1 Corinthians 5:5-8 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. Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast by removing the wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate the festival not with the old bread of wickedness and evil but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.

When I first read this passage a while ago, my first thought was “wow harsh,” and “aren’t we supposed to be loving and accepting?” It wasn’t till I really chewed on it and looked at the corrupt world and churches around me that I was hit with a revelation. Yes, Jesus sat with the sick and immoral, but he never gave the thumbs up to keep on sinning.  He laid it out very clearly what he came for. He came to free us from sin, not affirm it. Paul says to hand this man in their church over to Satan. That this man’s actions have consequences and he had no business negatively affecting the rest of the church. We are called to live separate from the wicked ways of the world where Satan roams freely. We are obviously all sinners, but the difference is someone who actively seeks God and pursues holiness, versus someone who continues to deliberately sin, feeling no guilt, and refuses to repent. A surrendered heart against a hardened one. I learned as Christians, we can love one another, and still gently direct our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ away from sinful behavior and lifestyles. We need to get bold in calling out corruption when we see it, and unfortunately there is a lot of it. The Bible is very clear on what isn’t right in Gods eyes and far too many people create a false narrative because they don’t like what The Word has to say. I know firsthand what it’s like to live for the world, to worship Satan without even realizing I was. It looked like drinking, getting high, watching and yes, READING pornography. Those smutty books that have become so normalized? Dangerous. I supported organizations and groups that went against God and his design because it’s what the world told me was the “loving” thing to do. I created a false Jesus in my head when I was really just staring at Satan. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. I wish I had someone in my life during that time who would’ve shook some sense into me. When I finally cracked open my Bible and began reading, of course it all seemed harsh and shocking. I was never told to deal with sin aggressively, that it is not to be played around with. It isn’t something to be casual about because it is dangerous. Sin separates us from God, and that is not something I ever want to experience again. We serve a loving and merciful God, but Paul also tells us that isn’t an excuse to keep on sinning. God’s grace is there to pick us up when we stumble, not to be abused. I remember in the beginning of my walk with Christ, I was so scared of being shunned by the world, but as I grew closer to Him, I realized I could care less about what they thought. That if I was going to be a follower of Jesus, I was not only going to read His Word but live by it. Be bold in spreading the TRUTH, whether it lost me friends (and believe me it has) or not. I have thankfully gained so many new friends on this journey who sharpen me. But I have also watched the way I live now transform others around me and pique some individual’s curiosity. It really is such a privilege to be a vessel for God, and I’m blessed with continuing to get to know Him intimately. I just pray for whoever reads this that you block out the noise of the world (because it is loud) and use discernment as you continue to navigate it. I pray that you continually turn to your Bible and allow God to teach and correct you. I pray you stand boldly in your faith and continue to spread the truth no matter what anyone says. God bless.