Living Righteously in an Unrighteous World

1Cor 5-8 Christ gave us a higher principle when we are faced with sin. Luke 17:3-5 “If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.” Leave the results to God. An example from history: Corrie Ten Boom: after years one of the concentration camps of WWII, met one of the guards who had foisted these atrocities upon her and many others. As Corrie came face to face with him and heard his words of repentance, she had a choice. Later she wrote that when she offered forgiveness, it was like a “flood of joy and peace.” 

Paul speaks to the disputes going on in the Corinthian church, and he is distraught by their actions. They were airing their dirty laundry in the courts rather than allowing the church to determine the right response. Are there times when one must take the case to the courts of the land? Obviously, yes, as Paul did in Acts 22 and 25, seeking resolve and using his Roman citizenship as the leveraging tool. However, in this chapter, Paul addresses two individuals who had a dispute and needed to resolve it in the church, not outside where the unbelieving audience would be watching and determining Christianity’s stance.

We live and move in an unrighteous world, but our responses speak volumes to those without Christ. The greatest example is forgiving when others would say, “strike ’em dead.’ Jesus reminded us that there is a higher law that God holds us to, which is to forgive others as He has forgiven us.