“I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’” (1 Corinthians 5:9-13 ESV)
Now these words were written to the church collectively. These instructions are to the church, as a whole, as the body of Christ. So this is something that needs to be put into practice collectively as the body of Christ in order for this to take hold and in order for people’s lives to be changed and the church cleansed of its “old leaven” (see 1 Corinthians 5:6-8). We, as the body of Christ, collectively, should take these actions to prevent the “old leaven” from continuing to spread throughout the body of Christ.
But instead of the church overall dealing with addictive sin amongst its members in a biblical fashion in order to “cleanse out the old leaven” so that the church can grow to maturity in Christ, and so that the offenders are dealt with biblically and appropriately in a serious manner to bring about genuine heartfelt repentance that lasts and that changes people, so many are teaching a cheapened form of God’s grace which does not demand repentance and faithfulness and walks of obedience to our Lord.
Thus, the self-indulgent who have had longstanding and deep-rooted addiction to sexual sin (immorality, perversion) are able to continue in their sin against their spouses and against their children and other people, too. And some of them are able to serve in the gatherings of the church and be welcomed and embraced and included, and some of them are pastors of churches who then are teaching the people that God’s grace forgives their sins, and so if they continue in deliberate sin it is all covered. Not biblical!
For Satan is behind this idea that if we profess faith in Jesus Christ with our lips that God’s grace just erases all our sins and now we are free to sin without punishment. Does God’s grace forgive sins? Absolutely! For the repentant sinner who dies with Christ to sin and is raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness, there is forgiveness of sins. But for the one who continues in deliberate sin, there is no inheritance in God’s kingdom.
For Jesus Christ did not suffer that death on a cross in taking our sins upon us just to forgive us our sins so that we can go to heaven when we die. Jesus died on that cross in order to put our sins to death with him so that we will now die with him to sin and live for him and to his righteousness. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our slavery (addiction) to sin so that we will now serve and obey our Lord in walks of holiness and in obedience to him.
But because so much of what is called “church” today has gone the way of the world and they are marketing “the church” to the people of the world, and so they have diluted and altered the gospel message so as not to offend the people of the world, sin is running rampant within probably the majority of these gatherings called “church.” And not much, if anything, is seriously being done to stop it and to protect those who are being taken advantage of and who are being harmed by the addicted to sin.
So, because “the church” collectively is not following these biblical instructions on how to “cleanse out the old leaven” from within their gatherings, sin is running amuck wildly and out-of-control, which is exactly Satan’s plan. This is one of the main ways in which the enemy is destroying the church by lowering or removing altogether God’s moral standards for his church, or by not taking them seriously, and by teaching a cheap grace gospel which gives the sinners permission to keep on in addictive sin.
So, what can we do individually about this? We can speak to the church leadership and appeal to them on the basis of what the Scriptures teach, but then we should be prepared to be shot down or made out to be the enemy instead of the one who is committing the sinful acts. And we should be prepared to not be supported at all while the one committing the addictive sinful practices may be well received. It’s just the way things are today, for so many will not confront sin because they don’t want to offend the sinners.
Then we just need to pray for the church and for those who are addicted to sin that God will get their attention and that he will do what needs to be done in order to bring about a revival so that many will have genuine salvation from sin because they have now surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ to do his will and to no longer walk in sin. And we need to keep sharing the truth of the gospel so that many will turn from their sins and so that they will now walk in obedience to the Lord, for time is short.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]
My Heart’s Desire
An Original Work / June 29, 2013
Based off Romans 10:1-21; Luke 9:23-26; Ephesians 4:17-24
Loved Ones, Oh, my heart’s desire
Is that you might come to Jesus.
Many appear zealous for God,
But they do not trust in Him.
They have not submitted to the One
Who saved them from their sins;
Not forsaken their sins,
Nor have they obeyed their King.
The word of the Lord is near you:
The word of faith we’re proclaiming:
That you must confess your faith
In Jesus as your Lord and King:
Believe in Him as your Lord,
And follow Him where’er He leads.
Share the gospel; be a witness,
And meet others’ needs.
Beautiful are the feet of those
Who bring the good news of Jesus:
Anyone who would come to Him
Must deny himself today;
Die to sin and self, and
Let the Spirit transform you in heart;
Put on your new self in Jesus,
Yielding to the cross.
https://vimeo.com/115643303
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