SEXUAL IMMORALITY AND THE CHURCH: 1 Corinthians 5:1-2

“What’s wrong with you people?” I can almost hear the apostle Paul say this as he sat down in Ephesus to write the letter of First Corinthians. Located in southern Greece, Corinth in the first century was widely known for both its general immorality and specific sexual perversions. To be called a “Corinthian” in the first century was to be called wicked or immoral. These Corinthians that Paul wrote to were now in Christ but a mass of their thoughts and actions were still in Corinth. According to this letter, the saints at Corinth, to varying degrees, were quarrelsome (1:11), fleshly (3:1), immature (3:2), jealous (3:3), arrogant (4:18; 5:2), tolerant of gross sexual sin (5:1), boastful (5:6), wrong (6:8), deceptive (6:8), and abusers of the Lord’s Supper (11:20), and unloving (1 Cor. 13). So, when Paul wrote First Corinthians, the church in Corinth was a huge mess. The passage we have before us, 1 Corinthians 5:1-2, highlights one of the messes in this Church—they were tolerant of gross sexual sin among them. Paul, as an apostle of Jesus Christ, sets out to correct it to the glory of God and for the good of these Corinthians.

DOCTRINE. Sexuality immorality among the saints must be dealt with for the purity of the church to the glory of Christ. 

Now let me point out to you four major points we should glean from this text, then six points of instruction, concluded by five points of exhortation.

I. SEXUAL IMMORALITY IN THE CHURCH MUST BE DEALT WITH. “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” (1 Cor. 5:1). This includes sexual immorality of the body and the mind, which includes anything and everything with the body or the mind outside of the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. Are you ready to deal with sin when necessary, rather than sweeping it under the rug? If you want to be visible member of a local church, you must be. Sexual immorality in the church must be dealt with. 

II. SIN MUST NOT BE WINKED AT NOR CELEBRATED. “And you are arrogant!” (1 Cor. 5:2a). Sin is a big deal because it is rebelling against God and it deserves death. Christ died in place of sinners like you and me, so that everyone who believes in Him would be forgiven and adopted into God’s family forever. After God saves us, we must never make peace with sin and we must never celebrate sin. We do not celebrate the evil things Christ died to forgive us from. We do not wink at the things Christ died to free us from. We must never wink at what Christ drank the cup of God’s wrath to free us from! We must never celebrate what Christ bled and died for! To wink at or celebrate sin is to make a mockery of Christ Jesus and what He has done to rescue His people from sin and misery. Many local churches in our day to not bring glory to Christ but bring mockery to Christ. It must not be so with us, God help us. Do you wink at sin? Do you celebrate sin? Sin must not be winked at nor celebrated. 

III. SIN MUST BE MOURNED AND REPENTED OF. “Ought you not rather to mourn?” (1 Cor. 5:2b). Paul could mourn the sins of others. So should we. He gives us a an example of this in his next letter to Corinth. “I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced” (2 Cor. 12:21). So, I ask you, do you mourn for your own sin? Is there any sin in your life you are aware of that you have not confessed to God, grieved over, and turned from? Do you mourn for the sin of others or are you simply glad it was not you who fell? Sin must be mourned and repented of.

IV. THOSE WHO WILL NOT REPENT OF THEIR SIN MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE COMMUNION OF THE SAINTS. “Let him who has done this be removed from among you” (1 Cor. 5:2c). The visible church will always be imperfect this side of glory, but we must always labor to be pure insofar as we are able. The Church is a hospital for sinners, not a hospice. Despite what some would have you believe, people are supposed to recover in hospitals, not go there to die. So it is with the Church. Through the communion of the saints, the ordinary means of grace, and the power of God the Holy Spirit, Christ’s people are to live happy and holy lives for His great name’s sake. “He who does not care to be like Christ, certainly has no love to him, nor any interest in his love” (Nathaniel Vincent, 1639–1697). Those who will not repent of their sin must be removed from the communion of the saints. 

Now let me give you some points of personal application by way of both instruction and exhortation. Here are SIX POINTS OF INSTRUCTION. 

I) Sexual immorality is one of the works of the flesh, which dominate the unregenerate. “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality” (Gal. 5:19).

II) Sexual immorality is a heart issue that can only be cleaned up by Christ. “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality” (Mk. 7:21). Do you need to be set free from sexual immorality? Only Christ can change your heart. Only Christ can keep your lustful passions in submission. Go to Him in faith to get a new heart, unbeliever. Go to Him in faith to get your lustful passions reigned in and subdued, believer.

III) The heinous sins of professed Christians are quickly noted and spread abroad. In Corinth, it was commonly known that this man had his father’s wife. The fact that Paul said that this kind of behavior was not tolerated among the Gentiles likely means those outside the church knew about it too and it made the church a source of ridicule towards the name of Jesus. Have you seen this truth in your own experience? The unbelieving world loves when saints fail in heinous ways because it eases their conscience. “Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression” (Ps. 19:13). Pray with me, “O, Lord, keep us from heinous sins so that we do not bring disgrace upon your name!”

IV) Even the best churches, because of indwelling sin, are susceptible to gross sins happening among them. Paul planted this church and yet this kind of gross sin sprung up in it. No church is immune from having to deal with sin through Church discipline. However there are some visible churches who refuse to actually discipline their members in the ways that their King requires! It must not be so with us, beloved. Christ’s glory is far too great to be belittled by neglecting to exercise Church discipline. Believers are far too precious to Christ to be left walking in unrepentant sin without correction.

V) Pride makes you stupid and blind. Arrogance is what led to their being unashamed of such evil being tolerated among them. Are you arrogant and do not realize it? Do you think highly of yourself, of your thoughts, reasoning, actions, decisions, plans, abilities, intellectual prowess, hard work?

VI) Sexual purity is such a big deal because its intended purpose is to show forth the glory of Christ and His Church. “‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:31-32). Man and wife become one flesh, which is a picture of the mystical union between Christ and His church. If you are not yet, you are most likely going to be married someday, whether you like that now or not. And your marriage will be a picture of the gospel whether you like it or not. Will it be a pure picture? You must labor by God’s grace to be pure in how you treat others so that you may be a pure picture of Christ and His Church. Parents, teach your children these things in the home. 

Let me conclude with FIVE POINTS OF EXHORTATION.

I) You and I must live cautiously and carefully so that sexual immorality is not even named among us. “Sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (Eph. 5:3).

II) You and I must live cautiously and carefully lest we bring dishonor on Christ and His Church. “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Rom. 2:24).

III) You and I must live cautiously and carefully, praying for the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in us. “The fruit of the Spirit is . . . self-control” (Gal. 5:23).

IV) You and I must live cautiously and carefully because God’s will for our lives is sanctification: that we abstain from sexual immorality. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thess. 4:3).

V) You and I must live cautiously and carefully, laboring to continually crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24). “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire” (Col. 3:5).

Again, I say, sexuality immorality among the saints must be dealt with for the purity of the church to the glory of Christ.