Dragged down

It seems clear that the guidance Paul left for various churches was motivated by their individual needs. The Holy Spirit, who like God, knows  human inclinations, desires, and motivations dircetly guided the messages left by Paul. The Corinthian congregation of those who were trying to follow Jesus had many visible challenges that were not noted in other group meetings. Nonetheless, the Father loved them, and was concerned about them. Because of His love and Jesus' offer of an opportunity to live lives close to His desires, the message from the Holy Spirit through Paul is very direct. We have an opportunity to learn about what the Holy Spirit chose to leave for these servants. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit loves us deeply. This message was not aimed directly to us, or was it? "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. 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. - 1 Cor. 6:9-11 (NIV) There was such a powerful difference between "what they were" and "what they increasingly became." This progressive difference is not one they could achieve on our own, nor can we. This difference is made possible by the work of the Holy Spirit who has made us clean ("washed"), given us pure hearts and made us holy ("dedicated"), and declared us innocent ("justified"). The Holy Spirit through Paul seems to be reminding our Corinthian siblings of their conversion when they called on the name of the Lord Jesus to save them, were baptized in his name, and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we struggle to become more like what Jesus wants us to be, we each need to look back to the time we came to Christ and celebrate what we are now, by the power of God's Spirit at work in us. We need to leave behind whatever we were before we came to know Christ. We need to remember what we are now and not become dragged down by what we were!