When Sin Goes Unchecked

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

God hates sin. Sin cost God His Son’s painful sacrifice on the cross. So it matters to Him, and it should matter to us, too.

The Corinthian congregation was allowing leaven—that is, evil—to spread through the church by ignoring a major sin in the life of a man in their congregation. When the Corinthians ultimately followed God’s commands and dealt with the sin, the end result honored the Lord. Once confronted, the man stuck in sin came back to the Lord in deep repentance and was restored to fellowship with the church.

Today we need the courage—not compromise—to point out the wrong and say, “This is sin.” Most often, when confronted with truth in a loving but firm manner, a believer who is in sin will confess, repent, and come back to God.

Another challenge we face as Christians living in a secular world is how to relate to earthly government as our authority. As followers of Jesus, we have a dual citizenship, both as citizens of earth and as spiritual citizens of heaven (see Philippians 3:20).

God expects us to pray for those who serve in authority over us in government and to foster a peaceful society by pursuing godliness, honesty, and promoting the civic good of our neighbors. Mostly, He wants us to live in ways that attract others to the grace and goodness of His Son, Jesus (see Romans 13:1-4; 1 Timothy 2:1-4).

So, when conflicts come up in the church, we have everything we need in Christ to bring about a good and peaceful resolution.

In fact, someday in the future, believers will judge the world and the angels. Did you know that? If we can do that, we certainly can manage our own petty disputes (1 Corinthians 6:3; 2 Timothy 2:2, 12).

In addition, the human legal system falls short in its ability to judge spiritual matters among Christians, because the people involved don’t understand spiritual principles. A human judge may be an expert in societal laws but will fall short in spiritual discernment.

How much better to trust the work Christ has done in our lives by making us holy before Him and by uniquely equipping us by the Holy Spirit to live peacefully with one another. Because of God’s Spirit in us, we are clear-minded, even-tempered, and pursuing one another’s best over our own. Such virtues are rarely found in a court of law whereby nature people remain hopelessly pitted against each all the way to the bitter end.

Here’s the bottom line: Christians are free to live and enjoy our lives when we live in obedience to Jesus and His Spirit. God wants us to honor Him with our bodies. We are not to give ourselves to sexual sin. Our bodies are not to be given to adultery or fornication but to remain holy and pure because we belong to the Lord.

Our life and our bodies are not ours to use and abuse as we choose. Both belong to God. God lovingly sacrificed His Son to bring us into a right relationship with Himself, and that ought to motivate us to live in ways that honor Jesus Christ.

1. If sin is so serious, why do you think the Corinthian church ignored it being committed openly in their congregation?

2. How could the sin of one person, if not dealt with, spread to other believers?

3. How can you live in such a way that promotes the good of your neighbors?

Additional Resources

Listen to Dr. J. Vernon McGee’s complete teachings on 1 Corinthians 5 and 1 Corinthians 6.