(1 Co) 5:3-5 CJB “I have already judged the man who has done this as if I were present. In the name of the Lord Yeshua…hand over such a person to the Adversary for his old nature to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.”
(1 Co) 6:9-10 CJB “Don’t you know that unrighteous people will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t delude yourselves — people who engage in sex before marriage, who worship idols, who engage in sex after marriage with someone other than their spouse, who engage in active or passive homosexuality, who steal, who are greedy, who get drunk, who assail people with contemptuous language, who rob — none of them will share in the Kingdom of God.”
In a culture shaped by pagan tolerance, moral relativism, and “gentle” correction, Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians sound harsh.
But they are not harsh.
They are holy.
They are not Paul’s personal opinions.
They are God’s Word, written through Paul.
And they are not aimed at unbelievers.
They are aimed at the church.
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul confronts a situation where a professing believer is living in open, unrepentant sexual sin—and the church is tolerating it. No correction. No confrontation. No call to repentance.
Paul responds with urgency.
He calls the church to exercise discipline—not to punish, not to shame, not to destroy—but to restore.
“Hand him over… so that his old nature may be destroyed, and his spirit saved.”
The goal is not condemnation.
The goal is salvation.
Paul wants the sinful lifestyle broken so that the person might repent and be rescued.
Church discipline, when done biblically, is an act of love.
It says: “Your soul matters too much for us to pretend this is okay.”
Then in chapter 6, Paul speaks even more plainly.
He lists patterns of unrepentant sin—sexual immorality, idolatry, greed, drunkenness, abusive speech, theft—and says those who persist in these lifestyles “will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
This does not mean that believers never sin.
It means that genuine faith does not settle into sin.
Christians stumble.
Christians repent.
Christians fight.
Christians grow.
But they do not make peace with rebellion.
Grace is free.
But grace is never cheap.
Jesus paid for our salvation with His blood—not so we could continue in sin, but so we could be freed from it.
We are not saved by obedience.
But we are saved for obedience.
Salvation means we cannot earn God’s forgiveness.
It means we trust completely in Jesus’ finished work.
But once forgiven, we are called to live differently.
Not to impress God.
Not to earn favor.
But to reflect our new identity.
Holiness is evidence of reconciliation.
Changed lives point to a living Savior.
Paul’s call for accountability within the church is careful and communal. He does not tell individuals to act as spiritual police. He instructs the body of Christ to act together, humbly, prayerfully, under Christ’s authority.
Because judgment without humility becomes hypocrisy.
And tolerance without truth becomes betrayal.
We correct one another not because we are superior—but because we are family.
We warn one another because we love one another.
We restore one another because Christ restores us to Himself.
A weak church is not one that lacks programs.
It is one that lacks conviction.
It is one that avoids repentance.
It is one that minimizes sin.
It is one that excuses disobedience.
And when obedience weakens, witness weakens.
True repentance produces perseverance.
True faith produces fruit.
True salvation produces transformation.
Not perfection.
But direction.
Toward Christ.
Run Today’s Play:
1. Examine Your Life Honestly
Ask: Is there any area where I am excusing sin instead of fighting it?
2. Repent Quickly and Fully
Confess sin to God. Turn from it. Seek accountability.
3. Invite Godly Accountability
Walk with brothers who will tell you the truth in love.
4. Pursue Daily Obedience
Commit to small, consistent steps of holiness through prayer and Scripture.
Grace saves you.
Truth shapes you.
Obedience proves you belong to Christ.
