Sin in the Church?!?
We live in a very permissive culture. We have a very perverted view of grace. We have gone so far as not only confronting lies or wrong behaviour, but to celebrating those who practice them, and demonizing anyone who would bring light or accountability to them. But is this really a new phenomenon?
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated among the Gentiles—a man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are arrogant!
Incredible, we are not even a generation removed from Jesus and the church is already not only allowing people who sleep with their step-moms, but they are proud to somehow show how permissive and gracious they are. Paul says they are “Arrogant!” Is it really an example of how gracious the church is to allow those who are sinning, and not only sinning but completely perverted sins, that even the unbelieving world sees as beyond the pale, to be practiced in the church.
Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough?
Paul admonishes the church in Corinth, telling them that what they brag about their permissive and “gracious” acceptance of such sin is actually poisoning the entire church. Like leaven, it will work its way through the entire dough; it is insidious.
Shouldn’t you be filled with grief and remove from your congregation the one who did this?… When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, hand that one over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord… Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are.
God is teaching us to deal with sin in the church. In fact when it is this bad get rid of it. Paul goes as far as saying to hand this person over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Wow! You can’t get much stronger language than that. Sin is destructive and not only destroys those who do it, but it carries into the church and it destroys the testimony of Jesus in the church. What is the witness of the church if this permissive view of grace is celebrated?
I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world. But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.
Paul reminds them that they were not to have fellowship with those who continue to sin, immoral people (sexually immoral, greedy, idolaters, verbally abusive, drunkards, or swindlers). In fact – don’t even eat with such people. Wow! How is that even possible, I would have to never talk to my neighbours or co-workers or people in our schools… Oh – you didn’t mean those who have not placed their faith in Jesus. You are talking about those who claim to be a brother or a sister in Christ and continually practice these behaviours.
For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Don’t you judge those who are inside? God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you.
Can you imagine in our grace-filled, permissive churches today actually asking people to leave because they continue to sin and call themselves followers of Jesus? This seems incredibly harsh. What are we reading? Is this God’s word? This is certainly contrary to the way we see church culture today. This certainly isn’t saying to witchhunt and to judge everyone we see and kick everyone out of our self-righteous club. Paul’s words are incredibly strong here and he is very concerned about the testimony of Jesus to the world, the holiness of God and how the church reflects God. He is concerned about the incidousness of sin and how it, like leaven, can affect the entire church.
Are we proud of our permissiveness? Do we boast about how gracious we are? Or are filled with grief?
Are we deeply troubled by immorality? Or are we passively encouraging sinful behaviour or are we lovingly helping our brothers and sisters in Christ know that we are not our own we have been bought with a price. And we are to repent of our sin and follow Him fully? Matthew 18 teaches us how to confront each other and hold each other accountable.
The focus coming from this text may not be fully how to deal with sin in the church, but are we troubled by it? Or are we enabling it, and have we become comfortable with it?
I don’t think we can simply ignore what Paul is saying in this passage. We need to read it and re-read it, and ask the Holy Spirit how we apply this to ourselves, and lovingly bring holiness into our churches and honour Christ with how we live.
