For a congregation to be strong, brothers and sisters need to look out for one another. When problems start to arise we need to be able to nip them before they get out of hand. Paul talks about these problems as leaven in bread, that grows until the whole loaf is all puffed up. Unpleasant as it sounds, isn't it a necessity for strength? There have certainly been times when I have become puffed up and I wish someone had punched me down like you do a big loaf of dough that has gotten too big for the pan! I would gladly rather withstand the air being punched out of me than rather upset the whole bakery!
Of course, no one wants to be a person that goes around pointing out everyone else's faults. (Well, almost no one!) A greater problem arises with folks that have appointed themselves as fault finders! But read this text and tell me what you think.
1 Corinthians 5:6-11
Don't you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with any who claim to be fellow believers but are sexually immoral or greedy, idolaters or slanderers, drunkards or swindlers. With such persons do not even eat.
3 comments:
Reading this, I'm thinking we all need to evaluate our friendships and make some tough decisions about not hanging out with some (or maybe all of them) and get some friends who are not like this. This is really a harsh thing to do, but it's entirely scripture supported....and for good reason.
Jennifer
Good post - good to think about!
There is a very, very difficult balance to find. We are all sinners - failing on a daily basis. Therefore, we immediately prove ourselves to be hypocrites when we note the shortcomings of another. Therefore it makes some sense to completely remove oneself from having any involvement with someone else's business.
On the other hand, we know that we have some responsibility to "minister" to brothers/sisters who are struggling. Yet, who am I to challenge another when I myself am in need of being challenged -- Catch 22.
I think that I have to be mindful of my own shortcomings, imagining that my worst mistakes were known by another, and determine how I would like that other brother/sister to handle me and my situation.
Somehow we must keep pushing each other to the higher calling all the while remembering that the standard I use will be used against me.
Please forgive the double comment--
Mike Cope posted this link a couple days ago--
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/magazine/28Evangelicals-t.html?_r=1&ei=5087&em=&en=5b6318ccb514f1c9&ex=1193716800&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin
It is for a NY Times article - "The Evangelical Crackup"
It is a good read, especially if you are mindful of the tenuous relationship between Christ and the American political scene.
If you cannot copy/paste the above link, go to PreacherMike.com, scroll back a couple days and follow his link. I know it works.
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