Note 6 at 1 Cor. 6:11: Paul places an emphasis on this word "were." He is contrasting their past condition with their present righteous position in Christ. Is this because they had ceased committing all these sins? Definitely not!

Paul had just dealt with a man who was living in open incest (1 Cor. 5:1). While Paul did instruct the Christians at Corinth to discipline this man, he did not treat him as an unbeliever. Instead, his statements in his second letter to the Corinthians told the church to forgive this man and receive him back into the fellowship of the believers (2 Cor. 2:5-11).

In this very chapter, Paul deals with Christians taking each other to court and says they were defrauding each other (v. 8). This fits into the category of "covetous" or possibly "extortioners" that Paul mentions in verse 10. In the next chapter, Paul talks about adultery, and it is evident from his instructions that some of the Corinthian believers were having trouble in this area.

Some of these same Corinthian believers were getting drunk at the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11:21) which would put them in the "drunkards" category of verse 10. The division in the body that Paul dealt with for the first 4 chapters would put many of the believers into the class of "revilers."

Therefore, it is easy to see that these Corinthian Christians were not totally free from these ungodly actions that Paul lists in verses 9-10 and yet they were not considered by Paul to be fornicators, idolaters, etc., any more. The sins of a Christian don't make him a sinner any more than the righteous acts of a sinner make him righteous (see note 1 at Rom. 6:20, p. 783).

Sin is a very deadly thing that even Christians should avoid at all costs, but it does not determine our standing with the Lord (see note 2 at Rom. 6:2, p. 776). A person who is born again is not "in" the flesh even though he may walk "after" the flesh (see note 20 at Rom. 8:9, p. 795).

Note 7 at 1 Cor. 6:11: The usual term used to describe the "Spirit of God" in the New Testament is the "Holy Spirit." It is the clear and undeniable teaching of scripture that the Holy Spirit is a divine personage. We are told that the Holy Spirit has intelligence and knowledge (1 Cor. 2:10-13; 12:8); speaks and guides (Acts 13:2; 16:6; 21:11; Rom. 8:14; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29); commands and appoints men (Acts 8:29; 13:2, 4; 20:28); has feelings (Eph. 4:30) and can be lied to (Acts 5:3), resisted (Acts 7:51), and blasphemed (Mt. 12:31).

Divine attributes such as omniscience (Jn. 14:26; 16:12-13; 1 Cor. 2:10-11), omnipotence (Ps. 62:11 cp. Acts 5:3-4; Lk. 1:35; Rom. 1:4; 8:11), omnipresence (Ps. 139:7-10), holiness (Lk. 11:13; Rom. 1:4), eternity (Heb. 9:14), truth (1 Jn. 5:6), wisdom (Isa. 40:13), and life (Rom. 8:2) are all ascribed to Him.

The name of the Holy Spirit is coupled in equality with the Father and the Son (Mt. 28:19: 2 Cor. 13:14), and is identified with the Jehovah of the Old Testament scripture (Isa. 6:8-10 cp. Acts 28:25-27; Jer. 31:31-34 cp. Heb. 10:15-17).

Symbols of the Holy Spirit used in scripture are the dove (Mt. 3:16: Mk. 1:10; Lk. 3:22; Jn. 1:32), fire (Acts 2:3), water (Jn. 7:38-39), wind (Jn. 3:8; Acts 2:1-2), and oil (Lk. 4:18; Acts 10:38; 2 Cor. 1:21; 1 Jn. 2:27). These are material emblems that help represent and portray the Spirit.

In the life of the believer the Holy Spirit regenerates (Jn. 3:3-5; Tit. 3:5), indwells (1 Cor. 6:19), seals (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30), fills (Acts 2:4; Eph. 5:18), anoints (1 Jn. 2:20,27), guides (Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:16,25), teaches (1 Jn. 2:27), comforts (Jn. 14:26), and empowers the believers (Acts 4:31; Rom. 8:2; Gal. 5:16).

There is no such thing as victorious Christian living without a moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day dependence upon the Spirit of God (Rom. 7:24-25; 8:2). Not only is the Christian life hard to live but it is impossible to live without the power of God Himself (Jn. 15:5).