When I wrote
to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual
sin. But I wasn't talking about unbelievers who indulge in
sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to
leave this world to avoid people like that. I
meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet
indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a
drunkard, or cheats people. Don't even eat with such people. It isn't my responsibility to judge
outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the
church who are sinning. God will judge those
on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, "You must remove the evil person
from among you." -- 1Corinthians 5: 9-13 (NLT)
We should not be so quick to deal in the judgment that belongs to God.
Judgment itself is such a misunderstood word in theology. Thin skinned
Christians everywhere have turned the word into lodging any form of criticism.
We do this of course because we like our sins we cling to. It doesn't matter to
us if we know they keep God at a distance from us. As long as nobody messes up
our neat little apple cart of a church. You say I shouldn't date someone when my
divorce isn't final yet? Who are you to judge! You say that I dress immodestly
for church -- who are you to judge! There is a vast difference beloved between
correction and judgment. The key verses come from a chapter where Paul is
dealing with a gross sexual sin within the
It seems this early church had some of the same predilections as we see
alive in the church today. Reflexively protecting their sinning peers while
passing the judgment of God upon the unsaved. I love the incredulity expressed
by Paul here. He says to them that we should not associate with those who
indulge in sexual sin. The church apparently took this to mean people in the
world who indulge in such sin. Paul is astonished that they would make this
mistake because he correctly points out that if we were truly to avoid people
in the world steeped in sin we would have to actually leave this world! No, Paul
was clarifying that he meant people who claim to be believers in Christ and
live a lifestyle opposed to Him. Then we get to the main point Paul is making
for us today -- it is not our responsibility to judge people in this world
because God will judge them. It is our responsibility to keep the Bride of
Christ however, as undefiled as possible. I say this as a backdrop because
every time there is a natural disaster such as we saw this week in
"OK Thunder's Durant flips God by praising f*g Collins. God smashes OK. You
do the math. #GodH8sFags "
Ok, I will do the math. We have a
rogue outfit pretending to be a church thinking that an unsaved Oklahoma
Basketball player praising a gay basketball player drove God to send a two mile
wide tornado through an
Never pay
back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are
honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. --
Romans 12: 17-18 (NLT)
There is nothing honorable about
picketing funerals of fallen soldiers. There is nothing honorable about holding
up signs claiming God hates anyone. The Bible outlines seven things God hates:
There are
six things the Lord hates--no, seven
things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the
innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do
wrong, a
false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family. --
Proverbs 6: 16-19 (NLT)
I see at least four violations
committed by the Westboro clan. And what exactly is the church charged with
doing? Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The reprehensible actions of Fred
Phelps and his followers do so much damage to the witness of Christ. How many
people do you think you can draw to the cross holding up a sign that says the
God you want them to believe in hates them? And while we are at it, God does
not hate them. God sent His only Son to die for them. The Bible teaches us that
He does not wish to see any perish but all to come to repentance -- even Fred
Phelps.
So I pray for Phelps and his
misled congregation. I pray they can see the blackness in their hearts. I pray
they can see the hatred they live out daily and how it is not of Christ. I pray
that they truly repent and start leaving the judgment of man to the God who
created him. In the interim however, I pray he just shuts up. I pray that they
stop damaging the witness of Christ. I pray that as the church we denounce hate
groups posing as Christians. I pray as the church we stand up to the Westboro
Baptists and snake oil salesmen who crawl out from under their rocks to declare
tragedies as God's wrath and judgment. I pray as the church we do as the
Scriptures teach us to do and expel the immoral brother.
