Subject: I liked most of what... |
Bible Note: Hi EdB, I too see the Bible as sort of an "instruction manual" from God on how He wants His creation to work. I'm not talking about "works (fruits)" but a general "how to book" in living His law of love toward Himself and man. One of the "how to's" mentioned in the Book concerns keeping the church pure. If a Christian sees another Christian in sin (works of the flesh in the case we were talking about) the bible says: 1Cor. 5:11-13 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone who named a brother, who is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- not even to eat with such a person. For what have I do to with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore put away from yourselves that wicked person." Please note that all the sins Paul lists are sins of the flesh. They fulfill fleshly desires, so one cannot set "idolater" aside as something only God can see. We all recognize that money can be someone's idol. And most of us also realize that power, sex, things, prestige, and self also can become like gods to some of us. So if someone sees their brother in sin, Paul says they are to discontinue fellowship with that person. He is talking to the church, not to non-Christians. And in order to recognize if something is sin, we must make a judgment too. Not to judge their heart (condemn them), but a judgment as to right and wrong. Paul also says "Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." (1Tim.3:15). Paul does this for a reason. To keep immorality from defiling the church (1Cor 15), and to bring the sinning brother to repentance. Jesus is the one who gives us the order in which we are to deal with brothers who have sinned against us, and it is the proper way to deal with sin in the church also. The man who was committing sexual fornication was to be confronted BY members OF the church most probably using the steps Jesus set forth in Matthew 18. Even though he(the fornicator) was not commiting that sin AGAINST the members that Paul spoke to, they were to admonish that person for his sin. Jesus said in Matt. 18:15-17 "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." Along with Jesus's words, Paul, Peter, James and John exhort us to admonish one another in a loving manner if we see a brother or sister in sin. The reason is to keep a "little leaven from leavening the whole lump". God didn't intend for His church to follow any thing just because it makes us "feel" spiritual or to make us "look" religious or holy. And accordingly to scripture we are suppose to weed out anything not of God from our midst using the procedure that Jesus set forth. That isn't judging others. That is judging right from wrong. God didn't make us stupid that we could not know the difference between right and wrong. In fact Jesus said "judge righteous judgment" or judge rightly, which means there is definitely SOMETHING we are to judge. Not a person's heart, but whether something is a sin or not would definitely fit in the category of what we are to judge. He didn't want the church -- His church -- polluted with false teachings and practices. God who never changes, of the law which Christ was the fulfillment of, wrote on stone and now writes these things on His children's hearts, "I am the Lord your God... you shall have no other gods before Me... you shall not bow down to them nor serve them..." Worshipping God in the Spirit is one thing. Worshipping Him in the flesh and for the flesh is something entirely different. Paul again states in 1Tim. 5:1 "Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, the younger as sisters, with all purity." And again in 1Tim. 5:18-22. Paul strives for the purity of Christ's church. And I think James' words complete these sayings. James 5:19-20 "Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." |