Kingdom Keys (1 Corinthians 5:1-10; LD 31)

We are called to conform to Christ. We must remember that while grace is free but not an excuse for sin. The church in Corinth, despite its knowledge and spiritual gifts, fails to comprehend living in and for Christ. They are not seeing that their call is to live out the gospel. They want the gospel to glorify their elitism rather than living to glorify their savior.

Christ calls us to live out the gospel. We are called to die to self and live for Christ. Paul addresses a scandalous case of sexual immorality within the community. Paul tells the community to remove the offender and mourn his sin, rather than boast in their elitism. The irony is that in all their spiritual wisdom, they miss the basics of the Christian faith. They celebrate sin rather than see the bigger problem of this man sinning against the Lord.

Paul urges the church to discipline the man. The purpose is that while the man feeds the desires of his flesh, he will see his folly, and will repent. The handing over to Satan is not some collaboration that Christ has with Satan. Rather, this is the man seeing that the destruction of the flesh might lead to the repentance of the spirit or his inner desires. This is a key to the kingdom: it puts the person outside the house. The person is pushed out of the household’s door.

The picture that Paul calls to our mind is the picture of the passover. The man will be put out of the church and meet the Lord like an Egyptian. The Lord’s protection will not be over the house, but the man will meet the destroyer, who will publicly put Satan down when he comes again.

The keys of the kingdom show that the Corinthian church should submit to the folly of the Gospel before succumbing to the folly of the world. The gospel is not about their elitism, but it is the message of life that as one dies to self, one finds life in Christ. They have missed the first key that opens the kingdom with the call to turn to Christ.

Let us see our God as our glorious protector. The one who goes before us. Let us see that the gospel calls us to submit to Christ, die to self, and is a power that cultivates the true spiritual life, conforming us to our redeemer. Let us walk in the humility of the cross, knowing that we will share in the glory of our savior. Our passover lamb has been offered, has been raised, and leads his house to enjoy the fullness of his blessing. We do not use this message to prop ourselves up, but we come humbly before the throne of grace, knowing that all we need is our savior. Let us walk in him, seeking to please him as his faithful servants.