Even If It Is Now Common Abhor It

1 Corinthians 5:9-11
(9) I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— (10) not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. (11) But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

When something is common it means it has been accepted as part of society. When something is common it means that most people regard it as harmless. When something is now common, the community is no longer guarded against it.

To abhor something is to passionately hate and dislike something. It is a word that seems stronger than just hate. To abhor something is to dislike it in the most extreme manner. We abhor things that are dangerous, and repulsive to our tastes of what is good. To abhor is to totally reject something!

Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth and clarifies what he meant when he told them not to associate with sexually immoral people. Paul tells them that he didn’t mean the people of this world. If they avoid people of this world they would have no one to work with, no neighbor, no client, no boss, etc., he actually tells them that they would have to leave this world in order to avoid such persons.

Our calling to follow Christ is not necessarily a calling to avoid people we think are wicked and worldly. We still have to interact with them. They are our government officials. They serve us in offices. They provide us with goods and services. We can’t avoid them. We can avoid having friendships with them that will influence us to do evil, but we cannot avoid civil interaction.

John 17:11
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

We are still in the world. The pilot flying us may be an atheist but we still fly. The doctors treating us may not be subscribing to the same moral ethics as us but we still consult them. The shops where we buy from may also sell what we do not use, but we don’t completely avoid it. We are still in the world. We do not belong to this world but we interact with the people of this world.

Apostle Paul tells the church that he didn’t mean they should avoid the sexually immoral people of this world. He tells the church that they should instead prevent a person who claims to share faith with them but acts to the contrary. If you have accepted this faith that condemns sexual immorality, but you still engage in it, Paul tells the church to avoid you and not even eat with you. You are engaged in what the church abhors. You are trying to make it common. Even if it is common, we will abhor it!

Sexual immorality is not the only behavior we should abhor, though most people are obsessed with it. We should abhor the following behaviors in equal measure; greed, idolatry, slander, drunkards, and swindlers. Yet you will find greedy people hunting down and castigating the sexually immoral yet the Bible treats them as equally wicked. You may not be sexually immoral but if you are a swindler or a thief, you are no better. Many of these behaviors are abhorred but they are becoming commonplace. Even if it is now common just abhor it!

Greed has become so common that it may not be considered to be a sin. Greed is now common and therefore acceptable. That is the same with being a drunkard, a swindler, etc. But even if it is now common, just abhor it!

May God help us to abhor it even when it is now common, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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