Holiness in a Culture of Tolerance
First Things First: A Study in 1 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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I’m going to be honest with you — today is going to get very uncomfortable.
I warned you last week that in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul is addressing a sexual issue happening within the church.
This morning, we’re going to keep things at a high level — but we aren’t going to sugar coat or skip over something in Scripture just because it’s uncomfortable.
This morning we are going to talk about holiness in the church.
Before we look at the text let’s define holiness:
Before we jump into the text, let’s talk about what holiness actually means.
Holiness means being set apart.
It’s not just about being “good” or “better than someone else.”
It means being different — set apart for God, and from sin.
When the Bible says God is holy, it means He’s not like us.
He’s not casual about sin. He’s not shaped by culture.
He’s perfect — pure — and completely set apart.
And when God calls us to be holy, He’s calling us to live differently — not according to the world, but according to Him.
Turn to your neighbor and say, “You need to be different.”
Now turn to the other neighbor — the one you were too scared to the first time — and say, “You definitely need to be different.”
Go with me 1 corinthians 5
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.
Do I need to explain this one to anyone…?
…Yeah, I told you this was going to get uncomfortable.
Let’s keep reading.
2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.
4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
I’m pretty sure this is where the term “appalled” comes from…
Because Paul is definitely appalled in this moment.
A dude is sleeping with his stepmom — and the church knows about it…and they’re just like, “Eh, it’s no big deal.”
And Paul’s like: “What are we doing?!”
He doesn’t pull punches.
He literally calls them arrogant.
Not broken… not grieving…
Arrogant.
He is completely floored that this church is not only tolerating sin—
they’re proud of their tolerance.
He says this should have grieved you, you should have been morning over this guys immorality and instead you are tolerating it.
Let me ask you something:
What are you tolerating that you should be mourning?
Pray
There are two types of lactose intolerant people…
Getting uncomfortable remember?
The first type?
They make it their entire personality.
You ask if they want queso, and they’re like:
“I’M LACTOSE INTOLERANT!!”
Like chill… I was just offering nachos.
They want you to know they love cheese…
but can’t have it.
Because being lactose intolerant is their identity.
They bring it up in every conversation.
It’s like their spiritual gift is dairy-based trauma.
The second group?
They’re dangerous.
They’re lactose intolerant — and don’t care.
Queso? Yes. Extra.
“Hey man, you got your dairy pills?”
Nope. [shovels ice cream like it’s communion]
We’re….I mean…They’re out here suffering in silence —worth it every time.
One of the biggest problems with modern christianity is we have become holiness intolerant.
Holiness has become a word we stay away from in the church now days.
We love to sing songs about how God is holy.
But one of the biggest problems with modern Christianity is this:
We’ve become holiness intolerant.
Holiness has become a word we stay away from in the church these days.
We don’t like how it sounds.
We don’t like how it feels.
We think it’s old-school, legalistic, judgmental.
We love to sing songs about how God is holy…
But when it comes to talking about us being holy?
We check out.
So let’s talk about it.
What does “holy” actually mean?
At its core, holiness means “set apart.”
It means something — or someone — is distinct, different, unlike the rest.
When the Bible says that God is holy, it doesn’t just mean He’s sinless.
It means He’s other.
He’s in a category all by Himself.
He’s not like us. He doesn’t think like us. He doesn’t act like us.
He’s not tainted by sin, pride, ego, or culture.
He is perfect, pure, and entirely set apart.
And when that God calls us to be holy…
He’s calling us to live differently.
To be set apart.
Not better than others — but different because of Him.
Not shaped by culture — but conformed to Christ.
But here’s the tension:
You can’t be holy and still blend in.
You can’t be set apart and still be accepted by everyone.
Holiness will always make you stand out.
You can’t be holy and still blend in.
You can’t be set apart and still be accepted by everyone.
And if you don’t stand out as a follower of Jesus…
Then there’s a question you have to wrestle with:
Am I actually following Jesus?
Because Jesus doesn’t call us to fit in—He calls us to follow.
He doesn’t ask for behavior modification—He asks for complete surrender.
And that means we don’t get to blend in with a culture that tolerates sin, celebrates compromise, and mocks conviction.
This is actually where the Church in Corinth was living.
They weren’t just surrounded by sin — they were starting to reflect it.
The lines weren’t just blurry — they were nonexistent.
Conviction became uncomfortable.
And instead of being set apart from sin, they settled into it.
And instead of being set apart from sin, they settled into it.
The next question we have to ask ourselves is:
Have I settled into what I was supposed to be set apart from?
Because Paul doesn’t play with this.
He doesn’t say, “Just correct him privately,” or “Maybe suggest he take a break from ministry,” or “Let’s run a PR spin campaign and quietly hide it…”
No — Paul is direct, bold, and deeply serious.
This next verse is going to make some of us very uncomfortable.
Look at verse 5:
5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
Paul is so serious about Christians being set apart — he literally says: “Remove this man from the church. Hand him over to Satan.”
That’s intense.
But don’t miss this: Paul is using a figurative phrase…with very real, very literal consequences for this man.
Paul that feels harsh. Paul… that doesn’t sound very loving.
We’re the church — aren’t we supposed to be a place of grace and acceptance?
Come on, Paul — We’re not supposed to judge, right?
I’m about to make a couple of shocking statements
Christians are supposed to judge each other.
I know we don’t like that. But that’s not my opinion….is scripture.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”e.
I know culture thinks Christians are too judgmental…
But here’s the reality:
We’re not judgmental enough.
Because we’ve been too busy judging outside the church — And ignoring what’s happening inside.
Ask yourself this question:
Have I gotten more offended by the world’s sin than my own?
It’s easy to rage against culture.
To repost the headlines.
To point fingers at “those people.”
But meanwhile — we’re tolerating pride, gossip, compromise, and secret sin in our own lives and churches.
We’re more comfortable calling out what’s wrong out there…
than confronting what’s broken in here.
Here’s the second shocking statement:
The church is not supposed to be a place where everyone is accepted.
Wait… what?
I know that might sound off. But lean in.
Ladies and gentlemen, I hate to be the bearer of bad news…
But the church does not exist for the lost.
The church exists first and foremost to glorify God.
That’s the starting point.
Everything we do — worship, discipleship, outreach, correction, community — it all flows from that one purpose: the glory of God.
And yes, evangelism happens through the church.
Yes, the lost are welcome in the church.
But the mission of the church is not to accommodate culture — it’s to reflect Christ.
We’ve spent so much time trying to make church comfortable…
That we’ve made holiness optional.
So why does Paul judge this man so harshly?
Why does he say, “Deliver him to Satan”?
Because he wants salvation to come to this man.
That sounds backwards, right?
But it actually makes perfect sense.
As long as this man stays in the church…
And continues to receive what looks like “grace” — but is really just man-made tolerance —
He’ll believe he’s fine…
All while sleeping his way to hell.
The church in Corinth was celebrating themselves because of how gracious they were towards this man….but here is what they missed:
We are not called to dismiss peoples sin, we are called to dismiss people that unrepentant in sin.
Why?
look at verse 6
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Paul is saying: You’re boasting about your tolerance — but it’s contaminating the whole body.
A little leaven ruins the whole lump.
If you don’t deal with unrepentant sin in the house…
It won’t just stay in one corner.
It will spread.
It will infect.
It will weaken your witness.
He goes on to say in verse 9
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—
10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
Paul makes it clear:
This isn’t about the world.
Of course the world acts like the world — that’s expected.
But if someone claims the name of Jesus — and refuses to repent — Paul says: Don’t even sit down for a meal with them.
Why?
Because when we treat unrepentant sin like it’s no big deal — We confuse grace for license.
We offer comfort where there should be conviction.
Now I want you to sit up….because we are about to get personal and real…
Because I know it’s easy to sit here and think,
“Man, I can’t believe that guy in Corinth was sleeping with his stepmom.”
But before we scoff at his sin…
Let’s talk about ours.
Because while he was sleeping with his father’s wife…
Some of us are sleeping with people we’re not married to.
Some of us are living together but not in covenant.
And some of us are in a different kind of bed altogether…
The one on a screen.
Let’s talk about it…
Let’s start with the world:
Pornography is a $100+ billion global industry
On just one major site, over 42 billion porn videos were watched in a single year — that’s 115 million per day.
The average age of first exposure to porn is now 11 years old. Many kids are being exposed even younger — often by accident, on devices we gave them.
One in five internet searches on mobile devices is for pornographic content. Not just among teens or adults — across all age groups.
Now let’s talk about the church:
68% of churchgoing men admit to viewing porn regularly.
50% of pastors say they currently struggle or have struggled with pornography.
1 in 3 women in the church also report watching porn.
And here’s the one that hits the hardest: Only 7% of churches have any kind of ministry or strategy in place to help people break free.
So before we scoff at the man in Corinth sleeping with his stepmom…
Can we just admit that in 2026, the church is still sleeping around?
Only now, we’re doing it digitally, secretly, and pretending it’s not a big deal.
We don’t even have to leave our homes.
We carry it in our pockets.
We open the door to sin with a tap and a scroll.
Church — we have to break free.
Because Jesus didn’t die to make us comfortable in our sin.
He died to make us holy.
Men — we need each other.
Women — you need each other.
Marriages — you need honesty, not hidden habits.
Because unconfessed sin doesn’t just cost you comfort — it will cost you everything.
Instead of hiding in shame, let’s expose our sin before it exposes us.
Men if you want to break free I want to help you shoot me a text:
Pastor Kyle: 512-574-2561
Pastor Alyssa: 512-739-3801
Stop hiding in shame and let’s start walking in freedom together.
Pray
