City Life Starter

The Word: 1 Corinthians 5:12-13

12 It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13 God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.” — 1 Corinthians 5:12-13

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43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. –Luke 6:43-45

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14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. 15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. 16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it. –Revelation 2:14-17

Questions to Consider:

1. Is judging people bad all the time?

2. Is there a form of using judgment or discernment in a godly way?

3. What does that look like to you?

By Aisha Darwesh

Today’s scripture from 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 establishes the responsibility of believers to judge those inside the church who are sinning and to “remove the evil person from among you,” as the Scriptures say. One of the definitions of the word “judge” used in today’s text is “to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong” (Strong’s).

Before we go any further, let’s take a moment to address our first reactions to this scripture. I’m sure at first glance, this scripture seems harsh and severe, but actually, it is one of the most merciful things one can do when dealing with someone who claims to be a believer and continues sinning. It is also the most beneficial thing to do for a community of believers.

I think an important distinction to make here is the difference between a believer who is growing and may make mistakes, as we all do, and the believer who has turned away from God is adamant, proud, and rebellious in his sin, and is unwilling to repent. There is a huge difference between a bound believer who is desperate for freedom and a bound believer who wants to hold on to his sin and stay bound.

In either case, the truth must be spoken and adhered to be set free. If someone is not willing to listen to godly correction, that person must be removed from the community so as not to cause others to stumble and to prevent the whole community from becoming infected.

In the above scripture from Revelation 2:14-17, Jesus expressed His complaints against the Church of Pergamum, namely that they tolerated those among them who taught others to commit sexual sin. Merely tolerating such wickedness among us is grounds for judgment, leave alone actually committing the wicked deeds.

In the church, we cannot have the true, authentic, and healthy community if we allow unrepentant believers to continue sinning and stay engaged in the church community. Yes, we should definitely offer opportunities for people to confess their sin and repent.

However, if the person is continuously rebelling against God and not willing to repent, then clearly this person has hardened himself to God. Such people are not to be associated with, but rather we must turn them over to their sin. When sin has run its course in their lives, there is a chance they will be saved in the day of the Lord (1 Cor. 5:5).

You may be wondering how cutting off fellowship with someone might possibly save them. It sounds counterintuitive, but imagine if someone you knew and loved was consistently doing something wrong and you gave them opportunities to repent, but they refused. If you continue to tolerate that behavior in the relationship, then you are in effect condoning that behavior and the person will go on sinning. But if you were to cut off fellowship with that person, and turn them over to the sin, sin will have its full effect, end in destruction and perhaps that person will see the error of their ways and come back to faith in God.

We cannot allow ongoing sinful behavior in our community of believers. We must make honoring and obeying God as our primary objective.

Application

Some key things that keep us on track as believers are the Word of God, an intimate friendship with the Holy Spirit, prayer, community, and accountability.

When it comes to judging in a godly way, start with the man in the mirror. Go to the Word of God. Is there any habit, behavior, or mindset you have adopted that is contrary to God’s Word? If so, take that opportunity to repent. If you feel comfortable sharing with a trusted leader in the church, confess your sin to God and to that leader, and pray for a total cleansing. God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). After you have prayed, ask that leader or a trusted fellow believer to help keep you accountable in that area.

Now that you’ve judged yourself, you can see clearly when it comes to others. Is there a believer you know who is living a lifestyle of sin? We’re not talking about someone who has fallen in a one-time incident for which they’ve already repented. This is someone like the person described in 1 Corinthians 5 who is proud and boastful about his sin.

Start with prayer. Ask God to show you if you are tolerating a lifestyle that goes against His holy nature. If anything comes to mind, ask God how He would like you to handle it.

Remember you are not alone in this. God is with you and He will show you what you must do or not do. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious, I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it. (Revelation 2:17).

Prayer

Lord, I want to thank You for Your patience with me. Thank You for never letting go of me no matter how far I drift. Your Word anchors me. You uphold me with Your victorious right hand. I want to honor You with every breath I take, Lord. Empower me with Your Sweet Holy Spirit to live completely for You! In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.