ROMANS 1:21-32 NLT
21/ Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22/ Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23/ And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. 24/ So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25/ They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26/ That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27/ And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. 28/ Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29/ Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30/ They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31/ They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32/ They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
James 3:1, 2 NLT * 1/ Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.
1 Peter 4:17 KJV * 17/ For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
* 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 NLT * Paul Condemns Sexual Immorality In The Church
1/ I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 2/ You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship. 3/ Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man 4/ in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus. 5/ Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.
Regarding 1 Corinthians 6:1-2 NIV (printed below) Lawsuits Among Believers * In Jesus Name, I pray for Father God to give all readers wisdom and understanding for the following scriptures. Keep in mind that we are instructed in the Bible to obey the laws of the land {Romans 13:1 thru 5}; regarding reporting illegal offenses committed against others, to the proper authorities, whether they are done by those who profess to be Christians, or not. Remember Jesus taught us who our neighbors or brothers and sisters are, with the parable of "The Good Smaritan" {in WBS #102}. Also Jesus told us in Matthew 7:21 thru 23 NLT * 21/ “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22/ On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23/ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
1 CORINTHIANS 6 NIV
1/ If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2/ Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
NOTE
Only Holy Spirit filled, spiritually mature Christians with godly wisdom, are to prayfully make judgements according to THE WORD OF GOD, of immoral actions or situations that occur in the church or among it's members. If a proven immoral action committed is illegal according to the laws of the land, then judgement can include reporting it to the proper legal authorities out side of the church.
Jesus warns about judging people rather than actions
Matthew 7:1-5 * 1/“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2/ For you will be treated as you treat others. 3/ The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. 3/ “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4/ How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5/ Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
Pictured Below Matthew 7:1 KJV
1 CORINTHIANS 6 NIV CONTINUED
3/ Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4/ Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5/ I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6/ But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! 7/ The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8/ Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9/ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10/ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11/And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Sexual Immorality
1 CORINTHIANS 6 NIV CONTINUED
12/ “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13/ You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14/ By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15/ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16/ Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17/ But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 18/ Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19/ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20/ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Restore Wandering Believers {note-elders are Holy Spirit filled, spiritually mature Christians} * James 5:14-16 NLT * 14/ Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15/ Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. 16/ Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
* James 5:19, 20 NLT * 19/ My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20/ you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
JESUS IS COMING BACK FOR HIS CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST, ALL SAVED PEOPLE
Ephesians 5:27 KJV
That he [JESUS] might present it [THE CHURCH] to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Jesus speaks to us in
Matthew 13:40-43 NLT
40/ “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41/ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42/ And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In Revelation 1:18 KJV Jesus said, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.