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Tag: sexual sin

Spiritual Pride Immorality Judged 1 Corinthians 5
Does Spiritual Pride prevent christians who come to church on Sunday from offering more than a cup of coffee (very light with lots of froth) to Corinthians (or Cincinnatians) seeking the Lord Jesus?

Previously in this first letter to his beloved believers in Corinth the Apostle has suggested:

For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.

1 Corinthians 4:20 NLT
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True evangelism of Christ through all Scripture becomes a personal challenge to us.
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Pride in Preaching!

WE love our church — don’t we?

Our Pastor is more passionate about US than other preachers of competing gatherings on Sunday. (Or so WE tell some in evangelizing a consumer-friendly gospel of our loving Jesus.)

The Apostle has challenged such thinking among divided christians within the Corinthian church — some who doubt his distant authority in the Lord.

Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

1 Corinthians 4:21b – NIV

NOW the Apostle REBUKES (judges) a specific evil known publically in the community of worshipers in Corinth.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you..
1 Corinthians 5:1a
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As is often the case, it's not necessarily the preacher who is the problem (Paul, Apollos or Peter).

The offenders are generally overlooked witness of fellow christians (with whom you sip coffee and break bread), men and women identified with YOUR CHURCH gathering with their continuing sin evident to all. 

THE LIFE THIS Corinthian christian leads, Paul suggests, is NOT so unlike the pagans WE hope to convert.
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“.. and sexual immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, namely, that someone has his father’s wife.

It may be some other porneia [fornication] sexual sin, SOCIALLY ACCEPTED SINS generally known, perhaps prevalent in OUR church;

i.e. pre-marital sex, unmarried mothers, absent fathers, abortions, extra-marital affairs, divorces…

In Corinth (or Cincinnati, Chongqing or Chicago) our pride flaunts evidence of OUR indiscretions.

Yet sexual sin unconfronted as grace condones a witness of christian culture where unrepentance persists.
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Our Common Era flood of destruction flows from the sins of the church. 

The world sees christian sin witnessed as worship.
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The Apostle calls on leaders of the Church to judge and remove the offender of Christ.

5:2 “And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. – NKJV

“And you are proud! – NIV “

And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. – ESV
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PRIDE in PREACHING or IN THE PRAISE BAND or OUR CHOIR or OUR FESTIVALS; PRIDE in our COMMUNION or BAPTISM or LITURGY or CULTURAL INCLUSION or MISSIONS or PROGRAMS or SCHOOL or other 'church' identities WE CLAIM! 

ALL distract US from the humility of serving Christ Jesus as our Lord in OUR HOMETOWN "Church." 
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Such pride divided the Corinthian Church (as it continues to do in this Common Era).

Judgment between Christ and Satan

Several BIBLICAL HEADINGS added to 1 Corinthians 5 reflect the seriousness of the Apostle’s judgment.

Immorality Rebuked – KJV

Sin in the Church – NLV

Wickedness in the Church – International Children’s Bible

Deviant Behavior – New Catholic Bible

Immorality Defiles the Church – NKJV

Sexual Immorality Defiles the Church- ESV

Throw Out the Evil Person! – NIRV

Paul Condemns Spiritual Pride – New Living Translation

Sexual Immorality Rebuked – NASB
- And also from the NKJV a Sub-HEADING to 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
Immorality Must Be Judged

PAUL’S WRITTEN EPISTLE DOES NOT CONDEMN from afar, but informs.

Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man

1 Corinthians 5:3 NLT

The APOSTLE makes a personal connection to the church in Corinth and by the HOLY SPIRIT casts his authoritative judgment against a certain man who is part of their Corinthian church.

So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 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 Apostle Paul’s first Epistle to the Corinthians 5:4-5 NIV

By the Authority of the Spirit the Apostle commands the leaders of this CHURCH to SHOW the Corinthian ‘christian‘ his choice between this SIN of the flesh and saving his spirit.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, .. with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

1 Corinthians 5:4-5 excerpt NKJV

Σατανᾶς – Satan

As we frequently fail to enlist the power of the Advocate (the Holy Spirit), so too we dismiss the danger and deception of the Adversary, that is: Satan.
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The Deceiver is an enemy of Christ and enemy of the Church.
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Σατανᾶς – Of Aramaic origin corresponding to Σατάν (G4566)

The KJV translates Strong’s G4567 in the following manner: Satan (36x).

adversary (one who opposes another in purpose or act), the name given to
the prince of evil spirits, the inveterate adversary of God and Christ
he incites apostasy from God and to sin
Σατανᾶς – Lexicon :: Strong’s G4567 – satanas
- What does Paul mean by ‘turning this sinner over to Satan for DESTRUCTION of his FLESH?
- And how can this sinner’s ‘spirit be saved in the day of the Lord’ by his church turning him over to Satan?
- As a matter of practice (church practice, if you like) HOW can he be saved?
the power of our Lord Jesus is present

Take Action, Church! Don’t overlook this.
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The issue is communion, purity of worship. 

Paul illustrates from the Hebrew Law of God concerning leaven and then applies it to worship of the saints in Corinth.
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6 Your boasting is not good.

Do you not know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough?

7 Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are.
- Are you truly transformed in Christ?
- Do you count yourself in Christ as part of His body?
  - (Some may recognize this quote of scripture from the traditional church liturgy of Holy Communion.)
For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

8Therefore let us keep the feast..

not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.

1 Corinthians 5:7b-8 BSB

Note the importance of the contrast Paul presents for communion of the saints of this new group of believers, the Corinthian Church (as they will be identified by the world).

When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit.. 1Cor5:4

Judging Outsiders

For what have I to do with judging outsiders?

1 Corinthians 5:12a LSB

PAUL rhetorically asks a MYOB question Christians hear frequently.

YET we know (and easily neglect) the Apostle’s point of his related question here FOR THE CHURCH.

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people;

10 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 go out of the world.

I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin,

or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people.

Don’t even eat with such people.

1 Corinthians 5:11:20 New Living Translation

Do you not judge those who are inside?
1 Corinthians 5:12b – NKJV

Translations vary, but the Apostle’s pointed QUESTION for the Corinthians is no different than the Spirit commands of us:

Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?

1 Corinthians 5:12b – ESV

13 God will judge those outside.

“Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Seems so simple. Endure such dissentions or face a fellow saint in order to save their soul?

NEXT: Judging Problems Among Christians – 1 Corinthians 6

HEADING: International Children’s Bible
September 19, 2024
Redeeming the Time
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. –Ephesians 5:15-16 NKJV

Are your sunday-christian sensibilities shocked by the everyday images of the world in these last days?

Oh, the subtleties of Satan engineering constant bombardment of entertainment vulgarities as desirable mentoring of women and children and young men. Oh, the subtleties of Satan to suggest special rights for perversions abhorrent to God. Oh, the subtleties of Satan renaming life given to the growing seed of a man in the womb of a woman to the purpose of calling a child a choice. Oh, the subtleties of Satan for the greed of intrusion of corporate performance-improving pharmaceuticals within the hearing of our children with a medical disclaimer for physiology once not mentioned to toddlers or young teens.

The imagery of combat and sex in video and print and talk invades the minds and conquers the heart and soul by every intrusion into the lives of our growing children and the workplaces and shopping places of every adult. Philandering weak sunday-christians wander six-days and twenty-three hours in the filth of the world without the purity of Christ. Oh, the subtlety of Satan to have christians accept evil as normal and reject Christ’s righteousness as abhorrent witness to a fallen world.

Satan’s advances through cellphones , i-pods, cartoons; by television and radio into every place of work and business; and the filtering of Christ and God from every tolerance of the world goes well beyond what was considered proper and acceptable to any man or woman or child, let alone a Christian struggling to mute the evil messages and cover the obscene sights of our everyday life in the world of these last days.

The temple prostitutes of Ephesus had nothing on those of this day who live for the moment of their next hook-up and share in the desires of the flesh against which the letter cautions Christians so vehemently. Some of these now do even claim Christ on an occasional Sunday, while the world knows they covet the buzz of the moment and relationship of the night.

Ephesians 5

New King James Version (NKJV)
Walk in Love

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Walk in Light

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”

Walk in Wisdom

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Marriage—Christ and the Church

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Is marriage not under attack?

By women divorcing their Christian husbands? By adultery of husbands who claim Christ? By re-definition of twenties and teens “in a relationship,” before never being in a commitment by their words and their true acts of true love?

Why not re-define marriage in the courts to conform to the sinful desires of sinful man?

Oh, ‘single mom’ and lustful man: it is not the husband or wife of your vows you witness against. Your sin and witness is against Christ Jesus by claiming His Name, while living the subtle lies of the life of your flesh!

When David sinned and was finally convicted after a year, he repented and did all he could to get right before God once more.

Psalm 51:

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—

Therefore, forgive the sinner

And repent you fellow sinner

For the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ

And for the redemption of your sinking soul.

2 Timothy 3

English Standard Version (ESV)
Godlessness in the Last Days

3 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.

2 For people will be:

lovers of self,

lovers of money,

proud,

arrogant,

abusive,

disobedient to their parents,

ungrateful, unholy,

heartless,

unappeasable (impossible to satisfy),

slanderous,

without self-control,

brutal,

not loving good,

treacherous,

reckless,

swollen with conceit,

(And occasional sunday-christians unrepentant, take note of these:)

lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

AND the advice of the letter to the Church?
Avoid such people.

Redeem your time spent so foolishly with non-Christians and unbelievers; but AVOID those who CLAIM Christ Jesus, while living a pagan and unbelieving life of witness against Christ and His bride, the Church.

6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth…

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Remove your shades of the blind man,

O you christian distracted by the world.

Remove Satan’s loud ear buds

From pounding the evil in your ears.

Hear once more the Gospel.

Receive the love of our Redeemer.

Turn again and follow once more

Christ Jesus, our Lord;

Redeeming your time,

For the days are evil.
February 11, 2014
The Pervasiveness of Sin
If you perceive the pervasiveness of sin,

you will pour forth great gratitude for God’s grace

and the cross of Christ.

Revelation 18: For your merchants were the greatest in the world,
and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
24 In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people
and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”

… all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.

So warns Christ’s Revelation to John of Babylon, a home for demons – the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit. Even Ezekiel had warned Jerusalem of these same evils (perhaps appropriate warning to a 21st c. church).

3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Disclaimer & Caution

Researching the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John reconfirms a need for a note of caution to the reader.

MUCH false teaching, speculative interpretation and agenda-driven preaching will easily mislead and confuse most believers, except believers well-versed scripturally in apologetics. Perhaps one of the greatest dangers is to accept an interpretation of just one man on the many important symbols John presents in Revelation – especially in the following chapters.

The following is a continuation in my series on Revelation, begun with the Letters to the Seven Churches and now continuing from much later in John’s apocalypse in Chapter 17.

May I suggest that you take my interpretation of scripture (or anyone’s interpretation) under consideration of:
- the Holy Spirit
- Scripture (including, possibly root meanings of the Greek or Hebrew)
- prayerful consideration of application to your life and those in your life
Roger Harned
Central

to the Judgment of Christ Jesus

in the Apocalypse of John.

Revelation is misunderstood and much misrepresented. Will the deception of these last days not increase with the pervasiveness of sin?

BABYLON, the Harlot Queen,

sits upon the scarlet beast –

Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

SIN is pervasive!

Revelation begins with warning to the churches. Should the churches of these last days not heed the warnings of a time so near?

The Apostle John describes Heavenly visions (none of which I will describe today):
- The Scroll and Seven Seals (ch. 4-7)
- Seven Angels with Seven Trumpets (ch. 8-11)
- Seven Symbolic Histories (ch. 12-14)
- Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath (ch. 15-16)
All of this leads up to the drama of punishment, with its great symbolism. All of Revelation leads to a drama:

CENTERED ON EVIL vs. GOOD

SATAN vs. CHRIST JESUS.

Though the FINAL BATTLE does not take place until Revelation 19, the familiar opponents of God confront the believer and unbeliever alike with the great symbolism of Revelation 17 and 18. What Jesus reveals is what our Lord has always revealed to those with ears to hear.

Matthew 24

English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

Signs of the End of the Age

3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.

11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come…

23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Do NOT be deceived:

1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality {note: The two Greek terms translated by this phrase refer to the passive and active partners in consensual homosexual acts.}

2 Timothy 2:12-13 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

1 John 2:26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

Do you with ears to hear understand how the world is being deceived?

Do you sip from the cup of the Harlot?

Hear and understand the wine of her cup.

… all the nations were deceived by her ‘pharmakeia’ sorcery.

Heed the warning of the punishment for those who partake of the sorcery of the Harlot:

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, G5332 and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Let us continue to proclaim Christ crucified; for He IS and He will return in victory over Satan, the Harlot, and all the armies of evil which surround the believer every day.

We have Great Grace in Christ Jesus and His Blood of the Cross, where by His death and resurrection we are victorious over sin and death.

Christ Jesus our Lord has defeated the enemy. These last days will end and the faithful will be most thankful for the grace of the Cross.
October 25, 2013