Good morning! Have you ever heard or seen something and then did a double take because when you heard or saw it, you couldn’t believe what you had heard or seen? That is how I imagine Apostle Paul was feeling in these verses. Join me as we begin 1 Corinthians chapter five.
Bible Verse – 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 NLT
“I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.
3 Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit.[b] And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man 4 in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church.[c] I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. 5 Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.”
Reflection
In prior chapters Paul was concerned about the division in the Corinthian church, but in these verses we read that he was also concerned about the immorality of the church. The church had become so complacent that they refused to create waves within the church, which allowed sin to run rampant in the church. Paul is suggesting that the church step up and stand firm in the faith and remove the man who was living an open sinful life without remorse or repentance, because the man’s sinful acts were beginning to impact the church.
As sisters and brothers in the faith we will encounter individuals who live a lifestyle that is contradictory to the Bible. As believers, we can’t walk in sin with them, but we can pray for them to experience the truth of the gospel message that transforms people. We can pray for those who are in bondage to sin and darkness, and ask the Lord to open their eyes and for them to receive forgiveness in Christ Jesus.
Prayer
Father God, thank you for today. Thank you for your grace and mercy that changes things. Lord, transform us daily so that we can be more like you. Lord, forgive us for the times when we sat in church full of sin and an unrepentant heart. Lord, forgive us for the times when temptations led to sinful acts that rarely had repentance associated with it. Lord, forgive us of our sins (known and unknown) and deliver us from the bondage to those things. Lord, we need you. Lord, equip and strengthen us to follow your commands for our lives, for our good. Lord, work in us and remove any and all sinful desires from us. Lord, help us to be examples of Christ in the church, in our homes and on our jobs. Lord, build us up in you. Use us and complete us. In Jesus name, amen.
Keep praying! Keep Trusting! Keep believing!
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Next Bible Study
On Thursday, January 15, we will begin our next Bible Study. We will meet via Zoom from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. PST. We will be studying One in a Million written by Priscilla Shirer.
Year End Contribution Statements
A special thank you to those who contributed and supported this nonprofit ministry in 2025. Your contributions and in kind donations helped us to host three 12-week Bible studies, provide hygiene essentials and supplies to partner facilities, and have our annual retreat. We could not have accomplished what we did without your generosity. Year End Contribution Statements will be mailed/emailed in January 2026.
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