5:1-2 - He follows up what he talked about in chapter 4 with the absurdity of their arrogance. Paul says, "How could you possibly be arrogant? Not only should you not be arrogant, but you should be mourning because of the hypocrisy that lives within your church!" What do you think our modern Christian churches should be mourning? I believe that there are many times that we think we have it all figured out and we have the corner on the spiritual maturity/holiness department...when we should actually be doing a little mourning when it comes to how we have strayed from the Way. What should we be mourning about? Greed? Selfishness? Lack of accountability? Hypocrisy? Ignoring the "least of these"? What?
5:5 - This is a crazy sounding verse, but what I believe Paul is talking about here is tough love. There is a person in their church living in sexual sin that would make even the pagans cringe, yet he has not been confronted and disciplined and seems to believe there is nothing wrong with what he is doing. Paul instructs them to give him over to Satan, or push him out into the clutches of the fallen world...take the brotherhood of Christian fellowship away from him. Though it will be heartbreaking and painful, it is the only way for the man to be humbled enough to turn back to Jesus Christ. There are times when we have to allow people to reap the harvest of their rebellious choices - even if it will cause them to go through some really hard and painful experiences. Comfort for the body and ease for the life is not the focus of our existence. If hard times are going to bring someone back to Christ...hard times is just what the doctor ordered.
5:9-11 - Great passage for us to hear, for clarification on who we are supposed to be hanging out with. As Christians we are supposed to be spending time with people who are non-Christian. How else would anyone ever get introduced to Christ? You go into friendships like these filled with grace and understanding that they will not always make the greatest choices because they don't have a framework of truth to work from like you do. You hang out with non-Christians, but you also carefully watch yourself to make sure that you are not allowing them to influence you to step more deeply into worldly living. The only people we are not supposed to be spending time with, is rebellious Christians. You try to hold fellow Christians accountable, but when they consistently refuse follow God and they consistently live anti-Christ lifestyles while calling themselves Christians...you separate yourself. When someone fully understands the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and they can still spit on his name through their actions...they are a hypocritical influence that we as Christians cannot allow ourselves to be around.
3 comments:
Vs 5 – Msg - Hold this man's conduct up to public scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can! But if he can't, then out with him! It will be totally devastating to him, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment.
I agree – tough love – allowing someone to go down their own path – one that leads to bad things in their life and hurts you – but in the end…forgiven.
Vs 8 – Msg - So let's live out our part in the Feast, not as raised bread swollen with the yeast of evil, but as flat bread—simple, genuine, unpretentious.
One of the best modern word translations I have ever seen – could have only come from God in order that we understand His word better.
How good is our God – still giving wisdom about His word to those who ask and believed they will be answered.
Peace,
j
I don't check this often, but did today for my quiet time....was perfect timing :) thanks!
Father, I ask that you give the confidence to the people in my life to call me out whenever I'm going down a path I shouldn't be going down. I love you, and I want to live my life for you, and never want to let anything get in the way of that.
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