It's a Heart Issue

1 Corinthians 5:9ff, "When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, 'You must remove the evil person from among you.'”

This verse has been one of those touchy subjects that I have struggled with for many years. It is not easy. For when you tell someone they are wrong, they often come back with "don't judge me, or you are supposed to love and not reject me, for my sin is no greater than yours." But read it again. What does it say? You can see for yourself what we as Christ followers are supposed to do. This does not mean that we reject those who are weak in their faith and struggling. This does not mean that we are to expect a new believer to all of a sudden "get it all right and live perfectly." For we all do sin. None of us are perfect. However, it is a heart issue.

2 Samuel 12, Nathan confronts David about his murder of Uriah and adultery with Bathsheba. "Then David confessed to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord.' Nathan replied, 'Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. But you have given the enemies of the Lord great opportunity to despise and blaspheme Him, so your child will die.'” In this, you cannot tell me that David did not know that he was doing wrong before Uriah confronted him. He knew. He tried to hide it, and he married Bathsheba anyway. But, after he was drowning in his sin, then he was ready to listen and repent. That is when God called Uriah to confront the issue. However, David's confession did not take away the consequences for his sin.

God has called us to live to a higher standard. Even if we are doing the exact same thing as everyone else, by calling ourselves Christians, we are professing something completely different. This opens the door for unbelievers to blaspheme God. It is His name you are hindering and His reputation that you are tarnishing, because of the name you claim.

Did Uriah tell David to leave Bathsheba? No, David was married to her and that would just add more destruction upon sin already committed. They were now married, whether others liked it or not. But because of their sin, their children paid a very high price. His confession did not take away the consequences of his sin. His heart was ultimately for God, for He did not try and excuse his actions to Uriah. His response to Uriah was one of sorrow and shame. So here is the guide to revealing your heart. When you are confronted about sin you are living in, do you try and pass the blame on someone else? Do you make excuses and try to defend your actions? It does not matter how you have acted in the past about the subject. How do you act now? Are you full of regrets? You cannot go back and fix the past. You cannot change what you have done or who you have hurt, but you can have a truthful look at yourself and see what you have done to Christ's name, by how you have acted. Are you truly sorry, or do you try and excuse yourself, still?

If you are still trying to excuse what you have done, don't blame others for letting you go. They may be doing exactly what 1 Corinthians is instructing them to do. Don't sit and justify your actions and demand others to accept you. Look at your sin for what it really is and ask for forgiveness. Once we have done this, we are to try and live our lives from this point on to glorify His name. What are your responses to others, saying about your heart toward God? Once you confront someone and they confess their sin with a repentant heart, we are to forgive them and bring them back to Christ's love. From every angle, whether you are the one confronting or the one bieng confronted, it is a heart issue. What are your actions saying about your heart?