Dirty Yet Clean

Today I once again experienced the amazing phenomena of truly seeing something in scripture that I had never seen before--though I knew it was a truth we should live by, I didn't know that it was explicitly stated in the Word. I am constantly amazed at this Living Word that can illuminate itself indefinitely to our minds even though we may have read and studied it for years! So here is the passage that brought upon one of those heavens-open-up-with-slightly-but-not-overly-dramatic-music moments (1 Cor. 5:9-13):

^"9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—¹⁰not 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. ¹¹But 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.

"¹²What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? ¹³God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you."

What stood out to me today was not necessarily the main point of this passage, but rather one of Paul's side notes. I have read these verses many times over the years and I always understood what it said about Paul's righteous anger and rebuke towards the Corinthians for the sexual immorality in their midst. Today was the first time that I have seen the distinction made between the sinful people within the Church and those outside of the Church--and more specifically what our attitudes and actions should be towards each.

Paul tells the Corinthians that they are to hand over the unrepentant brothers (a.k.a. Christians) to the devil for a while so they will come back to Jesus when they realize their error (that's a fun doctrine to deal with!) But what does he say about how we should see sinful people outside of the Church? (Notice the capital C--meaning I am talking about all Christians as the Body of Christ, not local congregations or denominations.) Paul told the Corinthians that it would be ridiculous if they tried to avoid the greedy, immoral, underhanded folks who don't have Jesus because they might as well go live in a cave or a tree for as well as that would work. He said it is not only unavoidable, but also unnecessary (and wrong I would venture) to avoid being around those without Christ. He actually says, "Who am I to judge them?" !!!!

If Paul couldn't and wouldn't judge them, then maybe I should take note. This is the thing people of the Church (myself included) need to really understand. We are called to be dirty yet clean... like Jesus was. He got His hands dirty by reaching out to the unloved, the greedy, the broken, the outright evil of the world. But He was clean in spirit. He never sinned and he didn't avoid those who did. He saw those people as opportunities to share the Father's love! But at the same time He opened up a can on the pharisees and teachers of the law for being hypocrites. He didn't have a personal vendetta against them--He just knew what the house of God should look like.

This is what I come away with. I am to be dirty yet clean. I cannot avoid or judge those without Jesus. Nor should I. However, in my own life and in the lives of my brothers and sisters in Christ I am called to uphold a standard of righteousness. The Body of Christ should have a clean heart yet have dirty hands.