SINNING AT ONE CHURCH AND FLEEING TO ANOTHER

By James Baker

I don’t know about you, but I’m not spending time working to build up the church so the Lord will be pleased; just to make it contaminated because we allowed unfit people to enter. Rev 2.14-16.  1 Cor 5.1-13

The church is to be a gathering of people serving God and shunning sinful practices. Eph 5.25-27.  Though the members aren’t above sin, because anyone can sin in a moment of weakness. But what I’m speaking of is the local church becoming a stop for anyone who is in sin, not repenting of that 
sin and just finding another place to rest their hat.

For example, the church on Jetson street gets into a situation with some members and those members caused a lot of trouble and they leave. Regardless of any failures on the Jetson church part, those departing people are in sin and they will remain in sin until they do the right thing by going back to where they committed the sin and making it right. 1 Tim 1.19-20.

If they arrived at another church and that church receives them, they are receiving people who aren’t right in the eyes of God.   And as it has been pointed out, just because the Jetson street church might have failed in some point in dealing with those offenders; it doesn’t change the fact that souls are in jeopardy.

Attempting to defend people who are strangers is a huge mistake. Why would a receiving church defend and fight like a bobcat to defend people they don’t even know?   I’ll tell you why. New members.  Imagine a church accepting people just to have new members. They don’t go out into the streets and convert people from scratch; they get their new members by accepting runaways from other churches. Sad indeed.

Best thing any church can do to stay pure is to investigate the people who arrive at their door.  A little investigation will reveal much.

I hope these few words will make us be more cautious when dealing with people coming from another church and seeking membership.  Joshua 9:3-2