Consequences always have a cost
If someone claims to follow Jesus and then denies Him with their lifestyle, spending time with them will only hurt you.
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)
I had a coworker from Germany who once explained the German educational system to me. This was many years ago, so I’m not sure if it’s the same now. But because the German government paid 100% for education, students could go to college on the government’s dime. But there was a catch. If you failed one test or scored below what was considered an acceptable grade—one single test—you were expelled.
Even if you were a senior. Even if you were nearly done with a master’s degree or a doctoral degree. One test was all it took. That sounded harsh to me, but if the government was footing the bill, they had the right to decide the boundaries.
It isn’t quite the same thing, but there are certain passages of Scripture that feel harsh. At least, there are times when the Bible feels harsh, but most of that comes from our human understanding of justice.
This part of 1 Corinthians makes me cringe honestly. It’s not a very politically correct section of Scripture, nor is it easy to hold up in the culture of today. It’s harsh. But maybe there’s a reason why it needs to be harsh.
In the Church of Corinth, which was the church Paul wrote this letter to, they had problems. Like, big problems. I don’t want to get into the gory details, but they were struggling with some pretty major sin issues. It was so bad that Paul had to write them this letter and the letter after it (1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians).
Because, see, it’s one thing for an unbeliever to live a sexually immoral life full of self-indulgent addictions and violence. An unbeliever will be drawn to a lifestyle like that and, in many instances, not able to turn away from it. But what about a believer?
What about someone who says they know Jesus, that they believe in Jesus? What would you think if you saw a believer doing those things? Getting drunk. Sleeping around. Cheating people. Beating people. Stealing from people.
See, for me, I’d give them the benefit of the doubt. I’d ask them if they realized that what they were doing is wrong. Frankly, I think that’s the way we’re supposed to do it. Not just make assumptions. Not just turn our backs and shun them.
Make space for them. Confront them about their sin. Point out what they are doing that is hurting the Body of Christ. Maybe they’ll turn around. Maybe they just didn’t know any better.
Hey, miracles happen.
But what if they don’t? What if they say they know what they’re doing is wrong, and they keep doing it anyway? What if they are using their salvation as permission to indulge in whatever sin they want?
That’s different. That’s not an unbeliever. That’s not an uninformed new believer. That, my friends, is a Prodigal. And the best thing you can do for them and for yourself, according to Scripture, is to stay away from them.
But what about mercy? What about grace?
Good questions. Mercy and grace are essential parts of following Jesus and showing love to others. But it’s also important to remember that if someone claims to follow Jesus and then denies Him with their lifestyle, spending time with them will only hurt you. It will drag you into their addictions. It will corrupt your outlook on life and on faith.
Yes, it’s harsh. No, it’s not fun to put up a boundary like that, but for your own sake, you must. Choices have consequences, and consequences have costs. If you choose to continue associating with them in spite of knowing that they are pursuing a lifestyle of sin, eventually you will end up just like them.
Questions for Reflection
How would you react if you saw a Christian, someone you know personally, cheating on his or her spouse?
How have you seen the truth of the verse “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33)?
What are some other verses in Scripture you’ve read that wouldn’t be very popular in today’s world?
Weekly Memory Verse
