Today I read through 1 Corinthians 4-7, and though there are many wise words in there, a few things stuck out to me. (I was feeling tired, so concentration was more difficult, or else I'd probably have commented on a couple other things, but here's what I've got.)
In chapter 5, Paul cautions the church not to associate with an immoral person who claims to be a Christian. First, this isn't saying not to associate with immoral people who don't claim to be Christians, to read it that way could lead us to sequester ourselves away from the world, and not be a witness to those who need us. Second, this isn't saying we're to hate those who we aren't associating with - the point is to bring their attention to the fact that Christianity and immorality can't mix, with the hope that they'll turn from immorality, return to Christ and save their spirits. Clearly, there is hope for this, because God brought us out of immorality in the first place. Chapter 6, verses 9-11 give a good picture of this: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders / nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. / And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Thank God that there's always hope, for each one of us, and that He has enough love for us to call us out of our selfish, destructive lifestyles into His life!
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