Series: Do You Not Know?
Sermon: God’s People Will Judge
Text: 1 Corinthians 6:2-8.
Introduction:
How do we handle grievances against one another in the church? That is the issue at hand in these verses from 1 Corinthians. In first century Corinth, as well as 21st century America, sometimes it’s handled just plain wrong. The truth of the matter is that we are sinners, we make mistakes, we do things wrong sometimes. And sometimes, when we mess up, we injure others in the process. How do we make things right that we’ve messed up? How do we make things right when we’ve been wronged? Fortunately, God’s word has some very clear teaching about what we should and should not do when we’ve been wronged.
Let me add this disclaimer. Tonight, my lesson is restricted to dealings between two people who are Christians. I am not providing legal advice or advice on disputes involving non-Christians. I am offering scriptural counsel to people who are Christians who may be involved in a dispute with a fellow Christian.
Lesson:
What not to do.
We should not; we must not take our Christian Brother or Sister to court. In our country, we have one of the finest legal systems in the world. In fact, one of the primary purposes of government is to provide justice to its citizens. In this country we actually have two court systems. We have a criminal court system. The purpose of the criminal court is to provide justice for its citizens by punishing law breakers. I do not believe that Paul is referring to this type of court case. If someone has committed a crime, we as citizens of this country have an obligation to appear in court and testify to the truth, even if that truth might lead to the conviction of a Brother or Sister in Christ. We also have a civil court system. The purpose of the civil court is to provide justice for its citizens by providing some sort of compensation or relief to those who have been wronged by another. This, I believe, is exactly what Paul was referring to in the passage read earlier. We live in a very litigious society. Lawyers on TV are actively soliciting clients who will:
•Sue their boss because they were injured at work. Sometimes this is justified. But the commercials villainize every employer as a scumbag, who’s only concern is how to exploit his employees. Example: Company doctor, “Back to work!” Nurse, “But Doctor, he’s dead!” Doctor, “Light duty.”
•Sue their doctor because they were given bad medical care.
•Sue the manufacturer of some product that was either dangerous or failed to live up to its promises. Warning on Superman costume: “WARNING: Cape does not enable wearer to fly.” Disclaimer on car commercial: “Fictionalization. Car not suitable for underwater use.”
It would be better if we could settle our grievances peacefully, and acknowledge our wrongs and attempt to right them. But, that is not always possible. Sometimes, we just don’t see things the same way.
We should not settle our disputes in TV substitutes for our civil courts. Today we’ve got: The People’s Court, Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, Judge Mathis, Texas Justice, and a host of others. People acting like idiots before judges…or at least they used to be before launching their television careers…judges who are not much more dignified than the plaintiff or defendant.
Is it really worth it to win our case before a judge of no account and lose our case before the judge of all the world? Paul tells the Corinthians, “To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you.”
What to do.
When you are in the wrong, try to settle things Brother to Brother. Jesus had this advice (Matthew 5:21-25). 21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
Jesus said that if you are at fault, you should settle quickly, before he decides to take you to court. That doesn’t mean that he would be right in taking you to court, but he might just be upset enough that he would not act properly. So, Jesus also admonishes us to settle our disputes out of court.
What if you do this and your brother is not being reasonable? Then we turn to Paul’s advice. Bring it before the church, not the world. Paul tells us, in his “Do you not know” kind of way, that we Christians are going to judge the world; we’re going to judge angels. I do not know in what way we will judge the world, even less how we will judge angels. To be honest, I’m not sure how the Corinthians would have known this. Perhaps this is something that Paul discussed when he was with them. But I am not sure that I would know this, had Paul not written this to the Corinthians. Paul’s point is this, if we are going to judge the world and even angels, don’t you think there ought to be someone in the church who could settle a civil case. Paul calls these trivial matters. But that is only in comparison to judging the world or angels. Christians wronging other Christians should not be considered a trivial matter. What Paul is referring to is Christian Arbitration. The church is gifted with people of wisdom who can decide what outcome is fair to both parties. We should take our case before those in the church who have such wisdom.
What do you do when you have been wronged? Again, this is something Jesus taught on. We must heed his words. 15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Once again, the advice is to go to him, Brother to Brother, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, it’s over and done with. If not, step two: go again and take someone with you (one or two others). For this to go on there must be witnesses. If he listens to you in the presence of witnesses, once again, it’s over and done with. Again, the point of all this is to lead an erring brother to repentance. If not, go on to step three: take it to the church. Now this is serious, if the one sinned against takes it to the church, and the one who has sinned against him fails to repent and make things right, then the church is given pretty clear and specific instructions as to what to do. Treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. A person who sins and is warned three times to repent, and refuses to do so is not much interested in being in a right relationship with God. This is the same advice offered by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13. 9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
He also wrote, “4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 5:4-5).
What about divorce? A Christian who divorces a Christian spouse is in the wrong; it ought not to happen. Now, I realize that this is probably not politically correct, but I am convinced that it is doctrinally correct. If a Christian has been wronged by a spouse should we do less than if the person was not their spouse? It is just as important that we follow the advice of the Scriptures in cases involving people who are married to each other. The teaching of the Scriptures on marital fidelity and about divorce are pretty clear. God hates divorce. Divorce always involves sin: either the sin of adultery or abuse or abandonment or the sin of divorcing without cause. How many divorces could be avoided by bringing your case to the church? How many families could be rescued from the brink of ruin? I would say, most, if not all, if action is taken early. I would say most, if both people are serious about restoring their relationship to what it could and should be. I have heard that the divorce rate among Christians is about the same as it is for the general population. What a shame that is! But what can we expect if we handle our difficulties in the same way that the world does? God has a better way. His way IS better.
Conclusion:
I will admit that God’s way is not always the easiest way. In fact, it rarely is. But I am convinced that the extra effort it takes to do things God’s way is well worth the extra effort. Of all of the times people have come to me with a problem, this very issue was the most frequent problem. Invariably, people are looking for an easier way. But do we really want to take the easier way? Will we be better off by doing things God’s way or by doing things the wrong way. In the end, it all comes to that. There is God’s way and there is the wrong way. Which will you choose?
Invitation:
Life and death are before you. Choose life and live. If you are caught up in a life encompassing sin, and a brother or sister has already come to you privately, you know what’s next. We implore you to repent and return in faith to God. Perhaps you think that your sin is well hidden and that no one knows about it. Certainly God knows about it. Repent and be free of it.
Know this, Brothers and Sisters, we will one day judge angels and the world. Paul tells us that this is so. But let me tell you this, we don’t want to see you in the Devil’s hands and under the Devil’s power. Our intent is not to condemn, but to free you from condemnation.
Would you be free?
Hymn:
Power in the Blood
