Associations

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 5:9-13

Paul had previously told the members of the Corinthian church not to associate with immoral people. His meaning was misunderstood. He didn’t mean the immoral people of the world. He meant the immoral people of the church. Don’t, Paul commands, “associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler – not even to eat with such a one.”

Why? First of all, it doesn’t help them. It only makes them comfortable in and with their sin. The goal is always repentance and restoration. Glad-handing and back-slapping them doesn’t help foster that. It also has to do with the perception we leave with the outside world. The charge of hypocritical is too often justified. Finally, it isn’t about our associations with lost people. It isn’t our job to judge them. It is our job to evangelize them.