Our societies embraces double standards and double standards are invited into our own churches. Many of the nicest people in the world will hold a person accountable for the very thing they, themselves, are guilty of. This is a double standard.
In society, candidates for public office have their histories scrutinized for unethical actions and when a caricature flaw is found these public servants are accused, publicly shammed, and often forced to resign their public service efforts.
The double standard exists in that the accusers are often guilty themselves of the same behavior and hold others in greater accountability than themselves.
The public holds little grace towards others; but expects grace for themselves. In our churches we find people with caricature flaws, yet we are to handle these problems appropriately without smearing people; for we are all sinners, saved by the grace of God.
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 (NKJV)
There was a very bad sexual incident happening at the Church in Corinth. Yet the leaders of the church were not much fazed by it; they were more worried about their reputations. The situation was going treated as dirt swept under a carpet. They did not others to look down on the leadership of the church.
Yet, the Corinthians needed to deal with the matter; for to leave the situation to exist is passive acceptance.
Sin ruins the lives of people. Yes, it may seem enjoyable at the time it is being committed and some sins, if consensual, are easy to dismiss. Yet, the church of Jesus Christ is not to accept sin and take issue so the consensual attitude does not spread within the congregation.
The comparison to the church as sheep is a very well thought out concept. If the shepherd of the sheep does not look over his flock, they can have many problems.
The shepherd must keep his flock on the move; for if let to stand in one place, the ground below them becomes teaming with parasites which grow in the feces they stand in. Therefore, you will see shepherds ever looking for possible infectious situations and remove the sheep from the area.
In a church like Corinth, where many people wanted to lead, how could every single one of them miss the fact that an inordinate relationship was occurring? To do nothing, regardless of why, is to allow an infectious situation to exist amongst the flock; thus becoming a danger to the whole flock.
When sin is ignored the church suffers. Not only are those who are involved in the sin are going suffer for choosing to sin, the church body is going to suffer because a church is only as strong as it’s weakest member. To these weak members we should give more honor.
For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, 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 5:3-5 (NKJV)
In bringing up this matter, Paul was using constructive criticism and also righteous judgment. It is important for the people of the church to understand the Bible does not say not to judge. Jesus taught to judge with righteous judgment. With righteous judgment we keep watch within the church for harmful situations. This was a harmful situation.
When situations as this exist; the people involved need to be reasoned with. In private, they need to be admonished and encouraged to good works. However, if they will not embrace the change or respect the holiness of God, the church should ask those involved if they would not come back.
If handled in a respectful manor, with quiet words and decisive actions, the situation can be rectified, forgiven, and cleansed. Should these not want to end the exposed practice, the persons can go on their way to be accountable on their own.
Our modern churches suffer from much the same problems. In our church today, teachings on divorce are deemphasized and there is tolerance for inappropriate relationships.
Divorce was allowed because of the hardness of people's hearts. Yet the hard heart is not tolerated by God. Therefore, a parasitic attitude exists where Christians men and women feel they can divorce and then continue with God as if nothing has happened. Many remarrying, which is against the scriptural teaching on divorce.
Should people decide to end their commitment to God for keeping their marriage relationship. They then must recognize their relationship with God is suffering and in need of repair. Though they ended their marriage, they suffer from a hard heart towards God. These are spiritually sick and because of this, they should not remarry.
Much of the church has accepted a revolving door on marriage. They marry, they divorce, they remarry, and still many divorce again. Why? The hardness of their hearts is never brought up as the focal issue.
Because the attitude towards marriage is such a dunghill of disease, pre marital relationships are also acceptable within the church. This is not to say it is embraced by church leadership, yet the congregation turns its back on the earmarks of premarital relations.
This occurs because people become used to picking the parts of the Bible they like and de-emphasizing the parts which conflict with their life choices.
People like to hold on to the passage saying 'God did not like seeing man alone; thus he created the woman for him.' They hold this as a banner statement, embracing the concept man should not be alone, without embracing the rest of the word of God.
Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.1 Corinthians 5:1-8 (NKJV)
Paul was using a very contemporary example which God gave to the Jews; which had been practiced it for thousands of years. Leaven, or yeast, when applied to a lump of dough causes it to rise. God used leaven to signify what sin does to a person and to a group of believers. It causes the whole lump of bread to rise.
To have their sins forgiven, the Jews were taught their whole life needed to be swept clean of anything which could revive sin. For acceptance of a little sin, spoiled the relationship with God for all the Jews.
The church is the same; just a little sin allowed to exist is like the whole church is guilty of the same sin. They have allowed it, just like the person committing the sin did. When a church does not handle it’s righteous matters the whole congregation is affected.
Yet those wanting to be leaders in Corinth were too busy puffing themselves up trying to gain respect and the little matters of parasitic sins were being missed. These were not looking over the flock as shepherds, but looking towards where own interests.
In love, a church must approach those who choose to willingly sin and try to deliver them from the evil. In doing so, we save people from destruction and the church becomes a guiding force in the lives of those who subject themselves to it’s leadership. If not, it fails it's mission and is ineffective.
