If you Only Knew

We go about our daily lives in total denial of what is happening inside our bodies. We eat foods that are eating us. We drink fluids that have very little if any benefit. The entire time our bodies are slowly decaying without our knowledge. Unfortunately, our bodies are not the only thing decaying within us.

The damage done to our soul every time we sin goes unnoticed, at least for now. Just like our bodies eventually show symptoms of poor health, our souls will eventually show the effect of sin. Our attitude begins to change. We get angry at other who ‘try’ not to sin. We mock those who ‘pretend’ to live saintly lives. The entire time our soul is groaning because of the constant ‘state of sin’ in our hearts.

We returned to our livestream Bible Study on the 1^st Corinthians last night in our host parish. It felt good to be back after so many months apart. Last night’s session was on 1^st Corinthians 5.1-8, the passage where Saint Paul takes on incest in the Church.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1^st Corinthians 5.1-8

I encourage you to spend some time reviewing the study guide and watching the video from last night’s session. Here are two gems from last night’s Bible Study. If only we knew the damage being done to our soul when we sin, we would act. The time has come for action!

What then shall we do on that day, when before the dread tribunal he that has been evil entreated and lost his all is brought forward into the midst, and you have no one to speak a word for you? What will you say to the Judge? Now indeed you may be able even to corrupt the judgment, being but of men; but in that court and at that time, it will be no longer so: no, nor yet now will you be able. For even at this moment that tribunal is present: since God both sees our doings and is near unto the injured, though not invoked: it being certain that whoever suffers wrong, however in himself unworthy to obtain any redress, yet nevertheless seeing that what is done pleases not God.

Mark his energy. He suffers them not even to wait for his presence, nor to receive him first and then pass the sentence of binding: but as if on the point of expelling some contagion before that it have spread itself into the rest of the body, he hastens to restrain it.  

Saint John Chrysostom Homily 15 “On 1st Corinthians”