1 Corinthians 5:3 Even
though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have
already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present.
The apostle Paul didn't pull any of
his punches, nor did he mince his words. He spoke directly and firmly, as well
as candidly and clearly, which must have made him an awesome preacher in his
day. Even now, when we all read his uncompromising words in 1 Corinthians 5, we
flinch at his tone. In a sexually liberated society, we all have trouble
dealing with his unyielding judgment.
Does this mean that Paul was wrong
to write about sexual immorality? Are his words meant for an ancient time and therefore
have no place in our present cultured Christianity? Do we find him offensive
because his words reek of archaic authoritarianism and joyless judgmentalism,
or are we pushing back because there’s a strong element of truth to his point?
Traditional Christians are
constantly being ridiculed and attacked for trying to maintain nineteenth
century standards in a twenty-first century world. They are being pressured to
capitulate, so that the whole Church can present itself to the current culture
as being worthy of popular ideals. During the last part of the twentieth
century, the Church went to war with itself over sexuality and marriage issues.
The first two decades of this new century seem doomed to be wrecked with the
same conflicts.
In my darkest moments, I cannot see
an end to this cultural civil war and as the Church rips itself apart, the world
begins to fall apart. Our ministries become stagnant and our missions are
harder to maintain. People become devoted to personal causes instead of the
person of Christ. Jesus becomes just another religious teacher instead of the
Redeemer Savior of the world.
And then I remind myself that the
Church is the Bride of Christ, so He will not let it be diminished or
blemished, anguished or finished. He continues His ministry and mission both in
the Church and across the world. His promises are still being fulfilled and His
words still bring people to God. His work never ends and His Kingdom will last
forever. All we have to do is to continue to follow Him faithfully, even though
we are all sinners and imperfect. His Way, His Truth, and His Life will always
endure…and in the end, that is all that is important.
Questions for personal reflection
What is Christ
doing in my community today? Is the Church there with Him?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are all struggling as
Christians in a world that is constantly changing. We continually clash with
one another and go to war over words, works, and ways. Forgive us and help us
to be restored to one another so that we can effectively help to heal this
broken world. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If
you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please
send John an email to traqair@aol.com. He may
not answer all emails quickly, but he does read every one of them.
Today’s
image is my latest Bible card drawing. It’s taken from Psalm 113v3.
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