repentance

“Put Away the Evil Person”

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“But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.” 1 Corinthians 5:11-13

In the first of his two canonical letters to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul addresses how Christians should relate to those inside the church who persist in serious, unrepentant sin. In these verses, three critical questions are answered:

  • To whom is Paul alluding?
  • What defines an evil person?
  • How are believers to respond?

To these, I add a fourth:

How are Christians to reconcile the professed faith of Donald Trump with his persistent, unrepentant sin within the context of Paul’s missive?

It is the inability to credibly reconcile these facts – and the hypocrisy that stems from it – that, I believe, present the greatest peril to the growth of the Christian church in America today.

“Anyone Named a Brother”

Paul’s instruction to the Corinthian church is to disassociate from those who claim to be believers but continue in blatant, ongoing sin. He is clear that his directive does not apply to non-Christians. While the church is obliged to judge those within, it is only God that will judge those outside.

Let us consider the faith of POTUS. Is he a Christian or does he profess his faith only to manipulate the devotion of his apologists? While I believe all evidence points towards the latter, I cannot know his heart. Thus, for the purposes of this assessment, let’s take him at his word and consider him a brother in Christ.

Paul exhorts those in the church not to keep company with sinful brethren – to “put away from yourselves the evil person.” He offers a brief but poignant description of how those evil persons behave.

“The Evil Person”

Paul leaves little room for interpretation. He is unequivocal in his portrait of the evil person and the specific behaviors that make him so – behaviors that not only warrant, but demand, disassociation from the church. Sexual immorality. Covetousness. Idolatry. Hate. Fraud.

I do not judge Donald Trump’s heart. I do, however, judge his behavior. Sexual immorality? Check. Covetousness? Check. Idolatry? Hate? Fraud? Check, check, check. Those behaviors – for which he insists he is unrepentant – are indisputable, even to the most ardent of his sycophants.

To be sure, Christians should acknowledge the sin nature intrinsic to man since his creation. We know believers will struggle. Jesus went to the cross specifically for that reason.

I humbly confess to each and every one of these sins…and more. But Christ’s relentless, incalculable love finally found its way to my diseased heart. Of course, I am only human and I still sin – hopefully with less intention and gravity – but my trust in God allows me to both confess it and repent of it.

Confession and repentance are demonstrative of – and essential to – a genuine faith. POTUS proudly and emphatically concedes neither.

“Put Away from Yourselves the Evil Person”

Paul’s command reflects his concern for the spiritual health and integrity of the church. Quite simply, Christians are not to tolerate persistent, unrepentant evil in the community from those who profess their faith. Such profession is disingenuous and hypocritical.

Again, the apostle’s instruction does not apply to non-believers. His message is clear that while the church is responsible for judging the brethren, God alone judges those outside of it. Paul’s concern is the hypocrisy evident in the refusal to repent while claiming Christian identity – and the damage overt hypocrisy does to the church.

I believe such hypocrisy extends to those who empower, endorse and encourage “the evil person.” This, of course, includes the abundance of Trump apologists, false preachers, self-serving politicians and others who profess Christ but enable his evil behavior – particularly those who fail to offer correction.

It is important to note that Paul’s instruction to remove the evil person from church fellowship is mandated not only to stem the damage of hypocrisy, but to provoke healing in the sinner. Judgment inside the church is about the body’s credibility and the restoration of the sinner. It is not about punishment. Instead, separation is intended to make clear that the behavior is incompatible with obedience to the Lord.

Trump’s sinful actions are indisputably incompatible with Christian morality – as is his stubborn unwillingness to repent of them. But those in the church who fail to hold him accountable for those evil behaviors are far from faultless. They are not only complicit in Trump’s evil behavior but put their own standing in the church at risk. For as Paul warns in verse 33:

“Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’” 1 Corinthians 15:33

Final Words

Today, 1 Corinthians 5:11–13 is usually applied through the practice of loving church accountability, not social shunning or moral policing of society. Much to the dismay of Christian Nationalists, Paul’s words do not call upon the church to enforce Christian morality on the wider culture. Believers are to engage the world outside the church with humility and love, not condemnation. “Those who are outside [the church] God judges.”

Nor are those inside the church who sin, confess, repent and seek change the target of Paul’s admonition. He is unambiguous in calling for the church to disassociate from those asserting belief but are persistently vile and remorseless. Because Donald Trump unabashedly professes his faith, I believe Paul is commanding the church to hold him accountable, offer correction and, hopefully, initiate discipline that is restorative. Those in the church who fail to do so put their credibility and integrity in jeopardy – as well as that of the church.

“Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” Romans 1:32

Related: TRUMP

Manifesting Faith Part II: The Righteous vs. The Wicked

Tom Ratkovich, , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:18-20)

In my most recent post (The Manifestation of Faith), I spoke to how those who come to faith in Christ Jesus become more like Him – more loving, more merciful, more humble and more obedient. We also become repentant of our sin.

As God, Jesus had no need for repentance. It was and is, however, foundational to His message:

“…but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3)

There is, of course, the flip-side of the coin – the unrepentant. Psalm 36 teaches of those who have given themselves over to sin:

1There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.
3The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
4He devises wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself in a way that is not good;
He does not abhor evil. (Psalm 36:1-4)

In fact, the Psalms offer an appropriate framework for drawing distinctions between the righteous and the wicked. In the Psalms, the “wicked” are broadly defined as those who are ungodly, rebellious, and characterized by evil actions and attitudes. They reject God’s authority, prioritize their own desires, and pursue self-interest at the expense of others.  They are contrasted with the “righteous,” who are those faithful to God and live according to His principles.

My very favorite psalm – Psalm 1 – exemplifies this contrast, juxtaposing the blessed (righteous)  and the wicked. The former delights in God’s law and is fruitful in doing so; the other circumvents God’s word and associates with those who mock God:

1Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
4The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1)

A deeper dive into the contrast between those whose faith manifests in righteousness and those who neither believe or trust in God’s goodness, provision and justice, uncovers some distinctive attributes. Specifically, the “wicked” as characterized in the Psalms:

  • Demonstrate a profound self-centeredness and lack of humility, prioritizing their own ambitions rather than those of our Lord God.
  • Actively engage in acts of violence, oppression and deception against others.
  • Make the accumulation of wealth, possessions and accolades their idols rather than the pursuit of God’s will.
  • Remain rebellious and disobedient towards God, actively opposing His word and unwilling to either acknowledge or submit to His authority.
  • Refuse to acknowledge their misconduct, remaining unrepentant of their sinful behavior.

The “righteous,” of course, are not without sin. But they strive, unsuccessfully at times, to live by the will of God – to be led by the Holy Spirit. They seek not to profit at the expense of others, but to find fulfillment in His word and obedience to it. And they wait patiently for the Lord to fulfill His promised return.

In closing, we must nonetheless remain vigilant in our faith while remaining patient for:

The wicked prowl on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men. (Psalm 12:8)

Clearly, the world exalts vileness. We are witness to it every moment of every day – in our politics, our communities, our economies – even in our churches. Everywhere.

In His time, God will put down the wicked and lift up the faithful. Psalm 50 gives warning to those who exalt evil – and offers hope to the faithful.

16But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to declare My statutes,
Or take My covenant in your mouth,
17Seeing you hate instruction
And cast My words behind you?
18When you saw a thief, you consented with him,
And have been a partaker with adulterers.
19You give your mouth to evil,
And your tongue frames deceit.
20You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21These things you have done, and I kept silent;
You thought that I was altogether like you;
But I will rebuke you,
And set them in order before your eyes.
22“Now consider this, you who forget God,
Lest I tear you in pieces,
And there be none to deliver:
23Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.” (Psalm 50:16-23)

The Manifestation of Faith

Tom Ratkovich, , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

I started this post with the intent of addressing the what, why and how of eternal life with the Lord. But as I began to put context to this idea, I quickly realized that I was adding unneeded complexity to a simple truth. The what and why are obvious…and the how is actually quite uncomplicated.

There is but one how to eternity: faith in the Triune God.

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

In his epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul confirms this truth:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (8:1)

No condemnation. No death. Faith alone.

The concept of “faith” may be obscure to many. Even as defined by the writer of Hebrews in verse 11:1, the meaning can seem vague:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith is trust in God’s word. Faith is certainty of His existence and His promises – despite the fact that we cannot perceive them with our physical senses. It is spiritual certitude grounded not in tangible evidence, but in our trust of God’s character.

This certainty – this faith – triggers a transformation of our very being. What are the manifestations of that transformation in our time on this earth?

Love. Repentance. Mercy. Humility. Obedience.

Our faith is an open invitation to the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts and lead us in fulfilling the words of the prophet Micah:

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.” (6:8)

I pray that this faith is YOUR faith. If so, you are blessed. But the Lord’s blessings are waiting for those who have yet to find it. He has made Himself known through creation, through scripture, and through the person of Jesus Christ. I pray that you will seek Him.

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13

The Lesson of Thyatira: Do Not Tolerate the Unrepentant

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In the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Apostle John, the church in Thyatira is the recipient of one of seven letters addressed to churches in Asia Minor. Each of these letters follows a similar format and begins with the Lord’s commandment to John to write to “the angel of the church” followed by an introduction to Christ as the effective author. The Lord then gives an assessment of the church which, for Thyatira, includes both praise and fervent rebuke. The lessons of this letter are critical to understanding the Christian faith and obedience to it.

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