April 23rd follow-up

Sunday Follow-up
1 Corinthians 5 – “Are you looking for the perfect church?”

As a follower of Jesus, I know that on this side of eternity, I will not be perfect. When I say perfect, I mean sinless. However, at times the word perfect in the Bible refers to spiritual maturity. My goal as a follower of Christ is not to reach a state of sinlessness, but to grow and mature in my walk with Him.

Part of our spiritual growth as followers of Jesus is acknowledging our problems and then dealing with them. When we sin, and acknowledge that we have sinned, and repent of that sin, that is an indicator of spiritual growth.

None of us belongs to a church family that is perfect. What I mean is, every church family at times has problems. But you can be part of a church family that is perfect in the sense that when problems arise, they identify the problem and deal with it biblically.

The church in Corinth had a problem. A fellow believer was living in sin. Instead of dealing with the sin biblically, the church decided to show their love for him by allowing him to continue to fellowship with them. Rather than helping this believer, they were hurting him spiritually. This problem was one of several problems in the church that Paul found himself having to address.
The church of Corinth was lacking spiritual maturity, not because they had problems, but rather because they weren’t dealing with the problems.

If you want to be a part of a church family that is perfect. Don’t look for one that doesn’t have problems because you won’t find it. How do I know this? Because our churches are filled with imperfect people. Instead, look for a church that is willing to acknowledge their problems when they arise and then choose to deal with them biblically. Also remember that as part of that church family, you can either be a part of the problem or you can be a part of the solution. Have a blessed week.