Paul wrote to the Body of Christ in 1st Corinthians 5:11-13: “I have written to you telling you not to keep company with any man that claims to be a brother which is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. Understand that you are not to even eat with such a one.”
He goes on to ask “Don’t you judge those that are within the Body of Christ?”
And tells us, “Having judged, put away those wicked persons from among you.”
The Word further teaches:
He that says, “I know Him, and doesn’t keep His commandments” is a liar and the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:4
and
Whoever transgresses the law and doesn’t abide in the doctrine of Christ doesn’t have the Spirit of God within him. 2 John 1:9
The wicked then, by definition, includes both those outside of the Body of Christ and those within the Body who do not follow the commandments of God. We are commanded to separate ourselves from them.
If this Doctrine of Christ had been followed throughout the ages, the Body would contain only those of us who are willing to pay the price to overcome, as it was in the 1st century. Instead, today the majority of what is called ‘the church’ is made up of multitudes of hypocrites who brazenly break the commandments and declare “DON’T JUDGE ME” while hiding behind the doctrines of man.
Most of us have been taught the “DON’T JUDGE ME” false doctrine and, not knowing that the doctrine was false were intimidated into thinking we had to put up with hypocrites, so we remained quiet, secretly judging them in our hearts while suffering from false conviction, believing that we were the ones doing something wrong.
That is just not so. If we do not judge (justly and only within the Body) and if we do not remove the offenders from the Body, WE will not be following the commandment of God.
When we allow those who live in sin to go without our judgement and to stay in our midst, those who are without the Body are repelled by the hypocrisy, and the weak within the Body are confused and led to believe that breaking the commandments (as the false brethren do) is not sin. But the Word says that Sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21
It’s time to stop this nonsense. When we put the hypocrites out of the Body, or in the case of a whole assembly, when we come out from among that assembly, the real Body, the cleansed Body will again be enabled to operate in the fullness of the Spirit; The field that is ripe for harvesting will no longer be turned off to our attempts to introduce them to the Gospel and we will be free to worship in Spirit and Truth.
Those who deny teachings such as this and admonish them saying such Scriptural and righteous actions should be replaced with ~~Love~~, here is what God says:
This is love, that we walk after His commandments and this is the commandment: That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in them. 2 John 1:6
It is love to follow the commandments and judge righteous judgement. Failing to judge and remove the wicked from the Body as commanded is not love, because it allows the hypocrite to go on without correction. Not only does that leave your Brother exposed to correction, but it leads those just coming into the faith astray, or turns them off all together because of the hypocrisy.
You should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Jude 1:20-23
We know there are some lovely and some genuinely nice people that will be removed from the Body. We aren’t told it wouldn’t hurt. But the hurt comes from the enemy, not our God and in the end, if they come to the light they will be saved. How much hurt is that worth?
Are we to wait to judge, knowing of God’s grace? No. The commandment is immediate. We have no idea if or when someone will come to the Truth, so, put them out without delay.
Is this a reason for us to hate those that have been removed from our fellowship? No. We’re told how to proceed.
You loved ones, building yourselves up in holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. On some have compassion, making a difference. Others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh Jude 1:3
“He which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins. James 5:20
Throw them out, or leave their assembly. That is love and that is what we’re commanded to do. Let’s get on with it. The time is short.