841 1 Cor.5.1-5 Removing the Threat of Contagious Sins
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Q. Have I protected my mind against the wisdom of the world with it’s emphasis on tolerance & diversity?
Date: 04-08-19 841 Echuca
Q. Have I protected my mind against the wisdom of the world with it’s emphasis on tolerance & diversity?
- By which they mean sexual diversity & by tolerance, they mean, having everyone endorse all kinds of sexual & gender preferences
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- You and I have a choice – we either believe God or believe secular humanism – the wisdom of the world
- I am not advocating a mean-spirited approach to anyone
- Jesus loved and sought out those whose sexual practises were not within the will of God
- But sin being sin, it will corrupt the mind & the body
- People are not helped under the pretence of tolerance & diversity
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- There was a good article in the Spectator recently, by Nick Kastelein
- When he talks politics, He says...
In many situations, both sides of politics agree on the problems. Sensible doctors, however, don’t argue about symptoms, they argue about causes. Without agreement over the cause, there can be no agreement on the cure. The useful question is, “what is the source of harm?”
- When speaking about harms, or perceived harms, he writes...
- There was a good article in the Spectator recently, by Nick Kastelein
- When he talks politics, He says...
In many situations, both sides of politics agree on the problems. Sensible doctors, however, don’t argue about symptoms, they argue about causes. Without agreement over the cause, there can be no agreement on the cure. The useful question is, “what is the source of harm?”
- When speaking about harms, or perceived harms, he writes...
“Most agree that the drowning of immigrants at sea is a bad thing, and no-one wants over-crowded detention centres. But the Liberals responded by fixing our border protection, whereas Labor respond by destroying it”.
“Most people agree that violence against women is bad. Feminists preach that a type of masculinity is the problem and that men should be more like women. Others observe that emasculated (or weakened) men are more likely to be violent, not less, and believe that men should simply be better men. One group wants to fix men, the other wants to destroy them.
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“Most people agree that taking addictive drugs is unhealthy and high risk. Some argue for increased restrictions where others argue for destroying restrictions”.
“Most people agree that the environment should be looked after. Some seek to innovate and cultivate, others seek to depopulate”.
“Most people agree that the environment should be looked after. Some seek to innovate and cultivate, others seek to depopulate”.
“Most people agree that children should be raised by families who want them. Some seek to fix the adoption system, while others seek to destroy unborn children”.
“Most people agree that children should be raised by families who want them. Some seek to fix the adoption system, while others seek to destroy unborn children”.
- I would add that most people want to see healthy relationships. Some seek to uphold the distinctions of male and female, while others seek to destroy those distinctions
- I see a great divide here too, between Christians who truly believe God & those who have been so indoctrinated by the system, that they cannot trust all that God says
- I’ve been around in ministry for over 25 yrs now & I can assure you that it does come down to this – can I trust God’s word!
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- There may be legitimate discussion about WHAT the Scripture means, but it is another thing to choose to ignore or destroy what God says, in favour of what the world says
- If you don’t think it happens, look at this church here, the subject of this Epistle
- This church has it’s ears to the world & it is causing no end of strife
1. Worse Than the World
1. Worse Than the World
- The apostle starts off in this section of his letter, by saying, that he has heard reports of immorality in this church, but of the kind that even the world condemns
- A man has his father’s wife – which means that he is in a relationship with his step mother
- It appears that his father has remarried & she is probably a much younger woman & she has caught the eye of the son
- Although it does not say, it seems that his father has now separated from her, but we can’t be sure
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- This is called incest & it was not only condemned by Israelite law, but also by the world – even the silver-tongued philosophers condemned it
- But not this church, they were rather proud of the fact
- No doubt, there would have been some in the church who objected, but they seem to have been drowned out by the “arrogant” ones
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- Now Paul says something here that will cut across the grain of many people in the church today – he says in v.2
—2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned (grieved) instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
- Even in conservative churches, some people would be loathed to do this
- There are factors which cause us to ignore such teaching – factors, such as...
1. It is out of line with society’s tolerance & diversity provisions
- Truth is in the eye of the beholder – who are you to tell anyone else they are wrong – aren’t we suppose to accept all sexual behaviours?
2. We should mind our on business
- We live like we are individuals – sure, we say we are the church – but actually, we still retain our individual right to live at a distance from the church community – so if we face problems, rather than resolve them, we just shift churches (and nothing is solved)
- “Am I my brother’s keeper” – nah, that’s his business
3. It’s uncomfortable
- To have to confront someone about something we disagree with is very uncomfortable
- We would rather not have to deal with it – true?
- Instead, we find someone else to do it & make sure we are not around when it happens – that’s the easy way
4. I’m not sure the Bible is clear on this
- You may have concerns about what the Bible actually says on this & whether it is binding or normative for today
- You might think that what the Bible teaches on the role relationships of men & women in the church & in the home are no longer relevant in this day & age – but then, you are now faced with a multitude of doubts about many other things in the Bible
- After all, interpretation demands having consistent principles
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- This is why many feminists also push for the equal acceptance of homosexual relationships in the church
- If men & women’s role relationships were merely a culturally conditioned teaching, then why not homosexual relationships if we are to be consistent?
- They are accepted today & maybe the church should continue to get with the times – this is the argument!
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- Now when it comes to this incestuous relationship in the church, by & large, society today wouldn’t care too much at all – in fact, if the church took action, they would probably defend the individuals
- What I’m saying here is that half the problem in the church is this new emphasis on interpreting the Bible culturally (about 50 yrs)
- That everything is relative – that sounds postmodern, doesn’t it
- Truth is not fixed or certain to the postmodern person – it’s all relative
- We have come so far now that we have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous with governments even removing gender from birth certificates
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- Yet you have Jesus looking on to His church – what must He think?
- We do know that one of His concerns was over faith & whether such faith & trust in Him would be on the earth when He returns
- Jesus stated so much in Luke’s Gospel
—8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
- It is sad that such a question has to be asked, but that is the dilemma
- Some want to fashion faith in the eyes of the world or in their own eyes, rather than by accepting the revelation of God in the Scriptures
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- People say they believe but they are really saying I believe with conditions
- That is, I will accept from the Bible, only what the world accepts from the Bible
- Because even though I maintain that I believe in Jesus, I’m not sure I’m prepared to agree with everything the Bible says
- Now we have rationalised these things to bring ourselves comfort, but when we come before God, the world will not be there with us
- It will not be sitting in judgement of us;at the judgement, we will not have to worry about fitting in with the world
- We will be there with the Lord & He will want an account of what have said & what we have done
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- The apostle here, tells the church, that they should be grieving & should have expelled the man from their congregation
Q. Have I touched a nerve yet? I’m sure I have. I’m finding it tough
Q. But in this, are we going to agree with God or not? This is the challenge for you & me
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Q. What is this church thinking? What led them to think this was OK?
- Most likely, it stems from the influence of Plato
- He established what we call “Dualism” - I will speak on this because this will touch several places in 1 Cor.
- This Dualism created a sharp division between the spiritual & the physical – the spirit & the body
- If you think hard enough &, long enough, over this you will find that you too have been under the influence of Plato’s dualism
- The church has struggled with it for centuries & has still, to this day, not put it off entirely
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- The essence of this dualism is this – the spirit was pure & undefiled, but the body was bad
- Don’t misunderstand here – we know that we can do evil in the body
- It’s not about that – it’s about what you are made of
- The body is matter or material – a physical substance – that is what makes it bad
- Whereas the spirit is immaterial & thus pure
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- Paul has to insist on the resurrection of the body against a Corinthian church that was only interested in a spiritual resurrection
Q. But how does this impact the Corinthian church?
- Well, if living in the body is a poor excuse for existence, who cares what you do in the body?
Q. How can that corrupt the spiritual?
- So Paul has to reinforce the fact the what is done in the body is important
- Whether that has to do with the Corinthian men going to prostitutes, or abstinence in marriage or in the resurrection of the body, this disconnect from what you do in the body has become a source of great sin
2. Damaging Sin Requires Determined Love
2. Damaging Sin Requires Determined Love
- There are certain sins within the body of Christ; certain behaviours that are worse than others
- We have been used to saying that all sin is sin – that is true from the point of view of forgiveness – all types of sins require forgiveness
- But there are some sins that are far more damaging to a person or to people than other sins
- Off the top of my head, the sin of murder is far more damaging for the person on the receiving end, than the sin of a foul- mouthed tongue-lashing
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- Let us take the example of a person who gets angry & in their anger, says things that they didn’t really mean
- They later on apologise, asking for forgiveness & they receive it & are reconciled
- So there are differing degrees of damage amongst certain sins
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- Sexual sins have a greater impact on the person & a greater impact on others
- This sin was particularly grievous as it was incest – sexual sin with a family member
—8 ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness.
8 ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness.
- Though this behaviour was not unknown, it was rarely practised by the populace & we find that Roman law, also had forbidden it
- In imitating their culture, they have become even worse, morally speaking, than their culture
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Q. Why is nothing said of the woman? Surely, she is just as much at fault here as the man
- All this censure of the man, but nothing of the woman
- The best explanation is that she probably wasn’t a Christian & wasn’t part of the church at Corinth
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
—12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
- He is concerned about the impact of the man on the life of the church, but not of the woman
- If she is not a Christian, then that explains it well
- He is not going to make judgements concerning outsiders or unbelievers – that is God’s domain
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Q. But aren’t we also not suppose to judge those within the church?
- Doesn’t Jesus say, “judge not, lest you be judged”?
- You know the best way forward here is to, once again, emphasise context
- Jesus did say, “judge not, lest you be judged”… but keep reading on in that passage
- For if you do, then you will find that He was condemning not judging, but hypocrisy
1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
—1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
- There is no problem in taking the speck out of your brother’s eye
- The problem is in having a standard for him that you are not prepared to keep yourself – that is hypocrisy
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- The church ought to be in a position to make righteous judgements
23 “If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? 24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
—23 “If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? 24 “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
- The church will judge angels & ought to be able to judge disputes that happen within the church –
- Here, Paul is saying that the church should have made a judgement about this sin & done something about it
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- Before we come to the close of what I want to share with you today, it is important to note here, that the action of judgement by the church is to be seen in a positive light
- An illustration would be like a small child – your child – running out onto a highway
- You have to ask yourself whether you should go, risk embarrassment in front of people, chase him down & prevent him from getting on the highway
- Loving or unloving – Was the judgement to prevent the boy from doing what he wants a positive or a negative?
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- Paul says that the action that needs to happen will be “so that his spirit will be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus”
- The ultimate purpose here is two-fold
1. That the man will be saved
- At present, if he is not rescued, he will be judged by the Lord, just as the child would end up receiving a judgement on the highway
- Preventing the child to continue on his path is similar to the love, a church shows, when it sees what’s coming for this man & they intervene to help him – they are their brothers keeper
2. It Sets a Standard
- This is the most important reason for his expulsion &, that is, that such behaviour can spread through the entire congregation if not stopped
- Paul’s concern first & foremost is for the purity of the church
– but that is for next week
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- There are some difficult terms to discover here
-- Deliver the man over to Satan
-- Paul present in spirit
-- When you are assembled
- To deliver over to Satan is the same as saying put the man out of the church
- The church is under the rule of God, the world is under the rule of the evil one – Satan
19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
—19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
—19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.
- The world is under the control of an evil spirit – the devil or Satan
- But the church is under the control of God
- Those within the church live under the protection of God
- He keeps us on track, strengthens us to obey; holds us close to Himself
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- A person in the world has none of that – they are devoid of spirit’s insight, understanding, blessing, protection & divine aid
- They are susceptible to Satanic influence, persuasion, coercion
- To put someone out of the church is to put someone back under the rule & control of Satan – in practise, they are not welcome to worship while they are still in an unrepentant state
- So while the man is living with, or in, that incestuous relationship, he has been separated from salvation
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- Two important points to make here
1. Salvation Is Enjoyed Corporately
- The saved community are those that are part of the church
- I’m sure there are exceptions to the rule, such as those who are too elderly to join with the church
- But the rule is that salvation is a corporate matter
- Individuals who say they are Christian with little or no excuse for being part of a church community are certainly living in distinction from the teaching of the Scripture
- Notice that the action here that is required is vs. 4-5 “when you are assembled”...”deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh”
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- Now you may bork at such a thing & think that we might be causing something worse to happen if we put our foot down
- However, what we don’t realise is that something worse is the reality
- A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough – something worse may happen to you all if such a practise was allowed to continue
- Not only is that man at risk, but left unchecked you are at risk
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2. The guy is already in trouble
- As it stands, his salvation is down the gurglar
- It needs to be recovered & it is recovered by the church’s action
- In being put out, what happens is this...
a. He now realises that the sin is worse than he ever thought it was & that he values the Lord, over the affair with this woman
b. He now realises he stands condemned by being outside the saved community of God’s people
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- Effectively, this is designed to wake him up – like slapping someone in the face or giving them a good shake up
- He is caught in sin, like a bird in a trap & he can’t get free
- The sin has deceived him; it has distorted his concepts of right & wrong & has corrupted his mind by encouraging him to rationalise his sin away
- That the sin is not that bad; that other people have done it too; that it is something that he plans to end, but not just yet
- When a person gets caught up in these sins, sin wants him to stay in that situation & will do anything to keep him there
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- This is where the courage & care of the Christian community really counts
- It is not an evil thing to judge the right or wrongs of a Christian’s life if, with a sincere heart, you’re goal is to help them stay on track with God
- The goal for this man was that his spirit would be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus
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- The final vindication of the Christian is when Jesus comes again
- That is when we are raised from the dead
- That is the finish line of the race; the end of the good fight of faith
- That is when God says, “well done good & faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master”
- Paul wants the church to help this man so that, in the end of it all, he will repent & be restored to fellowship
- To be then, much wiser & much more cautious than he had been before
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- But it can’t happen if we don’t trust the solutions given here by God to the church
- Yes, it is out of step with our culture – of course it is – since when has the world been doing things that God approves
- But we are so trusting of our cultural elites – so obliged to tow the line that we wrestle & wrestle & wrestle with passages such as this
- But it does come down to this – do you believe God; will you trust His word & act on it?
—22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.