Disassociate with Those Among You

I listen to social warriors and notice that they are strongly against the Christian values. There is a constant use of scripture in sequestered and out of context ways. The denouncing of anything that is a part of what they hold dear is taken as hate speech and anti whatever platform they are interested in today.

This morning I am reading in 1 Corinthians and specifically Paul is addressing those that are in the church at Corinth and their need to deal with those in the church who are defiling it through sexual immorality. As I read, I am drawn to the greed referenced in the text as that is the word I am currently studying. Paul is referring to the act of disassociating with those that are sexually immoral and display greed and other undesirable characteristics of the Christian faith. That is just it, disassociate with those in the faith that are of those characteristics, not those that are outside the faith.

“⁹I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹But now I am writing to you not to 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.” — 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 (ESV)

Paul makes it clear that those we should concern our holding accountable are those who are among us and claim to be like us in faith and belief. Those in our midst are those that we are closest to and know more about them and their hearts (at least we should). I am responsible for the accountability of fellow Christians and those who are outside the faith, as Paul notes in verse 13 below, God judges those.

“¹³God judges those outside. ‘Purge the evil person from among you.’” — 1 Corinthians 5:13 (ESV)

Too often I believe that we find ourselves “judging” everyone, when we are really not here to judge at all. We are here to hold accountable those that know. Those that do not know, it is our responsibility to teach them so that they have an opportunity to turn from those ways and turn to God and His ways. Until those are a member of the flock, who am I to hold them accountable to that which is outside of what they know. They find themselves doing and knowing what they know and as they know, they are not doing anything wrong. Their immorality, greed, idolatry are of the world they are in and not of the Christian world. It is simply my duty as a Christian to bring the Christian world to them and educate them so they have the chance to join us in the midst of God. Until they do, I am to only love and continue to educate and leave the accountability actions to God. I am to disassociate and hold accountable those that are of the faith in the world of God.

What have you held against someone that may be outside of the Christian world you are? Are you holding them to a standard that they may not be educated? What if you were to only hold accountable and disassociate with those in the Christian world and allowed God to judge those outside?