Corinth was the “sin city” of the 1st century and the
Christians living there struggled to be “in the world but not of the world.”
Judging by the contents of the correspondence they didn’t do very well and some,
like the man sleeping with his father’s wife, (1 Corinthians 5:1) even made the
pagans blush. So Paul’s caveat “not everything is beneficial” might have been
lost on those who said “I have the right to do whatever I want.” The trouble was a
misapplication of the Gospel that had rightly repealed the requirements of the
law, namely food restrictions, sacrifices and circumcision. A good number of
the Corinthians thought that meant they were free to do as they pleased; after
all they were saved by grace. We can fall into the same trap thinking that as
long as we feel badly about whatever we’ve done we are good to go and do
whatever again. Unfortunately Lutherans tend to be the most susceptible to what
Dietrich Bonhoeffer labeled “cheap grace”. The cost of sin was born by Christ
but we continue to run a tab whenever we are mastered by the very things from
which Christ has set us free. But the Lutheran two step of Law/Gospel was
always meant to lead to an amendment of sinful ways albeit without dancing into
the sin of being sanctimonious, not an easy step to master. The good news is
that those united with Christ are one with His spirit which means help is
always just a prayer away.
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