Devotional

Christian Devotional – April 16, 2021

Corinthians, Day 5

Lost people are going to act like lost people. Paul reminds the church of this in 1 Corinthians 5.

Paul is a dressing a very specific issue that has come up in the church. There is a member of the church who claims to be a Christian who is acting in a way that is not Christ like at all. Paul is condemning that person for their actions.

But Paul makes a very large distinction here. People who are outside of the church and who don’t know Christ, they’re going to act like people who don’t know Christ. We’re not to judge those people for those actions. We are to love them and to seek to bring them into an understanding of who Christ is and what Christ has done for them. They need christ calmer and desperately. They don’t need our judgment or condemnation because only God gets to do that.

However, people inside the church who claim to be believers and yet are acting in sinful ways, we should address those people. Those actions need to be disciplined because the person has already placed themself under the authority of Christ. They are indicating that they are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, yet they are not following him and their actions do not display obedience. In those instances, the church should rise up and say no. No, you cannot act that way; that is not right.

Do we address sin in our churches? Do we recognize situations where people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ are not acting the way Jesus Christ would act? If we don’t address it, we tell the world that it is ok, that it is acceptable. In fact, it’s really not. Are we addressing sin within the church?