Bible

[plugger]

1 Corinthians 5:1-8
New King James Version

Immorality Defiles the Church

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. 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. 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, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord [c]Jesus.
Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

I do not want to appear to be too harsh, yet, what is---is. I had the Interpreter's Bible on my desk this morning and notice a yellow sticky marking this page. I do not know why, because I have never really studied this passage, have read it several times but never really dug into it. This morning I got into this writing and got to thinking that our church of today really has not changed much since the day's of Paul. Of course you folks know I am a Methodist and seems as if this denomination has or is losing its way, like so many other denominations. SO !! Without being too harsh allow me to think aloud a bit----Here in the above passage we have a man is getting it on with his father's wife, his step-mother. Now back in this time in history such illicit sexual liaisons were not unknown in the Greco-Roman world. Like many of our life-styles of today, nothing unusual here.---SIN-- IS SIN-- IS SIN---we today have come to accept much as to not offend another, and the Christian Church seriously practices non-offensive behavior, especially if the offensive person is an upright citizen, a long time church member or of that family, and maybe is a good finical contributor, along with several other good excuses. Now the shocking thing is not only the sin allowed in the church but the fact that there is a divorce between religion and morality. Our "PRIDE" has allowed satan his personal sitting spot on the front row. Have we come to believe that professing Christians are exempt from the moral law? From David Jeremiah Study Bible---"The central problem in the church is "pride"---To openly condone sexual immorality without concern---to see oneself beyond the moral law (Rom.6:15; Jude 4) is pride. Such deep rooted sin should drop the mature believer to his or her knees in mourning, with a prayer for restoration of the unrepentant brother".----As long as our churches accept bad behavior from its members the outside world will judge our faith by our actions. James explains it very well, can your faith save you? We say YEP, I believe so I am safe....But if our faith shows no actions, & we just sit on our fat butts and say nothing, do nothing, then the outside world will see no difference between their life style and ours. In the world of today we need to become familiar with what our Bibles teach us, we have come to a point in time that believing every preacher & teacher just don't cut it anymore, we have to become familiar with God's word. A little lesson here, if I may; When I was in church or S.S. class and I heard something which stirred questions in my mind, when I got home I would start to look for answers to my questions, "I NEVER LOOKED FOR WHY THE PREACHER OR TEACHER WAS WRONG---I ALWAYS LOOKED FOR WHY I DID NOT UNDERSTAND"---I always ask for God's quidance and I always, in God's time had the Holy Spirit taught me what I needed to know---ALWAYS.......When reading Scripture may I suggest not to just read the words, but to give some thought to what you are reading, what is this saying to me?-----God Bless