Cut It Before It Kills You | 1 Corinthians 5:13

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Our text today is 1 Corinthians 5:13.

Some threats don’t walk through the front door shouting. They slip in quietly, sit in the pew, smile during worship, and destroy slowly. Paul ends this chapter by ripping the mask off one of the greatest dangers to a church’s health: unrepentant sin that everyone sees but no one confronts.

God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” — 1 Corinthians 5:13

Paul doesn’t whisper this. He doesn’t soften the command. He ends the chapter with a call so sharp we can feel the edge of it: remove what is destroying the body of Christ before it destroys you.

He’s not talking about someone who’s struggling or fighting sin. He’s talking about the person who refuses correction, rejects repentance, and insists on living in open rebellion while claiming the name of Christ. This kind of sin doesn’t stay contained. It spreads. It shapes culture. It numbs conviction. It confuses new believers. And eventually it corrupts the whole church.

First | Unrepentant sin isn’t just harmful—it’s contagious.

This command echoes Jesus’ words about cutting off a hand or tearing out an eye. Some things must be removed decisively because they can’t be managed gently. If we don’t cut out what kills us, it will cut out what’s holy in us. And Paul draws a hard line that every believer must take seriously...

Second | God judges the outside world. The church must judge what’s inside.

Our job is not to police unbelievers—God handles that. Our job is to protect the church. Not to condemn the world, but to guard the family of God. Not to rage at culture, but to confront the compromise within our own community.

This means addressing sin when we see it—not ignoring it, excusing it, or hoping it disappears. When a believer we love is drifting into rebellion, we step in. We speak clearly. We call them back. We risk the awkward conversation. That’s what love does.

It also means raising concerns when leaders overlook sin. Paul’s command applies to pastors, elders, small group leaders, and every believer in the house. If something poisonous is spreading, silence is not faithfulness. Silence is surrender.

And sometimes—this part is hard—the right response is to leave. If your church normalizes what God condemns, if leaders minimize sin or celebrate what Scripture calls destructive, if purity is treated as optional and holiness is mocked as legalism, then the command of Paul lands on your doorstep...

Third | Flee.

Don’t let corruption disciple you. Don’t stay where sin is protected. Don’t remain where truth is optional.

Leaving isn’t betrayal. Leaving is protection. Leaving is obedience. Leaving is spiritual survival.

Paul ends the chapter with a decision-point: Will we be a church that trims sin—or a church that tolerates it?

• Purge what pollutes.
• Remove what corrodes.
• Cut what kills.
• Protect what’s holy.
• Guard what Christ died to make clean.

The world doesn’t shape us. Sin doesn’t define us. And compromise doesn’t get a seat at the table. Christ leads us. Holiness marks us. Courage protects us. This is how chapter 5 ends—with fire and clarity. And now it’s our turn to act.

DO THIS:

Ask God to reveal one area of compromise—personal or within your church—that needs decisive action. Speak up, confront it, or walk away if needed. Protect what’s holy.

ASK THIS:

1. What sin have I tolerated that God wants removed?
2. Where do I need to speak up instead of staying silent?
3. Is my church confronting sin—or quietly accepting it?

PRAY THIS:

Father, give me courage to remove whatever harms my walk with You. Help me protect the purity of Your church and confront sin with boldness, humility, and conviction. Keep me faithful and fearless as I follow Your Word. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

“Clean Heart”