“Clean out the old leaven, so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (v.7)
In today’s reading, Paul levels a charge of complicit sin against the Corinthians. A man was publicly enjoying an incestuous relationship with his father’s wife with the knowledge of the church. Things had grown so complacent on the issue, that Paul had to rebuke them for being arrogant about the incident, rather than mourning over it (v.2). He went on to declare that the guilty person should be excluded from the fellowship, for its protection (v. 9).
Some people would call this harsh and unmerciful, but it is for the good of the individual and the church as well. A cancer left to itself will only grow until it takes over the entire body. Genuine love doesn’t let a Christian continue in such incestuous sin. At the same time, we don’t need to be scouring each other’s lives to find places of moral failure either. However, when there is shameless, unrepentant, and public sin in the church, it must be dealt with, cut out, removed, until true repentance occurs.
In our culture today there is a prevailing attitude of acceptance with regard to sexual orientation, relationships, and practices. Even within some churches there exists a pride in their tolerance to such immorality. Yes we need to be available to all who seek the truth, but ignoring destructive sin within the body is nothing to be proud of. As Pastor Chuck Smith said, "It isn't our job to fix the world, and you certainly can't fix it by judging it. However, it is our job to share the gospel, and look to restore those who have lost their way."
Protection of the body and restoration of the sinner is a difficult line to walk. It works if we apply the biblical truths with a heart of love, with restoration, not condemnation as our goal.
The Truth: “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11)
