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.

1 Corinthians 5:11

I have been shocked this morning. We are joking in the church. We are playing with God and holiness. Where is the authority of the church? Where is church discipline?

I have read 1 Corinthians 5 many times, but I have not sensed the force of Paul’s commands against some sinful behaviors as were found in the Corinthian church. For instance, a man who was having sexual relationship with his father’s wife, and the church looked on without concern. Paul commanded the church to meet and throw that vile person out of fellowship and into Satan’s delight – that his sinful nature may be destroyed, even to death, and his soul be saved when Christ returns. This action of the church, Paul says, has the full backing of our Lord Jesus, whose presence would be with them at the meeting (1 Cor. 5:4-5).

That’s deep, people. For, how many Pastors fill our pulpits today, who are having affairs with church members, even married women, for that matter? How many deacons and deaconesses and counsellors, and church folks are guilty here?

Please, don’t get me wrong; I understand what the Lord means. Church discipline does not start at that extreme end. It begins with exposure, rebuke, repentance or the lack of it, and then the proper and proportionate discipline is applied. That’s the spirit of Matthew 18:15-20. In that passage, our Lord Himself laid down the steps for dealing with all kinds of sinful behavior, and the authority of heaven that backs the decisions of a Spirit-led leadership or congregational decision. So, I get it.

But you may say that the behavior of the Corinthian brother was horrific, so the harsh discipline Paul commands is understandable. But check out verse 11.

 The Holy Spirit goes further to talk about our association with a person “who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard or cheats people” (11a NLT). Paul says we must not associate with such a believer or that we “don’t even eat” with them (11b). That’s serious, folks. Take careful note of the sinful behaviors listed here and see how common and compromised they are in the church today.

How many of us would allow ourselves to be convicted by this scripture, even now? How many of us would accept our sinfulness and move away from it? How many churches are willing to confront their members when found in these ways? How often do we exclude unrepentant members from the holy sacraments of the church and from fellowship? Finally, how many of us are willing to obey the commands of the Holy Spirit not to associate or eat with such offenders who reject counsel in today’s Christian culture?

The point is this. Considering the commonality of these sins within the church today, membership will suffer tremendously if we set our hearts to complete obedience. That’s what we fear, and that is why we have become soft on such commands in the Bible.

However, the divine intention is holiness. God has a way of purging His church, just as He has a natural way of purging the human body. Nobody holds back on emptying their bowls. Likewise, the church should not hold back on discipline and Master’s way of purging His church. Again, just as a purged body leads to good health, so does a purged body of Christ lead to spiritual growth and maturity. There will be a revival in the church if we lovingly, but firmly, apply the word of God in such instances.

Our problem is the same as that of King Saul in 1 Samuel 13:11-12. “When I saw that the men were scattering … I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” We see the same attitude in chapter 15: 15. “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites … to sacrifice to the Lord your God.” For him, the fear of desertion and the preferences of man triumphed over the stipulation of God; and we know the result. Are we different today?

My goal here is not to call for a return to times when church discipline was abused and used to demean and disgrace members. My sole purpose is to incite holy thinking and reverential fear in those of us who claim to be believers of our Holy God and Savior, Jesus Christ. His command to us is, “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Pt. 1:16). We must encourage members of the church to live righteously and aspire to be holy, while pointing out the adverse consequences of disobedience. We must take those who repent through the process of restoration for healing and growth Matt. 18:15-20; Gal. 6:1-5). We should not stand in the way of God when He picks His pruning shears (Jn. 15:2).

That’s our only Christian witness, folks. That’s the evidence of God’s manifest presence with us. That is separation from the world that He commands us (2 Cor. 6:17). In the application of these instructions, love must be the principal motivation and influence.

Shalom