1 Corinthians 5 – 6:1-8 – Judging Sin and
Disputes
Paul confronts
the Corinthian believers with actual reports he had received. There was a man in the church who was having
sex with his step-mother. This was
against Jewish and Roman law. He was
disgusted with this situation, but they seemed to be proud of the man’s
actions. They probably thought as a
Christian, they had freedom from the law and it didn’t really matter. Paul told them they should punish the man by
making him leave the church. This may
make him realize his sin and then he would ask for forgiveness.
Paul told them
to not associate with immoral people who call themselves Christians - people
who are sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a
swindler. Christians are to judge those
inside the church and God will judge those outside the church. When Christians continually do wrong things,
they must be removed from the church (1
Corin. 5:5, Deut. 17:17; 24:7). That
may seem harsh, but the goal is for redemption.
God’s will in discipline is never hate, only love. God wants purity in the church. Believers are set apart from the world and
should act differently. Naming a sin in
agreement with God’s Word is wise, never wrong.
If people like this are left in the church, they can corrupt others. They would be no different from those of the
world.
We are not to
judge unbelievers, because only God knows their hearts. We are to trust God to judge
unbelievers. It’s right to judge those
who claim to be Christians yet practice sin.
Otherwise, sin may destroy the congregation and its witness.
What sin do
you bring to church -- pride, gossip, criticism, entitlement?
Is there a
sin that keeps coming up? Bring the power of the cross to that
sin. You must give it to Him. It will be taken away by His power not yours.
Paul gave
instructions to believers about lawsuits.
The Corinthians were suing fellow believers over frivolous matters and
doing it for all the world to see in the courts of the ungodly. He said Believers should not bring lawsuits
against another believer. It should be
settled among believers. Believers were
to judge those inside the church and not those on the outside. Some day they will judge angels so they ought
to be able to settle disputes among themselves.
He said they are very capable to judge each other. Paul told them it was bad to bring a lawsuit
and that it would be better to accept wrong and be defrauded. (1 Corin. 6:1-8). Christians are to be known for their love,
not their rights.
Principle: God
calls His people to fight sin.
1 Corinthians 6:9-20 – Lack of Purity
Paul warned the
Christians in Corinth against mistaking freedom in Christ as power to continue
sinful behaviors. If they continued in
sin, they were in danger of judgment. He
said the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God. “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor
adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offender nor thieves nor the
greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of
God.” – 1 Corin. 6:9-10. There is hope. He continued, “And
that is what some of you were. But you
were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” – 1 Corin. 6:11.
Paul said, “Everything is permissible for me” – but not everything is
beneficial.” – 1 Corin. 6:12. This statement can be confusing. It means that Christians are free people
because of their relationship with Christ (Rom.
8:1-2). Christians are free from
sin’s bondage. God’s purpose is not to
control people. He gives everyone free
choice. We may be free, but some want to
do the wrong things. Christian liberty
is not an open excuse for any behavior or attitude. After you are saved, the Holy Spirit should
guide your live. A mature Christian
wants to do whatever God wants him to do.
Paul told them the
body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the
body. Their bodies were members of
Christ Himself. He told them to flee
from sexual immorality. All other sins
are committed are outside the body, but sexually sins are against his own body. Your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit. (1 Corin. 6:12-20).
Paul doesn’t say
to be brave and resist lustful desires, but to flee from its presence. We should follow the example of Joseph in Gen. 39 and run from temptation. He doesn’t say flee sex, only sexual
immorality. God gave sex for bonding a
husband and wife in marriage. Sexual
immorality works against God’s purpose.
Sexual immorality means more than sex outside marriage. It means flee from sexual gratification from pornography
found on the internet, movies, books, and magazines.
Because our body
is the temple of the Holy Spirit, we belong to God. You are not your own, because you were bought
at a price. Honor God with your body.
For whom does
your body belong?
Principle:
We are to glorify God with our body, because it is the temple of the
Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 7 – The Marriage Question
Since the
Corinthians were confused by the immorality around them, Paul told them it was
better not to marry, unless they cannot control their sexual desires. This might make them give in to sexual
immorality. He knew those who marry
would face many troubles in life. Marriage
is hard work. He said if you do want to
get married, you should think long and hard about it. Make sure you know the other person seeing
them in all kinds of situations.
Marriage is not between 2 people, but between husband, wife and God. For more on marriage see Ephesians 5:21-33 and Colossians 3:18-19.
A man should
have 1 wife and a wife should have 1 husband.
Paul advises that husbands and wives should fulfill marital duties. Her body doesn’t belong to her but to her
husband and the same for the husband.
They should not deprive each other so Satan will not tempt them. If the unbelieving partner chooses to leave,
the Christian must let him go. He said
that it is good for the unmarried and widows to stay unmarried unless they
can’t control themselves. A wife must
not separate from her husband. If she
does she must remain unmarried and a husband must not divorce his wife.
Paul seems to
not like marriage at all. Some believe
that Paul was likely to have been married at one time. He had been a member of the Sanhedrin and one
of the requirements was to be married. In
1 Corin. 7:33-35 Paul explained that
being unattached is better for a Christian so they may serve the Lord without
distraction. Then a believer’s entire
life can be absorbed in service to the Lord.
So is marriage a good thing? Of
course. It was instituted by God in a
perfect world, but it’s not for everyone.
If you are gifted with singleness, you can serve Him wholeheartedly
while not having to worry about neglecting a family. Just remember God should be the center of
your life whether married or single. Both
marriage and singleness are gifts from God.
I think Paul was totally devoted to spreading the gospel as God had
called him to do. So when you think
about it. He had no time for marriage.
How will you
use your marriage status for His purposes?
What about
divorce? Here are some Bible verses on
this subject: Luke 16:18; 1 Corin. 7:10-11, 15; Matt. 5:31-32; 19:3-9; Rom. 7:2;
Malachi 2:16. God doesn’t command
but does allow for divorce of two Christians when one severed the union through
sexual immorality. If you find that you
have sinned in this area, remember God forgives sins. If you are struggling in your marriage, stay
in His Word and on your knees in prayer asking God for guidance. He will guide and comfort you, give you
strength and can change your hopeless situation. If He doesn’t change you situation, He will
use it for your good.
Principle: God’s
gifts fully satisfy.
This chapter
addresses the most intimate of relationships that people experience. Maybe it makes you feel unloved and
uncomfortable. You may be struggling in
marriage or in celibacy. Remember God
grieves with you. He offers peace and
hope. If you have sinned or have
concerns in your relationship, seek prayer and counsel from your church
pastor. Trust God to develop in you
right relationships with others.
Join me here
next week as we continue our study of 1
Corinthians -- I
encourage you to trust in Jesus.
__________________________________________
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