Part 5, Interactions With The Gracious and Loving God Sermon Series
First Corinthians 5:1-6
“All sin is mortal in the sense that it deserves death, but no sin is so severe that it can destroy the grace of justification.” John Calvin
“God tells us that entrance into heaven will only be on the basis of Christ, but once we get to heaven, rewards would be dispensed according to works.” R.C Sproul, Are There Degrees of Sin?, May 31, 2019, Ligonier.org
1.Confront the sinner and his sin.
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?”
Some trustworthy Christians reported to Paul about a scandalous affair being tolerated by some members of the Corinthian church.
This terrible sin was so disgusting, that the Old Testament law (Deuteronomy 22:30; 27:20) curse anyone doing it, and even the Roman law criminalized it.
2. Pass the right judgement.
“3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this.”
Instead of building and keeping a clear Christian conscience, Paul said, their spirit were even bloated with arrogance as they resisted to practice the holiness of God.
Paul demanded the church to pass the right judgment.
Jesus taught his disciples to discipline erring member in Mathew 18:15-17.
By talking to the sinner first in private, getting his side, and presenting witnesses, Jesus was teaching against superficial judgement.
The church can pass judgment on human behavior, and other faith doctrines, using our own Scriptural doctrines.
3. Life transformation is the goal of discipline.
4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.”
The goal of church discipline is to challenge the flesh to give up, (that is the sinful desire) and commit to life transformation.
Paul was hoping that church discipline will help the sinner to prove his faith, by coming to repentance and changing his shameful ways.
The apostle was still hoping that the sinner will still be saved, and his rewards for other things he did for the Lord, be given on the day of Christ’s coming.