Dealing With Sin In The Church

In John 7:24, Jesus commanded, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”  We are not to judge just on how the behavior appears, but to look deeper so that we are judging properly.   Jesus addressed this Matthew 18:5-17.  “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.”  

Some cultures accept things that other cultures abhor.  When dealing with people from another background, we need to realize they may not understand certain behavior is unacceptable or offensive.  Acting in love, our goal is to help them grow in the Lord, not just to get them out of the church.  Unfortunately, our approach can easily offend them so we start on an individual level in hopes of not embarrassing them.   They may think it is only our own feelings, so if they don’t pay attention, we approach them with a small group, still trying to avoid unnecessary embarrassment or conflict.  If they still refuse to listen, then we bring it before the church so that they know it is everyone’s opinion.  If they still refuse, then they are not to be considered members of the church any longer, but even in that case they are not to be shunned, but treated like any other non-Christian. 

Paul deals with this situation in I Corinthians 5.  It is clear the man already knows his actions are unacceptable, because as I Corinthians 5:1 tells us, even the Gentiles would not accept his behavior.  “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.”  The man has made it clear he has no intention of quitting regardless of what others think.  They are at the point where Jesus said they should put him out of the church. 

The church had become convinced toleration was a sign of spirituality and tried to ignore the sin rather than dealing with it as Jesus said.   I Corinthians 6:9-10 says that certain sins indicate a person is not really a Christian.  “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”  By putting the man out of the church, they might cause him to realize he needed to be saved, even though it might result in his going further into sin for a while, as I Corinthians 5:2-5 tells us.  “And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.  For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

Their pride in their tolerance and refusal to deal with this man’s sin could well lead others to believe other sins were also acceptable.  If they wanted to be acceptable to God they would need to eliminate the sin, as I Corinthians 5:6-8 advises.  “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. “

As Christians we are to be the light of the world, demonstrating a life that pleases God.  If we isolate ourselves in monasteries and communes, the world will not be able to see our light.  Instead of isolating ourselves, we need to deal with sin in the church so that the world can understand what a Holy and perfect God we serve, and that he is willing to forgive those who turn from their sin.  Proper judgement and church discipline is critical our testimony before the world.  It is not our responsibility to change the world, but to set a proper example in the church, as I Corinthians 5:9-13 tells us.  “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:  Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?  But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”

If we allow the things that indicate that one is not truly a Christian in the church, the church ceases to be a light to the world, because it is no longer different.  Excessive tolerance or a refusal to judge can result in an entire church that is unacceptable to God.