DEALING WITH SIN IN THE CHURCH

DEALING WITH SIN IN THE CHURCH

By Rev. Samuel Arimoro

Main Text: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Key Verse: "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat." — 1 Corinthians 5:11 (KJV)

Supporting Texts: Matthew 18:15-17; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 5:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15; 1 Timothy 5:19-20; Hebrews 12:14-15

Description: Dealing with sin in the church requires courage, holiness, biblical discipline, restoration, and love for both the purity of the church and the soul of the sinner.

INTRODUCTION

The church is made up of people who have been redeemed by God's grace, but believers are still called to walk in holiness and obedience. In Corinth, serious sexual immorality had been allowed to continue within the congregation, and instead of grieving over the situation, some believers had become proud. Paul therefore addressed the matter firmly.

Paul's concern was not merely about one individual's behaviour; he was concerned about the spiritual health of the entire church. He used the illustration of leaven to explain how tolerated sin can spread and influence others. When a church deliberately ignores serious and unrepentant sin, it weakens its testimony, damages fellowship, and compromises its witness to the world.

However, biblical discipline is not motivated by hatred, revenge, or humiliation. Its purpose is to protect the church, confront sin, and ultimately bring the sinner to repentance and restoration. The church must therefore learn to combine holiness with love, truth with grace, and correction with a desire for redemption.

1. DO NOT TOLERATE OPEN AND UNREPENTANT SIN

Paul confronted the Corinthian church because a serious sinful situation had been openly tolerated. Love does not mean pretending that sin does not exist.

a) Sin Must Be Taken Seriously (1 Corinthians 5:1-2)
The Corinthians should have mourned over the situation instead of becoming proud. The presence of serious, unrepentant sin should produce godly concern among believers.

b) Tolerated Sin Spreads (1 Corinthians 5:6)
Paul's reference to leaven demonstrates that sin can influence more than the individual who commits it. What is tolerated can eventually become normalised.

c) Silence Can Encourage Sin (Isaiah 5:20)
When wrong is continually excused or celebrated, people can lose their sensitivity to God's standards. The church must maintain a clear distinction between righteousness and sin.

d) Holiness Must Be Protected (1 Peter 1:15-16)
God calls His people to holiness. The church must therefore resist anything that deliberately contradicts His standards.

Biblical Example: Eli failed to deal decisively with the sinful conduct of his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, and their wickedness brought judgement upon his household and dishonour upon God's sanctuary (1 Samuel 2:22-25; 3:11-14).

2. CONFRONT SIN ACCORDING TO GOD'S WORD

Biblical correction should never be based on personal anger, preference, or prejudice. God's Word must remain the standard.

a) Correct With Truth (Matthew 18:15)
Jesus instructed believers to address personal wrongdoing directly and privately where appropriate. Correction should begin with a desire to win the person rather than embarrass them.

b) Establish The Facts (Matthew 18:16)
Serious matters should not be handled through rumours or assumptions. Proper witnesses and evidence are important when dealing with significant allegations.

c) Follow Biblical Process (Matthew 18:17)
Jesus provided a process for situations where a person refuses correction. The church must handle discipline carefully, fairly, and according to biblical principles.

d) Restore With Gentleness (Galatians 6:1)
Those who correct others must watch themselves. The goal is restoration, not superiority or condemnation.

Biblical Example: Nathan confronted David concerning his sin with Bathsheba, speaking truth courageously while ultimately leading the king towards recognition and repentance (2 Samuel 12:1-13).

3. APPLY CHURCH DISCIPLINE WITH THE RIGHT PURPOSE

Church discipline is not punishment for punishment's sake. It is a serious spiritual measure intended to protect the church and bring the offender to repentance.

a) Protect The Purity Of The Church (1 Corinthians 5:7)
Paul instructed the Corinthians to remove the old leaven. The church must protect its spiritual identity and testimony.

b) Seek The Sinner's Restoration (1 Corinthians 5:5)
Paul's disciplinary instruction had a redemptive purpose: that the person's spirit might ultimately be saved. Discipline should therefore leave a door open for repentance.

c) Remove Harmful Influence (1 Corinthians 5:11)
Persistent, unrepentant behaviour that contradicts Christian faith may require separation from close fellowship. This protects the congregation from destructive influence.

d) Maintain A Spirit Of Love (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15)
Even when separation becomes necessary, the person should not be treated as an enemy. The objective remains admonition and restoration.

Biblical Example: The man involved in the Corinthian immorality was disciplined by the church. Later, Paul instructed the believers to forgive and comfort him when repentance had taken place (2 Corinthians 2:6-8).

4. DISTINGUISH BETWEEN JUDGING SIN AND CONDEMNING PEOPLE

Christians must exercise spiritual discernment without developing a self-righteous or judgemental spirit. There is a difference between identifying sinful conduct and claiming the place of God as the final judge of a person's heart.

a) Judge Matters Within The Church (1 Corinthians 5:12)
Paul makes a distinction between those inside and outside the church. The church has a responsibility to maintain biblical standards among its members.

b) Leave Final Judgement To God (1 Corinthians 4:5)
God alone fully knows the motives and condition of every heart. Human judgement must therefore remain humble and limited.

c) Examine Yourself First (Matthew 7:3-5)
Jesus warned against hypocrisy. Before correcting others, believers must examine their own lives and remove the "beam" from their own eyes.

d) Correct Without Self-Righteousness (Romans 2:1-4)
Those who confront sin must remember that they themselves depend upon God's mercy and grace.

Biblical Example: Jesus dealt with the woman caught in adultery with both truth and mercy. He did not approve her sin, but He also did not condemn her hypocritically; He called her to "go, and sin no more" (John 8:3-11).

5. PURSUE RESTORATION AFTER REPENTANCE

The goal of biblical discipline should never be permanent rejection when genuine repentance has occurred. The church must know how to receive repentant people back into fellowship.

a) Forgive The Repentant (2 Corinthians 2:7)
Paul instructed the Corinthian believers to forgive and comfort the disciplined man so that excessive sorrow would not overwhelm him.

b) Confirm Your Love (2 Corinthians 2:8)
Restoration requires more than ending discipline. The repentant person needs reassurance that he or she is still loved by the body of Christ.

c) Restore Gently (Galatians 6:1)
Spiritual restoration should be handled with humility, patience, wisdom, and careful pastoral support.

d) Encourage A New Life (John 8:11)
True restoration involves turning away from the former conduct and embracing a life that honours God.

Biblical Example: Peter denied Jesus three times, but after his repentance and restoration, Christ recommissioned him to feed and shepherd His sheep (John 21:15-17).

CONCLUSION

Dealing with sin in the church is a serious responsibility. The church must never celebrate, excuse, or deliberately tolerate open and unrepentant sin. At the same time, biblical discipline must never become an instrument of personal revenge, public humiliation, or self-righteous condemnation. God's Word must be the standard, and love must guide the process.

The ultimate goal is holiness, protection of the church, and restoration of the sinner. When repentance occurs, the church must know how to forgive, comfort, and restore. May God give His church courage to confront sin, wisdom to administer discipline, compassion to restore the repentant, and grace to maintain a pure testimony before the world.

PRAYER POINTS

1. Father, give Your church grace to take sin seriously and never deliberately tolerate what Your Word condemns, in Jesus name.

2. Lord, expose every hidden work of darkness that is damaging the spiritual health and testimony of Your church, in Jesus name.

3. Father, give our leaders wisdom, courage, and discernment to address serious wrongdoing according to Your Word, in Jesus name.

4. Lord, deliver Your church from hypocrisy, self-righteousness, gossip, partiality, and every ungodly approach to correction, in Jesus name.

5. Father, give those who have fallen into sin genuine conviction, repentance, and grace to turn completely back to You, in Jesus name.

6. Lord, protect Your church from every influence that seeks to normalise immorality, compromise, falsehood, and rebellion against Your Word, in Jesus name.

7. Father, help us to correct those who fall with gentleness, wisdom, humility, and genuine concern for their restoration, in Jesus name.

8. Lord, heal every person who has been wounded by sin, discipline, rejection, or church conflict and restore them to spiritual strength, in Jesus name.

9. Father, give Your church grace to forgive and lovingly restore every genuinely repentant person without returning them to condemnation, in Jesus name.

10. Lord, make Your church holy, pure, disciplined, loving, and courageous, and let our testimony bring glory to the name of Jesus, in Jesus name.

PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS

1. The Lord shall establish holiness in His church, and every influence seeking to normalise serious sin and compromise shall be exposed and confronted.

2. You shall receive wisdom and courage to stand for biblical truth without hatred, pride, hypocrisy, or self-righteousness.

3. Every hidden work of darkness operating against your spiritual life and ministry shall be brought into the light and overcome by the power of God's truth.

4. You shall not become desensitised to sin, and your heart shall remain tender towards God, sensitive to His Word, and committed to righteousness.

5. The Lord shall give spiritual leaders discernment to handle difficult matters fairly, wisely, compassionately, and according to Scripture.

6. Those who have fallen into sin but genuinely repent shall experience the mercy, forgiveness, healing, and restoration of God.

7. Every destructive influence attempting to spread through your family, church, ministry, or fellowship shall be stopped before it produces further spiritual damage.

8. You shall have grace to correct others with humility and to receive correction yourself with a teachable and repentant heart.

9. The Lord shall restore wounded believers, heal broken relationships, and bring genuine reconciliation where repentance and forgiveness have taken place.

10. Your church shall become a community where holiness and love work together, where sin is confronted biblically, the repentant are restored lovingly, and Christ is glorified.