“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 ESV
My husband recently underwent surgery for a cancerous growth. While he was originally scheduled to have the pea-sized growth on his hand removed, he ended up staying at the clinic for several hours because the growth had spread. It took four excisions to remove it all. He now sports a very evident three-inch scar across the back of his hand.
It’s worth noting that, in my husband’s case, all that was visible to the naked eye was a small scab-like growth about the width of a straw. Yet the microscope told a very different story. What appeared to be a pea-sized growth was, in reality, a much bigger problem. Had we not dealt with it when we did, my husband would likely have had to undergo a much more invasive surgery, potentially losing his hand to avoid having the cancer spread to the rest of his body.
The church in Corinth had a similar problem. Among them was a man who was in a sexual relationship with his father’s wife. Paul reprimanded the church, instructing them to remove him from their midst. The reason was twofold. First, he didn’t want this sinful behavior to be perceived as acceptable, both to those who were in the church and to outsiders, nor did he want behaviors contrary to the word of God to spread among the believers. By removing the offender, Paul hoped to spare the rest of the church.
Like cancer, sin holds the potential to progress and invade our lives, our churches, our nation. Like David, you and I need to ask God to reveal those areas of our lives that are not in accordance with His will and His word so that He might ‘excise’ whatever holds the potential to harm us (Psalm 139:23-24).
Prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Amen.
Thought: “Christians can never sin cheaply; they pay a heavy price for iniquity. Transgression destroys peace of mind, obscures fellowship with Jesus, hinders prayer, brings darkness over the soul; therefore be not the serf and bondman of sin.” – Charles Spurgeon