Immorality Rebuked

From the Original Baptist Observer, January 2019 Issue

I Corinthians 5:1

“It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.”

Reports of sinful conduct hinder the influence of an individual and/or a church.

Romans 14:7

“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.”

Hebrews 13:4

“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

God placed sexual activity in the bounds of marriage.

Even the Gentiles, who were heathens, being without God, didn’t approve of the fornication that existed in the Corinth Church. It is always God’s will that His children abstain from fornication, whether it be physical fornication or spiritual fornication.

Acts 15:20

“But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.”

I Corinthians 6:18

“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.”

Galatians 5:19

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,”

Ephesians 5:3

“But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;”

Colossians 3:5

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”

I Thessalonians 4:3

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:”

I Corinthians 5:2

“And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.”

Sin should not be taken lightly. The church here at Corinth was not taking this sin seriously. Sin is a grievance to God. Sin should grieve us because it grieves God.

Genesis 6:6

“And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”

I Corinthians 5:3

“For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed.”

The evidence presented to Paul was good enough for him to make a valid judgment on what the church should do. The facts had been established and yet, the church was not acting on it.

I Corinthians 5:4

“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

By the authority of Christ meant that Paul was advising the church to discipline this member because of the instructions Paul received from the Lord.

I Corinthians 11:1-2

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.”

I Corinthians 14:37

“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”

When the church assembles, it is the church who is to discipline, not the pastor or a committee. The church is who Jesus’ authority comes through.

Matthew 18:17-18

“And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 28:18-20

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

I Corinthians 5:5

“To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

The church was to turn the individual over to Satan. One cannot be in fellowship with the Lord and Satan at the same time.

I John 1:6-7

“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Church discipline was to be administered so that the flesh could be chastened or brought back under control. A church member that acts like a goat, should be turned out to live with the goats from the fellowship of the sheep. Publicly known sin restrains the joy and freedom in our personal lives and our church’s life. The Spirit is hindered in the assembly when a church harbors known sin such as this.

Psalm 51:11-13

“Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.”

I Corinthians 5:6

“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”

Matthew 16:6, 11, 12

“Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”

Galatians 1:6-9

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

I Peter 2:9

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”

We must be careful who we involve ourselves with, what we listen to, and with whom we participate. False doctrines will have an affect on us if we give heed to them.

I Corinthians 5:7

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:”

The body, the church, is to be sanctified, clean, and unleavened.

Matthew 5:48

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

I Corinthians 5:8

“Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Acts 2:42

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

I Corinthians 5:9

“I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:”

Romans 12:1-2

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

I Corinthians 5:13

“But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”

II Thessalonians 3:6

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”

James 4:4 “…know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?…”