepting their
behavior as my own.  Guard my mind and
heart that I would always be focused upon You and the truth You have
revealed.  Amen.

“Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.  Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

Reread Exodus twelve and thirteen and when you know that this is a type to the arch-type Christ, you know that all of this fits together, just as the Lord intended.  You have been given the insight and so celebrate, not as one without hope, but as one who knows that all hope has been fulfilled.  Let your praise and worship be pure and without malice.  Let you inward life reflect the change Christ has made in you.

The Lord desires that we be rid of the old habits of the old Adam.  The building up of the fellowship is not
about feeling good about ourselves, but about learning how to be like
Christ.  We are to seek the rising of the
new man who seeks after the Lord always. 
Look for the Lord’s character in His Word and have that be your character,
caring for the other as the Lord conforms you to His image.

Lord, grant me a heart of charity
that I may be a willing vessel who lives out Your Gospel of truth.  Lead me by Your grace to know that all I do
is nothing compared to all that You do, which is the salvation of souls.  Yet, I have my part.  Lead me in that part that I would be guided
by Your Spirit to do those things which need to be done.  Grant a willing heart that I may do these
things.  Amen.

“I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of
his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.  Your boasting is not good. Do you not know
that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?”  (1 Corinthians 5:5-6)

Pay attention carefully, for
this is the purpose of all shunning and excommunicating of members.  Some have thought that no matter what, we are
to tolerate bad behavior.  There comes a
time and place where one is separated out but only for the express purpose that
whatever they are doing may run its course until they reach the end of
themselves and turn to the Lord.  We are
to always seek for repentance.

Lord, I do not want to confront and often ignore bad behavior.  Help me, O Lord, to see that I too have my
part.  I am not the judge, you are, but I
do know bad behavior when I see it.  I
also know when there is no repentance. 
First, help me to willingly repent of my sins and second, help me to be
bold when another is destructive to the fellowship that I may be one who
confronts bad behavior.

Lord Jesus, You are the only One
who perfectly walked this earth.  Help me
to follow Your example in loving all whom I meet and understanding that the
objective is salvation.  Lead me, O Lord,
in the way of truth that I would be quick to repent, quick to forgive, and
always loving of all whom I meet.  Guide
me in all of Your ways, Lord, that I would become more like You each day.  Amen.