I Corinthians 5
In the beginning of this chapter, apostle Paul is speaking to the church about the immorality going on in the church.
I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.
1 Corinthians 5:1-2 NLT
What I garner from this scripture is the displeasure and unbelief of the state of the church that apostle Paul heard. In this present age we still hear of some act that are displeasing to God but the difference is everyone hides away under one covering of sin or the other. Some do not want to be told off, some don't want to be caught and some explain their way justifying the act while some water down what the scripture says about certain sin. The problem is many fail to understand that sin is sin, there is no grading or hierarchy when it comes to sin before God and God is aware of every sinful act.
Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns. Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 5:3-8 NLT
1 Corinthians 5:3-8, Apostle Paul elaborated more on the need to get rid of sin and get rid of the sinful person so they can be saved. I always remind myself that a group is as weak as the weakest link. His description of how sin is like again of yeast and how it will rise to the very end exactly shows why you can't tolerate or accommodate any form of sin. You might initially think it's nothing but when worst comes to shove, it's blown out of proportion and it becomes a big deal and before God it is not just a sin, it's the destruction that envelopes the soul that fails to repent from sin. I learned from these verses that you must deal with sin before it deals with you.
When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”
1 Corinthians 5:9-13 NLT
Verse 9 to 13 further explain why the correction of those who are believers that still commit sexual sin must be addressed. Apostle Paul said here that, his previous warning wasn't meant for unbelievers but for believers. That unbelievers will be judged directly by God. We can't even dispute the fact that some attrocities or sin are still being committed by believers these days. The truth is many have become ignorant or normalized these act that makes it look as if it's the norm. The truth is the word of God is final, His word never changes and God cannot change just so human can bend the rules. Sexual sin is the sin to the body and according to 1 Corinthians 3:16
Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT
We are God's temple, our bodies are His temple, so sexual sin if encouraged or practiced defiles the temple of God. That is wrong and should not be encouraged. My prayer is that God helps us with every type of sin we might fall in and grant us grace to live above sin in Jesus name amen
1 Corinthians 6
This Chapter just like the previous chapter started with the displeasure of apostle Paul of believers that sue each other but use the judges who are unbelievers to judge the case.
When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. If you have legal disputes about such matters, why go to outside judges who are not respected by the church? I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? But instead, one believer sues another—right in front of unbelievers!
1 Corinthians 6:1-6 NLT
The truth is, this is a practice that is still ongoing in many countries, and religion of the world. My question is how do you know the true believers who can resolves cases in the church. Do we have leaders in the church who will judge according to the will of God without favouritism of any kind?
Do we still have churches that abide solely to the plans and precepts of God? I am sure we still have them because I do not want to be ignorant in anyway. When Elijah thought he was the only upright prophet, God told him there were 7000 who have not bowed to Baal. I believe in this current days we still have true believers. I pray God directs us on how to solve dispute appropriately in Jesus name amen.
He went further to say why not allow injustice and just let go. Then he hit the nail on the head by saying because the attrocities is coming directly from you believers and do you not realise that anyone who practice all these things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers. Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:8-11 NLT
These chapter, is a call for evaluation to review our personal ways, to see if we are indeed true believers or we are just believers when we have to be. Because inheriting the kingdom of God is the ultimate goal, if indulging in this secret sins is still a norm in a believer's life, they can't inherit the kingdom of God.
Lord I ask for grace to not indulge in immoralities that will deny me from making heaven in Jesus name amen.
1 Corinthians 6:12-13
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:12-13 NLT
What I grabbed from this scripture is that, the fact that something is good for all doesn't necessarily mean is good for me as a believer. Sexual sin must be avoided at all cost and every sin that makes us far from the plans of God. But if you fail to, always remember God is capable to put an end to the existence of both the sin and the sinner. However, he loves us so much and our bodies must always be used according to His will.
Sex is beyond just ordinary intercourses and when it is practiced outside the God ordain way it is sexual sin.
And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead. Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:14-17 NLT
When we leave this world we will reign with God eternally if we lived for Him while on earth. When your body is joint with Him here on earth, reigning with Him eternally is guaranteed.
Whatever you join your body to rules over your spirit and soul, so sexual immorality affects the entire existence of a believer.
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 NLT
The last warning in this chapter 6 is clear, run from sexual immorality, it is a sin to the Holy Spirit, you do not belong to yourself because we were bought by a high price the blood of Jesus shed on Calvary.
I pray for anyone struggling with sexual immorality either in deeds or in thoughts that God almighty will set you free.
I ask for grace to continually commit our body to the hands of God in Jesus name amen.
