I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin…. It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.
-I Corinthians 5:11a, 12, NLT
Adultery certainly qualifies as sexual sin.
What does the Apostle Paul here tell us we must do when someone claiming to be a believer is living in said sexual sin?
Are we to “forgive?”
Are we to “bless?”
Are we to celebrate?
No.
We are to judge those who are in such sin.
A Christian who is NOT judgmental in this sense is a Christian living in defiance of the Bible’s clear teaching on the matter. Any advice to not judge an unrepentant “Christian” cheater for cheating fails to follow the Apostle Paul’s instructions in Scripture.
I realize this is shocking for some. They have been wrongfully taught a passive Christianity full of cheap grace.
Such a faith is faith devoid of necessary holiness and righteousness. Such a faith is quick to pressure victims to forgive, which is spiritually abusive, and slow–if ever–to call sinners to repentance.
This is not the true Christian faith.
God calls His people to judge lifestyles of sin so that the souls of those sinners–e.g. cheaters–have a chance of avoiding spiritual death. The purpose is not to condemn the person but rather to call them to responsibility and repentance from their sins. That is true love.
So, not only is it proper to judge cheaters claiming Christ as their Lord, but it IS OUR RESPONSIBLITY! A godly church community acts accordingly.
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*A version of this post ran previously.
Would that also apply to so called christians in your church that note 2nd or 3rd marriage w/o biblical basis- not sexual immorality involved. The typical. You know no more intimacy, no more emotions, or drawing a part!. Typically most christians are in the situation because pastors that don’t do their job with proper prenuptial pre marital counseling and even if they do get the information,they’re still back off into warm fuzzy or look at the marriage as a source of renue only. Thus marry the people. I have seen that happen in my prior church. I was appalled and actually called the pastor outthough he was upset about it. He is why, only because I saw the man months later in my business activities in the community, and he was doing public service as a result of his ex wife getting him so far into debt by pressing charges against him that he lost everything. Truthifully he had other personality issues. She filed physical, emotional o abuse and other allegations. This man had been married 4 times and I clearly knew that his last divorce was not biblical,and so did the pastor. Infact a church member interning to be a pastor even admonished him for other reasons- fiancial incompatibility by appealing to him not to perform the marriage.