Friday, January 26, 2018

Deal. With. Sin.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5   
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

When sexual immorality or other ongoing and unrepentant sin is uncovered in the church, it must be dealt with for the soul’s purity and restoration.  This is seen here to be done with mournful sorrow, not anger or hate.  Yet it must be decisively dealt with.  Paul was with the Corinthians from a distance as a shepherd to pray and work through dealing with the unrepentant.  They were to put him out of the congregation until the offender took responsibility for the sin and turned from it.  The goal was restoring the sinner to repentance and holiness before God as one of His.  Sin cannot be winked at while looking away, nor is it to be a hateful attack, for Godly discipline is for our good, not evil. 

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