1 Corinthians 5:9-13

"I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person"

A couple of days ago I read this passage and I was reminded of it by a discussion I had with a dear brother in Christ this evening. We met to discuss many things and it is always a joy to fellowship with those who have a passion for the Lord. I feel very refreshed! :)

We were discussing the difference between judging somebody and being judgmental in spirit, and how we are called to hold one another accountable. As much as we Christians speak, rightly so, of the importance of Paul's epistles, we so often forget that his letters were written to correct error in the infant church...to call the Believers to a more sincere faith in the risen Lord. The passage which this post concerns is a wonderful example of this...but even more, it is a good reminder to us of what, or where, we need to focus our energies. For example, so many professing Christians today are so involved in political and social activism, indignantly protesting every moral outrage committed by the secular world around us. Where, however, is their concern for the outrage committed every day within their churches? Where is their cry for reform when youth pastors sin and boast about driving "troublemakers" out of the church? Where is the sense of injustice when a church practices cult like behaviors?

Note that the Apostle Paul says "I certainly did not mean with the...people of this world..." What does he mean by this? That when he'd written to them he did not intend for them to begin carrying signs outside of the local temples where prostitution was practiced as an act of worship (this was, after all, Corinth!). No. He wanted them to focus on the impurity within the church! Let the world be judged by Almighty God, and let us concern ourselves with our own housekeeping! Those of you who know me know exactly how I will interpret this, don't you?

For me, when I see a co-worker practicing homosexuality, I will reach out to them with the love of Christ and the precious Truth of the Gospel. When I see a co-worker who does not know the Lord and who is having personal conflict, I will tell them of Christ, who alone is able to help us deal with inner turmoil. And when I see those who profess Christ as Lord behaving carnally, I will attempt to correct their behavior by calling them to the doctrinal truths of the Word of God. Why? Because they should be able to correct their behavior and adjust to the precepts of the Word, whereas those who do not know the Lord cannot change their behavior without the Spirit in them...so let's be used by God to bring about their new birth, and let Him deal with the secular behaviors of a world that does not even give Him lip service!

Brothers and sisters...let us get our priorities straight.