My prayer for the church in this generation based upon our reading in 1 Corinthians 5 today!
Father, continue to do a deep work in our hearts. Help us to reach beyond our personal preferences and understandings to extend grace, mercy, and love to the church. You forgive us even though we don’t deserve it. You’ve not come at us at times when we deserved punishment. You’ve loved and continue to love us even when we choose to be unlovable. Help us to base our responses to church family and those outside the church on Your grace, mercy, and love. Where we’ve missed seeing Your grace, mercy, and love help us to spiritually discern it and strengthen us to be an example of what we’ve experienced. Thank you, Father!
Paul is handling some grave sin that’s taken place in the church of Corinth. The church has gloried in the acceptance of sin within the church yet condemned those outside of the church for similar sin. Paul says, “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people; I did not at all mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the greedy and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world. For what business of mine is it to judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges.” 1 Corinthians 5:9-10,12-13a
There should be a protection within fellowship that takes place within our church families, but it shouldn’t allow us to continue in sin. We sometimes focus on sin outside the church, but the world is just being the world. We need to be balanced for sure, but sharing the truth in love with our church family is imperative. In the same way it’s imperative we show the love we have for each other in the church and live out examples of the truth and love of Christ to a lost and dying world.
- To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.