DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A PURE BRIDE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A PURE BRIDE

"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! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you." (I Cor. 5:1-2)

Church disciple is difficult. Meeting immoral conduct head on among church members is uncommon in our modern culture. In this case, it was incest – a man who was having relationship with his father's wife.

Why is church discipline so hard? The leaders of a church have to be concerned about the effect it will have on the perpetrator. Will it drive the perpetrator farther away from God? What effect will it have on other church members? How will it affect the church's reputation in the community?

But these do not seem to be the concern of the church at Corinth. In light of the problem they faced, they were puffed up – proud and arrogant. I am guessing that they were proud of their tolerance. They were proud that they had such an open heart to sinners. Instead of mourning over the sin, they were glorying in their acceptance of the sinner (vs. 8).

Paul slaps them along-side of the head, and bluntly said to dis-fellowship the sinner (vs. 13). The purpose of discipline is twofold. First is the concern for the sinner, that the fleshly conduct would be repented of for the salvation of the soul (vs. 5).

The second is the health of the whole body. If the "lump" of sin is not removed, it will affect the rest of the body (vss. 6-7). When we have a cancer, we operate and remove the cancer so that it does not spread to the entire body bringing death. That operation can be a painful process and may take time to heal, but it is absolutely necessary to protect the rest of the body.

We are given the mandate to judge sin in the church. We are not judges of the people of the world, those "outside" of the fellowship. God is their judge. But we do have to judge those who are in the church. This is not vindictive or censorious judging, but it is judging misconduct among those who profess to be believers in order to keep the church morally clean. The Church is the Bride of Christ – a pure and holy bride.

Love, Dad