1CO 5:9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
We are not to stop associating with the World but we are not to associate with Brothers and Sisters who will not abandon their Sins and Deny it is even a Sin! The reason is so we too are not led astray.
I have to put with some family members that are without God and participate in all manner of Sinful actions and behaviours. I really don't wnat to turn up to Church and have to deal with the same arrogant I can do what I like Sin in my face as well. Bad enough I get it daily at work or up the street. Honestly if Christians cannot accept that their Sin is Sin and make some effort to deal with it I really don't want to have them around me. I can only cope with so much and I really don't need to deal with obstinate, arrogant, open in your face Sin each Sunday. It doesn't matter what the Sin is but if it is being OPENLY boasted about or practiced in a Church then the person needs to be given their marching orders until they get that their Sin is an Offence to God and His children.
Hey Amazing Grace! I agree that we must be very careful not to let the sin of the unrepentant pull us down. But as Christians we are to be discerning. I think it can be so very difficult to know what we should do in some circumstances. Because yes, while there are some people and situations that could tempt us to sin, we are still told to love everyone, friends and enemies alike. Jesus had a bad rep in his day for hanging out with the people with loose morals, remember when he said that he had come to heal the sick, not the healthy? There are so many lost people out there, and the Bible tells us that many of them are not rebellious, or stupid....they are blind. They simply do not see their sin nature or their need for Jesus. Now, there's no doubt that the Holy Spirit can convict and convert people by Himself (a la Paul!), but so very often He works through us! Through the Christians who meet people where they are and shine the light of truth for them. It's very hard to do that when we sit in our white castles not wanting to go forth into the sinful world.
While I totally and completely agree that wilful and unrepentant sin can not be tolerated within Churches...particularly within leadership (for eg...gay pastor), we cannot throw people out because they're sinners. Sure, if someone refuses to cease an openly sinful behaviour, scripture calls us to ask them to move on...they are like a cancer within the body. But many people, while sinful, are fighting against it. These people should be treated like everyone else, no matter the type of sin they are struggling with.
I think a very huge problem we have today is that our Churches tend to go to extremes....either they're so consumed with what's considered 'bad' sins, that no one feels welcome, or they are so convinced they should love and include everyone that sin is actually welcomed.
I'm tired of having to put up with Christians ignoring God's commandments and telling me that I need to forgive them them while they happily go on not curbing their own sinful behaviour. They think they have a licence to sin because they are Saved and no one loses their salvation do they (if you believe in OSAS).
I think that's because they're not really asking you to 'forgive' them, they're asking you to accept their sin as normal behaviour that God would approve of. Not really the same thing is it?? Forgiving implies that that person has sinned against you. If they really have, well, in that case you forgiving them when they're not repentant is for your benefit, not theirs really. But most of the time the sin is against God. In that case it's not really our place to 'forgive' their sins, that's up to God, and He's told us He only forgives through Christ. I think this is a part of the problem. As Christians we know we should love and forgive others, but that is so completely different from approving of someone's sin, isn't it? Non Christians throw the 'love and forgiveness' card at us all the time, demanding that we affirm their lifestyles. We can love them, sure, but since our allegiance is to God, we'll never approve of the sin they commit, and we shouldn't feel we need to.
I understand it takes some time for New Believers to be convicted and learn what is Sin. Even if they do not stop Sinning straight away they at least should be able to do ONE Thing and that is ADMIT that certain actions or behaviours are SIN! I find it hard to believe that anyone Born of God cannot recognise Sin and I certainly find it hard to believe that they will DENY it as a SIN.
As to finally being delivered from the grasp of the Sin that may take some time. First of all they would not be doing anything in public that indicated they were living a lifestyle that is Sin in God's eyes. Then they would be taking steps in their private lives to avoid the Sin and STOP!
However if they turning up to Church every Sunday with their same sex partners holding hands at service, boasting openly of their sinful relationship and kissing in the carpark I would certainly find that intolerable and thumbing their nose at God's Word. I certainly would not want young Believers exposed to that kind of arrogant rebellion against God's commandments. Cut them off and let them sort it out with the Lord if they are sincere in their Faith they would be willing to not behave that way at Church.
Agreed. You know what really bugs me? The argument that because God is a God of love, that anything is then permissible in the name of love. God is also a God of wrath and judgement. You can't ignore all His attributes in favour of only one, that's ridiculous.
I know people who are gay want to be loved just like anyone else, but the simple fact is that there is a higher power involved here, and He has declared it wrong. That is not easy for them, I know...no sin is easy. But when we give up our sins, we gain such an amazing love from God Himself....it totally makes it worth it.
