Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 82

March 23;   I Corinthians 5:11;   138/260(I);   ‘Removing Sin’

1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person.

When Adam sinned, he yielded his God given authority to the devil.  The devil is called a liar and a deceiver.  One way he very clearly deceives humanity, is by trying to convince us that sin is fun and it is something the Lord is trying to withhold from us.  The devil also lies and tells us the Lord will punish us if we sin.  ‘God is keeping you from something you will enjoy,’ is his deception.  As with so many other things, without Bible teaching, those who do not know the Lord believe He is depriving them of something pleasurable.  The Bible truth is that sin may start out as a pleasure, but that is only to lure you in (Hebrews 11:25).  Sin’s ultimate goal is misery and death.  The Lord is trying to keep you from the tragedy in life sin brings.  The truth is that sin punishes you, not the Lord.  Paul wrote this verse to Christians living in a pagan, immoral world.  Corinth was an incredibly immoral city and the immorality had crept into the church.  The Old Testament Jews were to evangelize the world.  As they served the Lord He would bless them and their blessed lives would draw the pagan nations to the Lord.  Unfortunately the immoral pagan nations had more of an impact on the Jews than the Jews did on the pagan nations.  In this chapter, there is a Christian man being sexually immoral. Paul instructs the church to disassociate with the man guilty of this sin.  Once again, God is accused of doing wrong, shunning someone in need of help.  By disfellowshiping with this man, the Lord would be well able to convict him of his sin and help him to change his ways.  Stay on Gods’ side.