1 Corinthians 5:9-13 - I wrote to you in my letter not to
associate with sexually immoral people—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. 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. What business is it of mine to judge those outside
the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside.
“Expel the wicked person from among you.”
…but accountability.
As we live within the Christian community with our brothers
and sisters, part of our charge is to care for one another. We are accountable
to one another: to be agents of restoration, to bear one another’s burdens,
praying for each other, to rebuke, to stimulate one another to good deeds, to
keep watch over one another, to build one another up, to sharpen each other, to
teach, and to live in peace.
Paul,
in his letter to the Corinthian believers, informed them that if a brother or
sister was given to a life of sin, they were not to be associating with that
person. This is after they have diligently tried to lovingly restore that
brother or sister to the truth of God WITH HUMILITY - understanding that they
themselves could just as easily get caught up in sin!
Paul
warns against allowing those who are caught up in sin to be our intimate
associates. Later in this same letter to the Corinthians, he will remind them
that bad company corrupts good character.
So
believers, we need to be diligent to love our brothers and sisters into
abundant living with our Father. With humility, we need to support one another
in living life with integrity and honoring the Father. This is a challenge in
this world where there is great competition for our affections and attention –
and not all of this draw is for our good!
Let’s
be diligent to support one another, to hold one another accountable, and to
subject ourselves to loving accountability. Sound like a plan?
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