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NASB | 1 Corinthians 5:11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Corinthians 5:11 But actually, I have written to you not to associate with any so-called [Christian] brother if he is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater [devoted to anything that takes the place of God], or is a reviler [who insults or slanders or otherwise verbally abuses others], or is a drunkard or a swindler--you must not so much as eat with such a person. [2 Thess 3:6] |
Bible Question:
Itiswritten: Thank you for your reply. It sounds as if you doubt the salvation of my 2 friends. I have always been very cautious about doing that. I do pray for them continuously, but I have not been praying for their salvation (they insist they are saved), but for their full repentance and return to fellowship with the Lord. Please clarify for me; do you doubt their salvation? In Christ,cwade |
Bible Answer: Dear Cwade, Concerning the salvation of your friends, I do not know. I can only go by what the Word of God tells me and the judgment is up to Him. However, if they insist on living they way you say they do, it would be better for you not to "hang out with them," by what the Word of God cautions us. The thing is this: a Christian will sin from time to time, but one cannot call oneself a Christian and commit to a lifestyle that is of sin. Under temptation, a Christian may commit adultery, feel terrible about it, repent, ask the Lord for forgiveness and get up and go forward. But to live in sin, or to live in a lifestyle of sin...that is another issue. The great Billy Graham put it this way in a book of his that I read a long time ago. He told a story about what it means to be born again. He said there were two row boats. They were in the same river as everyone in this world is in the same river. The people of this world were in the row boat that went along easily with the current (or went along with what is politically correct, so to speak) and the other was the row boat of the born again believers of God. They were going in the same river but in the opposite direction of the current, struggling against the tide. Jesus gave us the parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13:24-30. This shows us that it is very difficult to tell the difference between a maybe immature Christian, for example, and a fake one. Jesus also tells us in Matthew 7:13-20. What is the fruit of their doings? If it is sinful, it is not of God. If it produces strife, disobedience to the commandments of God, etc...what is their fruit? Whether they profess to be Christians or not, we know them by their fruit. Whether they are "saved" or not, their lifestyles tell us that they are in danger of hell-fire. So, they need prayer. By the sincere prayers of one who really cares, one who does belong to the Lord, they may yet be saved or reinstated into proper standing the household of God, whatever is appropriate which God only knows. If they are saved, according to what Paul tells us, and they persist in sin, they will reap terrible things in this world in order to retain their salvation (I Cor. 5:1-6). We can not feel safe in our assumptions that a person is a Christian because they belong to a Church because today as it was even in the early days of the faith, many mainline churches have accepted what the Word of God says is not in any way acceptable. (see Matthew 7:21, Romans 1:21-32). The word of God also warns us about those who accepted the Lord and turned back to their old ways. You can read about this in 2 Peter 2 and Matthew 13: 18-23. Which category your friends are under is not for me to say, neither do I wish to. But If you look at the example of the early church fathers...it would not be tolerated in the fellowship of the faith. I do not condemn - I caution and I encourage you to continue to pray for them. Depending on what the situation in fact is, you may be the one and only person who cares enough to really make the difference for them. I hope this answers your question. Sincerely, Itiswritten. |