Why Did the Adulterers and Homosexuals at Corinth Change?

by Terry Wane Benton

Paul mentions a list of sins which included thieves, drunkards, adulterers, and homosexuals (I Corinthians 6:8-10) and said, “such were some of you”. They were washed from such sins, justified, and sanctified. What was the motivation that moved them to change? They did not argue that they were born this way and couldn’t change, so what made them realize that they needed to change?

It was a combination of factors that led to their change. The good news of Jesus’ love meant that He wanted them in His fellowship, and fellowship with Jesus demanded a commitment to righteousness and holiness. Someone wonderful like Jesus, who loved them enough to commit Himself to the death for them, was surely someone worth living for.

When you perceive the moral perfection of Jesus and His holiness, you get a sense of your moral filth, and a need to get clean. Remember Isaiah getting that sense in Isaiah 6? He felt dirty, a man of unclean lips. When we learn the glory of Jesus and His perfect moral holiness, we sense our need to repent of sins, especially when this One is offering a way of escape from moral filth.

The Corinthians came to know Jesus, His holiness, His love, and His great salvation opportunity He was extending to sinners. When people know Jesus they want to change. They want what He is offering, a chance at justification (forgiveness of sins), a chance at being sanctified (set apart as special from the corrupt world), and a chance at being washed (cleansed). A chance to start over with a new purpose, a meaningful purpose, and a hope to live eternally with the One who loved us so.

When you know the Lord, you want to change and be better. Knowing Jesus means we can never stay the same! Have you learned Jesus? If you have, you know why the sinners at Corinth wanted to change. So will you!

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