No One Gets Away With Sin

No One Gets Away With Sin
by David Brenneman

"It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.  You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.  For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.  In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.  Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?  Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.  Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.  I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;  I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.  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.  For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?  But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves." 1 Corinthians 5:1-13.

Whether we think so or not, intentional sins are always seen and known before Jesus.   There's many who do not believe in what's been termed "Church Discipline".  In Matthew 18 we read it said directly from Jesus as to how such a path is to be taken with regards to imploring someone to return to a right relationship with Jesus.  Here, Paul makes mention of this again.

You would have to be really isolated to not know of an incident at a recent concert.  A corporate executive and an human resources person were caught on camera.  The fact of the matter is that he's a married man caught in his illicit affair.  He showed no remorse at being caught.  Said that was an improper use of a camera catching a private moment.  It's like, no, you were caught and what you had been hiding now the whole world knows about.

In what we read here in 1 Corinthians, Paul was addressing a so-called brother in Christ.  There was a duty, a responsibility, to deal with such people within the Church and if they weren't all that willing to, Paul would.

It's necessary to edify the Church.  To preserve the unity of the Spirit of God in the Church.  Following such a practice of Church Discipline is meant to restore such people to a right relationship with Jesus.  They're so far down the wrong path that they're in need of these steps to come back to the righteous life that God desires for them.  It's not a path of punishment but of restoration. 

This executive person showed no remorse for being caught in his affair.  His company is now in trouble.  

Whether or not he or his wife or this human resources person are Believers who's to say.  The point of this matter is that sin is sin is sin is sin.  It doesn't matter what the world says if the Bible says something is sin then it's sin, because nobody's opinion on the matter matters.

What becomes of such people within the Church?  As you follow what's written in Matthew 18, a gradual pushing out of the offending party out from under the protection of God is what begins to happen.  Each step taken is meant to try to restore a person in the eyes of God in Christ Jesus.  Not at all in harshness but done in the love of God in Christ.

As you read 1st and 2nd Corinthians you read of a very troubled Church with regards to things such as this example.  Repentance came at last to many because of these letters and much prayer.  Repentance is to agree with Jesus and to turn away from the sin doing it no more.

Embracing any practiced sin puts up a wall between the Believer and Jesus.  It absolutely hinders effective prayer.  Until or unless these sinful practices are dealt with such people ought not expect anything from God in prayer. 

Paul wrote about the dangers of practiced sins in the book of Romans.  

We shouldn't put anything or anyone between us and a right relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Nothing should be more important than obeying the Lord Jesus Christ.

To be clear a practiced sin is one we intentionally choose to participate in doing.  We should never choose to invest time, energy or effort in something that was heaped upon Jesus on the cross!

For those who actually believe that it's not hurting anyone, you're wrong, it hurts you and your relationship with Jesus.  Every...single...time.

He who bore your sins on the cross to save your soul deserves to be treated better don't you think?  He deserves greater respect than to be so disrespected by embracing what put Him on the cross in first place.

We will never get away with any practiced sins.  Be it adultery or idolatry or anything else.  It's always best to stop and repent.  Turn from those things and keep a right relationship with Jesus flourishing.

Those who choose to not turn from his or her sins effectively spit on the face of Jesus Christ and what He did to save them. 

Many think they have gotten away with it.  Yet the Bible says that everyone will stand before Jesus to give an account of their lives before Him.  Believers for what they did in the body of Christ for Him and unbelieving people to indeed show that they never came close to the requirement of salvation through Jesus Christ alone to be saved.

Jesus searches the hearts and knows what all are doing at all times.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way." Psalms 139:23-24.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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