July 18, 2020
Over the next 16 days we will be reading through the book of 1 Corinthians together. The church in Corinth was an absolute mess! They were plagued by serious issues of arrogance, division, sexual immorality, and confusion concerning doctrine as well as the particulars of their moral living under the gospel. This church needed a wake-up call, a call to repentance and purity, to renewed devotion to Christ, to love and unity, and to zeal for the gospel. The church has changed little over the last 2,000 years, but praise God that there is abundant grace for the mess! Each of us needs this same call to humility faithfulness, unity, and fervor today as much as they needed it then. Let’s heed this call which God gave the church at Corinth through the apostle Paul and let it shape the way we live as Christ’s body!
Here Paul turns his attention from the arrogance causing divisions within the Corinthian church to the arrogance of tolerating flagrant sin within the congregation. Paul has heard report that they are continuing to fellowship with a man engaged in sexual immorality and that they refuse to discipline him or remove him from the church body. Paul reminds them of the holiness that they are called to maintain in their personal lives and in the lives of the church, and urges them to remove this man from their fellowship immediately!
To many of us it may seem strange that Paul would urge such a thing, but he reminds the Corinthians here of the grave danger tolerating unrepentant sin in the church presents, both to the church and to the sinner! Refusing to discipline members engaged in unrepentant sin puts the church in a dangerous position, Paul says, because that sin will inevitably spread its poisonous consequences throughout the whole congregation in some way (v.6). This is a reminder to us that our sin does not only have personal consequences for us; it can have communal consequences even if we aren’t aware of them (check out Joshua chapter 7 for a good example of how even our secret sin that no one else knows about can still have spiritual, communal effects!).
Refusing to discipline the church member engaged in unrepentant sin also puts the sinner in a dangerous position because it does not call them to repentance and holiness! It is important to remember that church discipline in never meant to include punishment for punishment’s sake, but that it is aimed towards restoration even if that means the sinner is put out of the congregation for a time. As the body of Christ, we are called not only to live holy lives but to hold one another accountable as well, and that is why Paul tells the Corinthians in verse 5 to “deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of his flesh,” (by putting him out of the fellowship) “so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” The goal is for the person to finally repent and be restored to the fellowship!
What might the church look like if we really, consistently held one another accountable in this way, refusing to be tolerant of unrepentant sin, whether in ourselves or in our midst? How much more like Jesus would the church look like?
1 Corinthians 5
Sexual Immorality Defiles the Church
5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- Have you ever considered that your sin, even your secret sin, might be damaging the church and its mission in unseen ways? What kind of holiness should that motivate in us?
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are our all powerful and all knowing God. There is nothing that is hidden from You. When sin tries to be excused, overlooked or hidden, we are only fooling ourselves. If sin is allowed to grow it will spread like a small fire and eventually consume everything around it. As Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. Help all of us, as fellow believers, hold one another accountable before You, LORD. The church will not grow but rather die and wither, if left unattended. When we sin, we are not living in the way we were intended. Not only are we deceiving ourselves and You, LORD, but we are cheating the church body by not giving our all. We need to have close fellowship with one another so we can meet the needs of each member and keep every part of the body clean and free from unrighteousness. Please help us get back to church so we can meet as one body and work together for the good of all . In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Gracias padre amado por otro día más en tu preciosa presencia, para ti padre no hay nada oculto y el pecado nos aleja de ti, ayúdanos a mantenernos siempre firme en tu obediencia para ser digno de tú amor y fidelidad mereces toda la honra ayúdanos a ser mejores cada día conforme tú palabra en nombre y por amor de tu hijo amado amén ?
Matthew 7:1 tells us how to judge. I Corinthians 2:15 commands us to judge in all things. I Corinthians 4:3 says that Paul does not judge himself; the Lord judges him. I Corinthians 5:12 says we are to judge within. In fact, Paul in I Corinthians 5 has judged the man in sin and he as our example commands the church to judge. Don’t be misled by unrepentant sinners who justify their sin by taking Matthew 7:1 out of context.
Lord, may I be light to a wicked world.
AMEN and HALLELUJAh!!! Lord let me be a light in your eyes to be a true believer in your word. Those that do the unspeakable thing should be taken out of the church because as said by Paul that the God judges outsiders. AMEN
My heart is moved by these words in First Corinthians. In thinking through the admonishment to us to stay pure and clean before the Lord, I am reminded that my very first responsibility is to search my own heart to insure personal purity and humility before I am equipped to submit and obey in matters of judgment of sinful actions of my brother or sister in Christ. Lord, may I view them through Your eyes and with the grace You demonstrate to us, always ready to minister through the truth of your Word at all times and be an encourager in the walk that honors You.
Father of all, creator of all, thank you for another day to serve you. You see and record my thoughts, my actions, my omissions. Forgive me Father. Broad is the way, and many go on that path. Narrow is the way, though, to heaven. Expose the sin to the sinner Father. May they cry out to you for forgiveness. May others see and understand where sin leads, to death and to hell itself. Father, you alone can and will save us from our sins, through Jesus Christ. May we not crucify Christ anew by continuing in sin. When I sin Father, it causes you pain. May I have the strength to resist sin today, and every day. Amen.
Give me discernment Lord, when to accept a non-believer who is going down the wrong path and does not know of repentance, from an unrepentant believer that needs admonition, in order to restore them to fellowship with you and the body of Christ.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your forgiveness and dying on the cross for our sins. Help me to see me before I look at others. Thanks for the examples through out your word that allows me to know what is true and what I need to do when I fall short. Thank you for continuing to use me to help others with sharing your word. During this pandemic we need you more than ever before and we need Christians that has a personal relationship with Jesus to rise up and speak what we know is true. Help us all call things that goes against your word, SIN. Give us the boldness and humility that is needed as we share the gospel. As always, let people see and hear from you and not us. In Christ name I pray. Amen