Sat.’s Devo - Righteous Judgement

Read: Ezra 8:21-9:15; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Psalm 31:1-8; Proverbs 21:1-2 The Ahava Canal was a junction in the road in Babylon. That was where Ezra and the exiles returning to Jerusalem met. Ezra and his group prayed and fasted asking God to prosper their trip and keep them safe. They offered burnt offerings and sacrifices. They carried a decree from the king asking for support from the neighboring towns. *** Ezra was told that many of the people traveling with him had worshipped the idols of Babylon and even married Babylonian women. When Ezra heard this, he was appalled and mourned. He prayed that God would forgive them for their great sins. *** In Corinthians, Paul was facing the same thing in the Church. He was hearing of sexual sins going on in the Church. One man, in particular, was sleeping with his step-mother. Instead of feeling remorse and shame, the Church was proud - probably of accepting him. Paul said they should remove him from their fellowship until he repented. We are not to judge the world because they don’t know the truth and are not part of God’s kingdom, but we should judge those who are in God’s kingdom and a part of our fellowship. *** Letting sin in and not dealing with it would end up spreading throughout the church. Paul told them not to break bread with the outright sinners in the Church who had no desire to repent. *** Lord, may we have the boldness to stand up for the righteousness Christ died to give us. Give us discernment to judge rightly and live in sincerity and truth.