Reading in 1 Corinthians 5, the church had a leader involved in sexual misconduct and Paul instructs the Corinthian church to expel the man from the leadership position. The corruption within the church needed to be confronted and they needed to set a standard for church discipline. The purpose was restoration and this required hard-love toward the sinner.
As the old saying goes, one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. A leader must be publicly rebuked so others are warned. If not, it infiltrates the society as a whole because people believe it is not an issue. Think of all the sexual harassment cases that have recently been reported on. In some cases, it took many years for the sin to totally manifest into a society. The lax attitude of sexual immorality in the 1990’s took 20 years to manifest itself as a cancer in society.
Think about the tragic 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. The shooter planned this for a long time. His aim was destruction. He destroyed many lives that night in Las Vegas. The question is why? Why didn’t he aspire for something of meaning to build up lives rather than kill and destroy? The answer my friends is the difference between a righteous person and an evil person. The killer was a person who gambled, who sought prostitutes, who only built up wealth for his own personal gratification.
Why not build a life of meaning that helps people? Be a winner – not a loser. Sometimes the greatest competition we face is within our own mind. We all face challenges in life. A student may have a test and may say in their mind, “It’s too difficult … I can’t do this”. Others may take on the challenge like a field goal kicker in football I heard about one time who said he recites scripture in his mind when in a pressure situation like kicking the game winning field goal.
A scripture like Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” and other memorized scriptures can be very useful when faced with pressure moments in life. Let us all step ahead of competition by taking in God’s Word to fortify. Remain optimistic because with God, we are highly favored.
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This day with You Lord, You give us hope even in a time of despair. Our growing faith is never depleted and gives courage in a time of doubt. Your Love demonstrated on the Cross brought victory in a time of hate. Lord, be with us today to help us step ahead of hate, iniquity, and other corrupting influences in our life that keeps us down. Instead, let us desire authenticity, sincerity, and the certainty that a life with You provides. Amen.
This Day With God - A Spiritual Journey 