Such Were Some of You!
“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)
The Miracle in a Salvage Yard
A man once took a rusted, dented car to a salvage yard just to get rid of it. The car was so corroded that it looked completely worthless to him. But the owner of the yard said, “I see something in this one. Let’s restore it.”
After weeks of work—cleaning, rebuilding, sanding, painting, and replacing parts—it rolled out of the shop looking brand new. You’d never believe it was the same car.
That’s what God does with broken lives!
He doesn’t just throw them away—He redeems, restores, and recycles them into something brand new and beautiful.
God Has the Power to Change Anyone
Paul listed some of the darkest human sins in this passage—not to condemn forever, but to show how far God’s grace can reach. Notice the past tense: “That is what some of you were.”
No one is beyond the reach of God’s cleansing power. When Jesus enters a life, He doesn’t just clean up the outside—He changes the heart, washes away sin, and makes you brand new.
Washed, Sanctified, and Justified
Washed — Your sins are gone; you’ve been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
Sanctified — You’ve been set apart for God’s purpose, no longer living under the old identity.
Justified — You now stand innocent before God, not because of what you’ve done, but because of what Jesus did for you.
What to do
Remember who you were—and who you are now. You’re no longer defined by your past mistakes.
Walk in your new identity. Live as one who has been cleansed and set apart by God.
Share your story. Someone else needs to hear how God’s grace transformed you.
Refuse to condemn others. The same grace that washed you can wash anyone.
Therefore
Don’t let shame or guilt from your past follow you into today. You’ve been washed! You are no longer who you once were. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives in you, empowering you to walk in newness of life.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17)