This chapter is very important for us in several ways
1) It highlights the problem of sin - especially sexual sin in the church
2) It gives directions on how to handle it
3) It clarifies interactions within the church and outside of it in regard to sin
Sexual sin was a problem for the Corinthian church as it is a problem for most churches in America today. Today pornography, adultery, lust are destroying individuals and families in the church. There is also growing problems and pressure related to homosexuality. We must be clear that sin in general and especially sexual sins are wrong, they hurt the lives of individuals directly and indirectly involved, they hurt the church and they need to be addressed. Paul makes clear that those participating in such sins, those who are unrepentant, need to be removed from the church. It is important to note that church discipline and removal from fellowship relate to those who are engaged in the sin and are unwilling to turn from it. In 2 Corinthians, Paul instructs them to bring back the one who had sinned and is now repentant (2 Corinthians 2:5). Jesus gives very similar instructions in Matthew 18 regarding an individual who sins against another individual. Again the disfellowshipping is done in the case of unrepentance. When someone is wanting to turn from sin, they should not be cast out but brought near to be helped and delivered in the name of Jesus.
Some people think/claim that pornography is a "victimless" crime. The fact is that it is a vicious evil and it harms 1) those who are in the pictures 2) those looking at the pictures 3) the families (present and future) of those looking. Those who are in the pictures have been degraded and are being treated as objects, not individuals who deserve honor, respect and modesty. Sometimes the individuals have chosen willingly to participate, but they have been deceived about the propriety and value. That doesn't change the fact that it is a sin against their body that should not be participated in. We wouldn't inject a drug addict with drugs just because they are addicted and want the drugs. We would need to help them get free from what is destroying them or at least choose not to participate if the individual refuses help.
For those who are looking at the pictures, this is the sin of lust, that Jesus says is adultery in the heart (Matt 5:28). Jesus also says that a person who sins is a slave to sin (John 8:34). It can be clearly seen that pornography is addictive with always an increasing desire for more. This spiritual slavery begins to destroy the person involved and removes their self control - as Proverbs 25:28 says, they become like a city that has been broken into and left without walls. This lack of self control increases the appetite for other sins and decreases the ability to stop, so that the persons life becomes more and more sinful and less and less holy. The Scripture is clear that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor 6:9, Gal 5:21, Eph 5:5). 1 John says that those who continue in sin truly do not belong to God (1 John 3:6) and Jesus will say "I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matt 7:23).
Finally pornography destroys marriages and families and children's lives. (Most of my comments will be from the perspective of a man who is viewing the pornography because men have more of a temptation and problem due to the visual nature of sexual attraction. However, some women are caught in the sin as well and the comments would apply to them as well from the female perspective.) If a person is currently married it will destroy their marriage because now instead of there being two people united in Christ and becoming one flesh, there are now multiple people invading the sacred intimacy of the marriage bed. It is adultery in the heart and it will create jealousy, mistrust and division in the marriage. The images seen will not easily be removed so that now instead of making love to your wife, the pictures of others will fill your mind and heart and the adultery deepens, continues and divides. Then you will not be satisfied and intoxified with your wife as you should (Proverbs 5:19) but rather you will be destroyed, hate yourself and hate life (Proverbs 5:3-14). It also destroys children, because the children are receive a spiritual inheritance (Exodus 20:5) from their parents for good or bad and the children usually repeat the sins of the parents even when they don't know about the sin. For those who are not yet married, pornography destroys their lives and ensures that they will not have a satisfying, successful marriage unless they turn from the sin and are set free in Jesus.
Pornography, like some other sins, can be addictive and very difficult to stop. First one must recognize that it is sin and choose to turn away from it, which is repentance. Because the walls of self control have been damaged or destroyed, an individual usually needs help in getting free from this sin and that is where the support of the church comes in. James 5:15-16 says that one who has sinned should go to the elders can confess their sins so that they can be forgiven and healed. Often people are afraid to confess to an elder because they are ashamed, but this shame and fear is a trick of the devil who wants to keep them in the chains of sin. As a pastor and an elder I know that I have sinned myself and I have counselled many others who have sinned and have helped people to be free from pornography and lust. As a point of clarification, by God's mercy, I'm not caught in pornography, but the sin effects even pastors. I don't look down on those confessing, but recognize that it takes courage and a determination to change in order to confess, so I actually consider the person who does confess to be commendable and on the right path to life and freedom. The mere act of confessing to another removes some of the power of the sin and brings freedom. It is like you were being blackmailed by the devil over the sin but now you have brought out the issue to the light, so now the devil cannot hold the matter over your head anymore because the once hidden matter is now exposed so there is no longer any power over you. To overcome such addictive sins there is also a need to continue in accountability, cry out to God in prayer for help and change whenever the temptation comes, memorize scripture related to the topic and thus have your mind renewed (Romans 12:2). I have seen God set people free and there is hope for freedom and new life in Christ.
I have focused more on pornography in this post, but really the principles and concepts are the same for other sexual sins as well and in general for any sin.
Thank you Lord Jesus that you died for us to overcome the power of sin and death! I thank you that you have set me free from a life of sin and I thank you that you are in the business of releasing the captives and bringing new life to people! Thank you for your love and mercy! Thank you for your power and forgiveness.
1) It highlights the problem of sin - especially sexual sin in the church
2) It gives directions on how to handle it
3) It clarifies interactions within the church and outside of it in regard to sin
Sexual sin was a problem for the Corinthian church as it is a problem for most churches in America today. Today pornography, adultery, lust are destroying individuals and families in the church. There is also growing problems and pressure related to homosexuality. We must be clear that sin in general and especially sexual sins are wrong, they hurt the lives of individuals directly and indirectly involved, they hurt the church and they need to be addressed. Paul makes clear that those participating in such sins, those who are unrepentant, need to be removed from the church. It is important to note that church discipline and removal from fellowship relate to those who are engaged in the sin and are unwilling to turn from it. In 2 Corinthians, Paul instructs them to bring back the one who had sinned and is now repentant (2 Corinthians 2:5). Jesus gives very similar instructions in Matthew 18 regarding an individual who sins against another individual. Again the disfellowshipping is done in the case of unrepentance. When someone is wanting to turn from sin, they should not be cast out but brought near to be helped and delivered in the name of Jesus.
Some people think/claim that pornography is a "victimless" crime. The fact is that it is a vicious evil and it harms 1) those who are in the pictures 2) those looking at the pictures 3) the families (present and future) of those looking. Those who are in the pictures have been degraded and are being treated as objects, not individuals who deserve honor, respect and modesty. Sometimes the individuals have chosen willingly to participate, but they have been deceived about the propriety and value. That doesn't change the fact that it is a sin against their body that should not be participated in. We wouldn't inject a drug addict with drugs just because they are addicted and want the drugs. We would need to help them get free from what is destroying them or at least choose not to participate if the individual refuses help.
For those who are looking at the pictures, this is the sin of lust, that Jesus says is adultery in the heart (Matt 5:28). Jesus also says that a person who sins is a slave to sin (John 8:34). It can be clearly seen that pornography is addictive with always an increasing desire for more. This spiritual slavery begins to destroy the person involved and removes their self control - as Proverbs 25:28 says, they become like a city that has been broken into and left without walls. This lack of self control increases the appetite for other sins and decreases the ability to stop, so that the persons life becomes more and more sinful and less and less holy. The Scripture is clear that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor 6:9, Gal 5:21, Eph 5:5). 1 John says that those who continue in sin truly do not belong to God (1 John 3:6) and Jesus will say "I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matt 7:23).
Finally pornography destroys marriages and families and children's lives. (Most of my comments will be from the perspective of a man who is viewing the pornography because men have more of a temptation and problem due to the visual nature of sexual attraction. However, some women are caught in the sin as well and the comments would apply to them as well from the female perspective.) If a person is currently married it will destroy their marriage because now instead of there being two people united in Christ and becoming one flesh, there are now multiple people invading the sacred intimacy of the marriage bed. It is adultery in the heart and it will create jealousy, mistrust and division in the marriage. The images seen will not easily be removed so that now instead of making love to your wife, the pictures of others will fill your mind and heart and the adultery deepens, continues and divides. Then you will not be satisfied and intoxified with your wife as you should (Proverbs 5:19) but rather you will be destroyed, hate yourself and hate life (Proverbs 5:3-14). It also destroys children, because the children are receive a spiritual inheritance (Exodus 20:5) from their parents for good or bad and the children usually repeat the sins of the parents even when they don't know about the sin. For those who are not yet married, pornography destroys their lives and ensures that they will not have a satisfying, successful marriage unless they turn from the sin and are set free in Jesus.
Pornography, like some other sins, can be addictive and very difficult to stop. First one must recognize that it is sin and choose to turn away from it, which is repentance. Because the walls of self control have been damaged or destroyed, an individual usually needs help in getting free from this sin and that is where the support of the church comes in. James 5:15-16 says that one who has sinned should go to the elders can confess their sins so that they can be forgiven and healed. Often people are afraid to confess to an elder because they are ashamed, but this shame and fear is a trick of the devil who wants to keep them in the chains of sin. As a pastor and an elder I know that I have sinned myself and I have counselled many others who have sinned and have helped people to be free from pornography and lust. As a point of clarification, by God's mercy, I'm not caught in pornography, but the sin effects even pastors. I don't look down on those confessing, but recognize that it takes courage and a determination to change in order to confess, so I actually consider the person who does confess to be commendable and on the right path to life and freedom. The mere act of confessing to another removes some of the power of the sin and brings freedom. It is like you were being blackmailed by the devil over the sin but now you have brought out the issue to the light, so now the devil cannot hold the matter over your head anymore because the once hidden matter is now exposed so there is no longer any power over you. To overcome such addictive sins there is also a need to continue in accountability, cry out to God in prayer for help and change whenever the temptation comes, memorize scripture related to the topic and thus have your mind renewed (Romans 12:2). I have seen God set people free and there is hope for freedom and new life in Christ.
I have focused more on pornography in this post, but really the principles and concepts are the same for other sexual sins as well and in general for any sin.
Thank you Lord Jesus that you died for us to overcome the power of sin and death! I thank you that you have set me free from a life of sin and I thank you that you are in the business of releasing the captives and bringing new life to people! Thank you for your love and mercy! Thank you for your power and forgiveness.
"Pornography, like some other sins, can be addictive and very difficult to stop./ an individual usually needs help in getting free from this sin and that is where the support of the church comes in."
ReplyDeleteGod's grace becomes greater when my sin is repented completely. As devilI tricks us using our shame and fear, we need complete relying on God and deep/ sincere relationship with church.
I thank God that I have this church that loves us and have great understanding on God's teaching.
Amen!