Such Were Some Of You
It’s such an odd statement, yet powerful. The statement “such were some of you” implies that someone is no longer what they once used to be. They are no longer identified the same way they used to be identified.
I was a child long ago, but I grew up and became an adult, and now that I have reached sixty years of age, I am a long way from being sixteen and just getting my driver’s license.
At one time in my life, I was single, but I married the love of my life thirty-seven years ago, and ever since, I have identified as a happily married man.
I was not a father once, but then we had four children, and I became a father. Since then, I have become a grandfather.
Some change is inevitable. It happens very naturally based on progress in life over the years.
“Such were some of you” speaks of a change that requires the help of the Lord.
1Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
I love the past tense language used in this passage. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified.
The blood of Christ washed away my sin! I was set apart by the Holy Spirit of Promise when I became a child of God. I was made so clean by Jesus, and my sin was removed so completely by His blood that my former guilty verdict was changed to not guilty. I was presented before God as perfect and without sin because of Christ. I was justified.
What I was before no longer identifies me, and I no longer identify as that.
What was the condition of those Paul was speaking of here in Corinthians?
1Corinthias 6:9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Jesus can save anyone regardless of how bad a background they once had. Not only can He save us, but He can keep us and ensure we make it all the way.
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
There might have been a time when you were a part of this list given to the Corinthians, but everything changes when a person surrenders to Jesus in faith. His disciples used to be characterized as, but not any longer because He made them new in Himself and gave them the same Spirit He relied on when He walked this earth as a man. We are not bound to live in shame of the past when we come to Jesus. We are set free to live according to hope for the present and the future based on who He says we are now that we are His.
