1 Peter 1:15-16 gives a command for God’s people to be holy; it is not a suggestion; we need to be holy. But just like the Corinthian church, we have struggles in this area.

Corinth was a busy city between two ports. The goddess Aphrodite had a temple with temple prostitutes. The church was not just wrestling with divisions (chapters 1-4), but with immorality because it was weaved into their culture (1 Corinthians 5:1). The Greek word used for “immorality” is “porneia”, the root word for pornography. Sex as designed by God is a beautiful thing, but because of sin, something beautiful has been perverted. Immorality is anything that is outside of God’s design for sex in marriage. It was common knowledge in the Corinthian church that there was immorality present in the church — an incestuous relationship that did not even exist among those outside the church! This was what Paul was dealing with. In this chapter, we will learn that TO BE HOLY, WE MUST EMBRACE DISCIPLINE to do so, we need to do four things:

Instead of addressing the immorality in the church, the believers have become arrogant (1 Corinthians 5:2). Perhaps there was licentiousness in the Corinthian church. When there is sin among us, we are to mourn (to repent, acknowledge sin before God). To restore a sinner, I should be humble and mourn over my sin. This will lead me to repentance. But it was not just immorality that Paul dealt with (v. 11) but with those who willfully live in any sin. When God says to be holy, it covers all aspects of our lives — sex, money, possessions, your tongue (what you speak). Our church is not perfect, and God accepts us the way we are BUT His love refuses to leave us the way we are. To be holy, we need to embrace discipline (Hebrews 12:5-6). God wants you to be holy because a holy life is the best version of yourself. If we do things that are not aligned to what God wants us to do, it destroys us. This is why He disciplines us — not to punish us but because He loves us, it is redemptive. He wants to redirect our lives so we can experience the fullness of life. You discipline your own children because you love them (and should never be when you’re angry or to punish them). God uses discipline to get to our hearts (Hebrews 12:9-10). As much as we don’t like discipline, we all need it to live a holy life. How do we restore a person (including our Dgroup members)? Galatians 6:1 tells us that it has to be in a spirit of gentleness. How do we go about it?

• Go privately to him/her (Matthew 18:15, Proverbs 27:6). If they don’t listen…
• Bring witnesses to attest to him/her (Matthew 18:16). If they still don’t listen…
• Tell it to the body of believers (Matthew 18:17a). What happens if they still refuse to listen?
• Do not associate with him/her. Treat them like an unbeliever (Matthew 18:17b, 1 Corinthians 5:3-5).

Just because you are experiencing problems doesn’t mean you’re living a life of sin; but if you are, the warning is there (1 Corinthians 11:29-30). This is serious, and that is why we need to embrace discipline. Is this unchristian and unloving? Remember the story of the Prodigal Son, he came to his senses only when he was at rock bottom.

Sin is likened to a little leaven (with yeast) that leavens the whole dough. If we allow a little sin in our midst, it affects the whole body. What affects one of us affects all of us (1 Corinthians 12:26-27). Be serious about the sin in your life, it will destroy you and others around you. Get rid of it today and live the real you!

We not only need to restore the sinner and remove the sin, we need to receive God’s grace. The fact that we are considered as “unleavened” (v.7) shows God’s grace towards us through Christ. Christ is our “Passover lamb” (Exodus 12:13), in fact Jesus chose to die during the Passover. It is Jesus who makes us “unleavened”. Paul reminds us to be holy because we have been made holy  (1 Peter 2:9). There is no perfect church, and that’s why we need to receive God’s grace. We also need each other for accountability; not to judge each other, but to help each other out of love.

Paul wrote a previous letter telling them to not associate with immoral people (1 Corinthians 5:9-10). Not those outside the church, but those from within.  Jesus Himself spent time with unbelievers and we are to do the same to redeem the world (John 17:15). We are to be salt and light, but when we are not living holy lives, we lose the power of the finished work of God in us and through us. David Prior says that we are “both remote from unbelievers and lax with fellow believers who persist in sin…there is no distinctiveness.”

God has called us to be distinct, that’s why we need to embrace discipline, lovingly talk to people with our heart’s desire to redeem them, restore them. If they refuse to listen, then we separate ourselves from them (1 Corinthians 5:12-13). When you receive God’s grace, you become a channel of His love and power to the entire world. That’s why we are called to redeem the world. Outsiders don’t know any better, so why be so harsh with them? Let’s be strict among ourselves; God will judge people who don’t know Him. The person pointed to earlier (v.5) was eventually restored to the church (2 Corinthians 2:6-8). Tough love is needed but always done in gentleness; remember the heart of God is redemptive. Be holy, embrace discipline!