1 Corinthians_5
Scripture
1 Cor 5:9-12-
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”
Observation-What does it say?
In this passage, the church was becoming tolerant of sin. They were taking sin lightly and it was having a negative effect on the Body. As a result, Paul gave his exhortation about what they were to do about the immorality and sin present in the church. He made it clear that he was not talking about judging non believers and separating from them, but rather those who claimed to be believers, yet were living in rebellion.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Understanding-What does it mean?
Church discipline is a necessary part of the church and should not be looked at in a negative fashion.
Church discipline is required in order to protect the rest of the Body of Christ. Sin is like a cancer that can spread if not dealt with in a Biblical fashion.
Church discipline is also a result of love for the believer because we do not desire for them to walk down the path of rebellion against the Lord. Just as Hebrews 12 speaks about God disciplining those He loves, church discipline is an act of love.
I read a really good book about someone in leadership who had a moral failure and the steps the church took to restore that person back into the family. There were consequences as a result of her sin, like the lost of her job at the church and her relationship at the time; however, because of how the church loved her and because she humbled herself to the point to going through the process of restoration (instead of running away from it or feeling like a victim and allowing pride to make her angry), her lost relationship with the man she loved was restored, that man also rededicated his life to Christ and she is back in ministry as a Pastor, book writer, and huge influencer for the Kingdom. The end result could have been worse if not for her church’s process of discipline and restoration and her humble response to it.
Life Application
Church discipline is required in order to protect the rest of the Body of Christ. Sin is like a cancer that can spread if not dealt with in a Biblical fashion.
Church discipline is also a result of love for the believer because we do not desire for them to walk down the path of rebellion against the Lord. Just as Hebrews 12 speaks about God disciplining those He loves, church discipline is an act of love.
I read a really good book about someone in leadership who had a moral failure and the steps the church took to restore that person back into the family. There were consequences as a result of her sin, like the lost of her job at the church and her relationship at the time; however, because of how the church loved her and because she humbled herself to the point to going through the process of restoration (instead of running away from it or feeling like a victim and allowing pride to make her angry), her lost relationship with the man she loved was restored, that man also rededicated his life to Christ and she is back in ministry as a Pastor, book writer, and huge influencer for the Kingdom. The end result could have been worse if not for her church’s process of discipline and restoration and her humble response to it.
Life Application
We must change our mindset about church discipline.
We must be humble enough to accept church discipline when necessary. Or if anyone who claims to be a believer in the church is in rebellion, we cannot be afraid to gently confront that person in sin because we love the Church and the individual too much to allow Satan to have a foothold.
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
Galatians 6:1 NIV
Dear Lord, You loved us and the Church so much that You died for our sins and resurrected from the grave so that we would be free from sin and death, not continue in it. I pray for humility to turn from sin when confronted by another believer about it, rather than defensiveness. I also pray that we would not fear when the Holy Spirit convicts us to confront a brother or sister in sin. Please give us strength and may we be gentle and loving in our approach when you lead us to bring their sin to light. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
We must be humble enough to accept church discipline when necessary. Or if anyone who claims to be a believer in the church is in rebellion, we cannot be afraid to gently confront that person in sin because we love the Church and the individual too much to allow Satan to have a foothold.
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
Galatians 6:1 NIV
Dear Lord, You loved us and the Church so much that You died for our sins and resurrected from the grave so that we would be free from sin and death, not continue in it. I pray for humility to turn from sin when confronted by another believer about it, rather than defensiveness. I also pray that we would not fear when the Holy Spirit convicts us to confront a brother or sister in sin. Please give us strength and may we be gentle and loving in our approach when you lead us to bring their sin to light. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
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-Michelle Gaddi