God is Patient

God is Patient
The Apostle Peter writes,
“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  
They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”  
But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water.  
By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.  
By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:3-9.
Over the years there have been many who scoffed at the message of Jesus Christ. They have doubted that Jesus will ever return to this earth.
I recently read an account from obviously for lack of a better definition “a sudo-religious” group that said, the apostles failed because they didn’t reach the whole world in their lifetime.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The way I see it God as Peter said, does not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
The apostle John records Jesus as saying,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.
Additionally God is using human means to reach the world. He is asking everyone to believe in him through faith.
True God could have revealed Himself in all his glory and majesty to the whole world demanding to be worshipped. That however would not have produced the true followers God wants.
Were God to show himself in all his power it would have cause some people to worship him out of fear for what He could do to them. This is not what God wants.
God wants people of faith. Who worship Him because they believe not only in His power but that He is a God of love and mercy.
Also people who have faith in anything are the strongest of followers they will believe no matter the circumstance.
The writer of Hebrews noting,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                                   Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists

 and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

                                                                          Hebrews 11:6.

It is my belief that the church still has a long way to go in reaching the world around us. The first century church was successful in taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world they new. However it was only a fraction of the world that actually existed.
Even today there are people in our midst and around the world who have not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thus I believe at least until they have had an opportunity to hear the about the Saving grace God offers the church has a lot to do and not worry when Christ will return.
Please think about it.

False Teachers

False Teachers
The Apostle Peter writing to believers in Christ Jesus writes,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.  
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” 2 Peter 2:1-3.
Peter here issues a waring about false prophets. He echoes the words of Jesus who said,
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  
Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  
  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:15-23
Many in the world today are calling themselves Christians who are not. They as Peter states,
“They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.  
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.”
As believers in Christ Jesus we need to watch carefully for such teachers. We need to know what we believe and why we believe what we believe.
We need to listen carefully to what evangelist, pastors, priests, even people calling themselves prophets are saying.  We need to, within our churches stand up to false teaching.
The apostle Paul wrote,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
As believers in Christ Jesus we must always remember to present to those around us the pure unadulterated word of God. It is the only way we will truly win souls for Christ.
Please think about it.

Truth or Lie

Truth or Lie?
The Apostle Peter writes,
“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  
For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  
We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. 2 Peter 1:16-18.
Peter makes it clear here that what he and the other apostles are preaching are not “cleverly invented stories”, it is the truth. Peter himself was there when voice came heaven saying of Jesus, “This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased”.
In writing this he is saying to the reader you either believe me, or you do not. There is no middle ground.
If you believe what Peter has written then you must believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
If you do not believe Peter then Peter is a lying, as are all the writers of the New Testament.
Not only that they have perpetuated what has to be the greatest lie in human history. For close to three billion people in the world today believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind as did millions if not billions of people from the days of Peter to the present.
Thus the choice comes down to you the reader. Who do you believe Jesus is, Son of God, and Saviour of mankind or not?
The choice is yours.
Please think about it.

Add

Add
The Apostle Peter tells us,
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;  and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. 
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,  and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:3-11
Peter tells us,
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
Our faith in Christ gives us everything we need for life and godliness.
Peter goes on to say
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Our belief in Christ allows us to participate in His divine nature and escape the corruption of this world.
John’s gospel tells us,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12,13.
Because we participate in the divine nature of God Peter tells us,
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to

your faith goodness;

 and to goodness, 

knowledge;  

and to knowledge, 

self-control; 

and to self-control, 

perseverance;

 and to perseverance, 

godliness;  

and to godliness,

 brotherly kindness; 

and to brotherly kindness, 

love.”  

Our reward for doing this Peter states is,
“For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  
Peter also notes what happens if we do not do these things, stating,
“But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.”
His call to all believers is,
“Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,  and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:3-11.
Please think about it.

Good Advice

Good Advice
The Apostle Peter states,
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:  
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve;  not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.  
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  1 Peter 5:1-6.
Here the apostle Peter give some simple instructions to the elders of the Church and the young men of the Church.
To the elders he tells them:

1/ To be shepherds of God’s flock not because they must, 

but because the want to be. 

2/ They are told not to be greedy for money. 

3/ To be eager to serve.

4/ Not to Lord over those under them.

5/ To set an example to those they are entrusted to lead.

To the young men Peter states,

 “Be submissive to those who are older.”

To both groups he states,

“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another...”

Peter warns that,

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  

Finally he tells us,

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, 

that He may lift you up in due time.”  

Good advice for all in the church today.
Please think about it.

Suffering for the right thing

Suffer for the right thing
The apostle Peter tells us,
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.  
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.  
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.  
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” 1 Peter 4:12-16 
I like what Peter states here. He states,
“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
Notice, what Peter is saying is you blessed if you are insulted for associating with Christ. Jesus said,
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11,12.
Again Jesus states, we are blessed if we are persecuted for our belief in Christ.
Many people well meaning Christians here in North America protest against the government for passing certain laws they disagree with. They yell insults and protest against groups they disagree with. Then when there is a negative backlash for what they do, they say they are being persecuted for their faith in Christ.
This is not so. They are being persecuted for their actions.
Jesus never protested. Jesus and the disciples never spoke against anyone outside their faith. Nor should we.
As believers in Christ, if we are to suffer persecution, let us be persecuted for believing in Christ Jesus.
Please think about it.   

Christians and Speech

Christians and Speech
The Apostle Peter writes,
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.  Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:7-11
Peter believed the end of all things was near. It seems to be a common trait of every generation of Christians believe the end is near. A good thing. For as believers in Christ we should be working for Him as if His return is today.
The Apostle Paul however states,
“Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1,2
That being said we know the end of this world is near and the return of Christ is nearer than it was in Peters day. However God wishes to give everyone the chance to know Him personally. John’s gospel telling us,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.
  Peter however tells believers in Christ what they are to do until then,
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” 
I particularly like the one phrase Peter states,
“If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God...”
As believers in Christ we must always remember that we are Christ’s representative on this earth. It is through our words and deeds that people will see Jesus. If our actions are negative towards those around us none-believers will get a negative image of Christ.
If on the other hand you represent Christ in a positive way people will see Jesus in a positive way and be drawn towards him.
I like the words of Francis of Assisi who said,

“The deeds you do

 may be the only sermon 

some persons will hear today” 

                                             Francis of Assisi.

Please think about it.

Submit to Authority

Submit to Authority
The apostle Peter writes,
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  
For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.   Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.  
Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.” 1 Peter 2:13-17
The Apostle Paul writes,
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  
Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”  Romans 13:1,2.
Submission to authority.
In many parts of the world believers in Christ have no problem submitting to authority especially repressive governments. Governments that reject the gospel message.
Individual believers in Christ do their best to follow the laws of the country in which they live. While they may have to worship in secret they do their best to follow the law of the land.
Here in Canada and more so in the United States I see Christians quiet often do not always submit to the government and the laws it passes. They use the freedom granted by the secular democratically elected government to protest against laws they disagree with and people they disagree with.
That is not what Jesus and the Apostles would have done. Yes they did speak out against wrong being done in the Church. Jesus a Jew even spoke out against wrong practices done by the religious leaders within his faith. But it was only those in his faith.
The apostle Paul states,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
God will ultimately judge all the leaders of the world as He will judge all people of the world. Meanwhile we are called to submit to authority.
The apostle Peter telling us,
"Dear friends, 
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11,12.
Please think about it

A Royal Priesthood

A Royal Priesthood
The Apostle Peter writes,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends, 
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:9-12
For me this is a very important statement by Peter. One all believers in Christ need to think carefully about.
Peter is noting that believers in Christ are,
“A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
As a “royal priesthood” called to declare the praises of God. We must live lives worthy of God.
We are Christ’s representatives on this earth. Thus we must follow the teachings of Christ to Love God, Lover our Neighbour whoever he or she may be. We must Love our enemy and pray for those who persecute us.
In short we must show love and mercy to all people because in sending His Son to die for us God set the example.
We must at all times remember that we are strangers in this world. The American Evangelist Billy Graham stating,

“My home is in Heaven. 

I'm just traveling through this world.”

                                                      Billy Graham

Peter telling us,
"Dear friends, 
I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 
Thus the question becomes, if you claim to be a believer in Christ are you living a life worthy of a representative of Jesus Christ, worthy of God?
Please think about it.

Living Stone

A Living Stone
The Apostle Peter talking to believers in Christ Jesus states,
“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  
For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,’”  and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall....” 1 Peter 2:4-8a
The Apostle Peter here tells believers that Jesus is “the Living Stone” rejected by men but chosen by God, precious to Him.
Peter also notes that believers are living stones being built into a spiritual house,
“to be a holy priesthood, Offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
Peter tells us that God says
“I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
Peter makes it clear to the believer this stone, Jesus Christ, is precious. But to the unbeliever it is a stumbling block.
The Apostle Paul puts it this way,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Belief in Christ Jesus is a very personal thing. There is no middle ground. Either you believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Christ, the suffering Messiah who died for the sins of mankind. Or you don’t.
The Apostle John tells us however there is a reward for belief in Jesus when he states,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12,13.
Please think about it. 

Be Holy

Be Holy
The apostle Peter writes,
“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;  for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 
1 Peter 1:14-16.
Here Peter tells us,
 “...do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance."   He tells us to live Holy lives. To be Holy as God is Holy.
One definition of Holy I read is “being morally and spiritually excellent.”
In order to do this we must follow the example of Jesus who said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.
We as believers in Christ must remember that God does not want anyone to perish but rather have eternal life in heaven with him.
In order to do this we must love.  Love as someone has said is the purest of emotions. The Apostle Paul wrote of love saying

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, 

always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: 

faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13

Jesus did not look at what the individual was doing he looked on the individual as a soul in need of the love and saving grace of God.
The gospel of Matthew records,
“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.  
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” 
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13.
In this instance Jesus was looking as I noted people who needed the saving grace of God. He did not condemn these men. Instead he pointed out to the Pharisees,
“On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13.
As believers in Christ we must always remember that is all about the lost. We must remember that we should be like Christ and reach out to anyone who will listen to us.
Presenting to them in Love the message of Salvation only Jesus can bring.
Please think about it.

A Lesson from Paul

A Lesson from Paul
The Book of Acts records this incident in the apostle Pauls life that took place in Athens. It reads,
“So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.  
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.   Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  
You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.”  
(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  
For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. 
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.  
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” 
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”  
At that, Paul left the Council.  
A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others Acts 17:17-34.
Here is something the individuals in the Church and indeed the Church as a whole need to look at.
Someone said to me. “It’s time for our nation to speak up against the moral filth in our society. To get rid of the moral filth in our nation and return to God.”
I pointed out to this person that first of all our nation has never been a godly nation despite what the nations founders had carved into walls or printed on nice pieces of paper.
As for moral filth in our society we are probably equal to what went on in the Roman world. We might even be better. We don’t have slaves, We don’t condone the killing of people in a coliseum for entertainment. We don’t have temple prostitutes.
All of which the apostle Paul would have seen while in Athens. Yet Paul did not speak out against what he would have considered “immoral filth” Paul knew better.
Paul knew he had the answer to overcome every sin the Athenians were committing, Jesus Christ.
Thus when he spoke to the Athenians he presented the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Christ alone. The results were when he had completed some sneered, but more importantly they wanted to hear more and some came to know the Lord.
This came about because Paul presented the pure gospel and did not attack or criticize the  beliefs or actions of the Athenians.
Paul writing to the Corinthians who lived in one of the most, if not the most morally corrupt cities in the Roman Empire said,
“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—  not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.  
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11.
Notice Paul tells believers in Christ not to associate
“with with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.”
It is actually our duty as believers in Christ to take the gospel to the whole world and that will mean associating with people of all walks of life even the immoral.
For it is only in doing so that we can show them the way to heaven.
Please think about it.