Christian accountability has been a subject that has been on my heart a lot lately, and one that is very tough to discuss. No one likes to talk about sin, no one wants to be judged, no one wants to be told their doing something wrong. And honestly, no one really wants to judge someone else. It's just awkward. To be truthful, it is much easier to let a brother or sister go on sinning, than to address it and risk losing a friendship. But this attitude is altogether unbiblical, and very dangerous.

Paul addresses this issue in 1 Corinthians 5 because the Corinthian church had a misunderstanding about how to deal with sin (in particular, the sin of incest). Paul instructed them to:

1) Deliver the offender to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that they may be saved in the ultimate judgment of Jesus Christ. Talk about tough love! (verse 5)
2) Not have fellowship or even take a meal with a believer who was living in sin. (verse 11)

Why so strict? Because, as Paul states in verse 6, a little sin can bring down many believers.

Sin is such a serious offense that it took the crucifixion of Jesus to pay the price of it. For those of us who are now made new in Christ, to go back and live in sin makes a mockery of what Jesus has done. He requires purity and righteous living from us. To ignore the sinful lifestyle of a brother or sister is unloving and dangerous because that person is in a precarious spot before the Lord (1 Cor. 6:9-10). I'm not saying there is never a time to show grace, because there most definitely is. But in this passage Paul mentions specific lifestyles of fallen believers that we are to stay away from which include sexual immorality, covetousness, idolatry, reviling, drunkeness and extortion. I believe he has listed these because they are the most infectious to the Body of Christ. And it's not just the lifestyle he is requiring them to stay away from, but also the believers living in those lifestyles.

Obviously people have slip-ups here or there. But when it comes to a brother or sister who is actively pursuing a lifestyle of sin, we must deal with that, and Paul makes it clear that it should be dealt with severely. There are ground rules about how to deal with sin, and should always be done in love, with the goal of restoration. I don't believe we are called to walk around church looking for every little thing each person has done wrong, and accusing them. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, but there should be conviction, godly sorrow and repentance from sin.

I know so many people who have walked away from the Lord whose motto seems to be "stop judging me." 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 is my response to that:

"For what [have] I [to do] with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore 'put away from yourselves the evil person.'"

This is God's Word, not mine. We judge those on the inside (believers), and not those on the outside (non-believers). And not because we are bitter, angry or "holier than thou;" but because of our love for the soul of every individual, including those who have walked away from the Lord. It takes wisdom, love and grace to address a brother or sister who is walking in sin. But just because it is a tough issue, doesn't mean we ignore it altogether.

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:3

I have to admit that much of the time I don’t feel like I am in a place of “perfect peace.” So, naturally, the question to ask is, “why not?” I could use a number of defenses to answer this:

Life is stressful. I have a 4 month old baby. Money is always tight. I’m in the midst of tough situations that are out of my control. On and on and on goes my list. Everyone has a list. BUT, we aren’t lacking peace because of our various life circumstances. Our “lists” will always be there.

My own mind and emotions sabotage my ability to have peace. Isaiah 26:3 says that God will keep us in perfect peace when our mind is STAYED on Him. My mind will be stayed on Him when I fully trust Him. I will fully trust Him when I know Him. I will know Him when I seek Him through prayer and reading His Word.

When we really understand who God is, and how powerful His promises are, the trials of this life become so much smaller. For example, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13. We can do ALL things through the power of Jesus. What does that look like? I can love the person who is hateful towards me. I can share the gospel with the person who mocks me. I can serve my family on three hours of sleep, and do it without complaining (new mommies, this one's for you!). And that’s just one promise! We have a whole Bible full of His promises.

Here is a practical way to get to that place of peace: Write down a list of the most stressful, tormenting, frustrating, aggravating, upsetting situations in your life. Then, next to each one, write a promise in the Word of God that you know will enable you to have peace about that situation.

Now, when you begin to fret and feel the anxiety growing, look at your list. What is it in God’s Word that will get you through? Spend some time with Him, ask for wisdom in dealing with the anxiety in your life, dwell on His Word and live in His peace. It is always there for us to enjoy.