September 12, 2022

Passage Read: 1 Corinthians 4-5
Meditation Verses: 5:11-13

Thought

There's all this talk of Christians shooting their wounded whenever we call out a sinner, especially one who's been concealing their sin for a while. Yet were actually supposed to call out unrepentant sinners. We're supposed to rebuke privately those we first hear to be in sin, but those who refuse to repent, we're supposed to cast out of fellowship. The world thinks that's harsh, but they're the ones who want to keep on sinning! What do they know about repentance and what's needed to get there? We are called to a higher standard and we need to live up to it, to show the world that they too will be judged by the same truth and the same God!

Application

We need to deal firmly with sinners, in hope that they will repent. We must not deal lightly with them, overlooking their sin, for fear of offending the world! The world needs to be put on notice that the Lord will judge them too! I need to live by God's standard and I need to call other believers to turn from sin or else cut off fellowship until they do repent. That may be harsh, but it's also the most loving thing I can do for them.