Jesus forgave everyone—so why does the Church still discipline people?

This part of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is such a weird passage to read on Easter Sunday, but it’s been read on this day from the earliest times in the church because not only was Easter the time people joined the church, but it is the one point in the year when Jesus’ forgiveness for the whole world is most clear.

On Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, declaring that the sin of the world was paid for at the cross. The whole world has been forgiven: which is fantastic news! Universal forgiveness. Objective justification. Death has no sting. The Law has no power!

But for new members of the church joining at Easter—and for people who hear this news for the first time— it can sound confusing, and raise questions:

If everyone’s forgiven: what about sin—doesn’t it matter?
If everyone’s forgiven: what about hell—does nobody go there?
If everyone’s forgiven: what about faith—what does it even mean?

In Corinth, 2000 years ago, people were struggling with the same questions.

It took Paul 18 months to plant the Corinthian church, and he tells us back in chapter 2 verse 2 that his entire message for that time was simply this:

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

And at the end of this letter, chapter 15 verses 3-4, Paul gives one of only two places in all his writings where he defines what the gospel is. He says:

¹ Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you… ³ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

The Gospel doesn’t tell you what to do—it tells you what God has done.

The Gospel is not a demand—it’s a declaration. This is what Paul was preaching when he planted the church in Corinth.

But, instead of letting grace level them, they turned it into status.
Instead of accepting its simplicity, they tried to make it impressive.
Instead of simply receiving it, they used it to elevate themselves.

And now in chapter 5, he writes:

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. ² And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn?

They’ve turned forgiveness into a reason that sin doesn’t matter. So now, in our passage, Paul deals with this misunderstanding:

1) If we allow sin even an inch, it takes over and defines us
2) But we are forgiven, because Christ died for our sin
3) So celebrate being defined by forgiveness, not failure

In other words: Paul says we’re not defined by failure, but that doesn’t mean pretending it’s not failure.

So, first, If we allow sin even an inch, it takes over and defines us

Please look at v. 6:

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

Sin wants to be your lord—it wants to take over, it wants to define you.

And it does it in two ways. Paul alludes to both of them in this one verse.

The Corinthians were boasting, because sin promises good things.

But it is like leaven, or mould—it consumes you and takes over.

Think about someone you have known who is controlling.

A controlling person who does not respect your boundaries, and keep acting as though they have some right over you.

You have to be very careful with people like that, don’t you? Because any response on their terms concedes the false premise that they are in charge.

Controlling people often flip flop between saying nasty things and nice things.

If you engage them directly, you are forced into a losing framework:

They use the Law: “You have this problem, you’re awful, you’re terrible!”

Then they use a kind of human gospel that’s all about them: “I love you, I care about you. I want to sort out your problems for you.”

All of us have known controlling people like this. And no matter what you reply directly, by doing so you concede the false premise that they’re actually in charge:

If you give a psychological defence “No, I’m stable, I’m fine.” …you’ve just conceded they are appropriate judges of your mind.

If you reply with a credential defence “I’m qualified.” …you’ve just conceded they are appropriate judges of your role.

If you reply with a relational defence “I’ve done nothing wrong.” …you’ve just conceded they are appropriate arbiters of your actions.

All of those concede their false premise: that they have standing over you to define you.

All of us have known people like that in our lives. And that is Paul’s warning here about sin.

Sin flatters you into boasting. But sin also eats you up and spreads, like leaven or mould.

And how we respond to sin is serious: because it constantly wants to redefine who we are.

If we allow sin even an inch, it takes over and defines us

Think of that controlling person… what steps were you forced to take with them?

You don’t negotiate with them.
You don’t manage them.
You remove them.

Sin is like that. It is that controlling person. It is always trying to take over and redefine you.

But—point 2—we are forgiven, because Christ died for our sin

Please look at v. 7:

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.

Look how carefully Paul talks here, and just how skilful he is.

He doesn’t say: Get rid of sin and fight to be pure and perfect people.

No, Paul refuses to play sin’s controlling game.

He doesn’t say anything that will allow the Corinthians to be defined by anything other than their baptism.

So, he gives a command to assert a boundary: Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump.

And he affirms their pre-existing identity: As you really are—already—unleavened.

“No, I’m not going to explain myself.” Paul says.

“No, I’m not going to prove to you that I’m good enough.” —that would lead to boasting, as you Corinthians have been doing.

“No, I’m not going to play this game at all.” Paul says. “I’m just going to separate out myself from that mess” Paul says “and sit here as a new lump.”

Because if there’s no leaven in this lump, if there’s no mould inside it—it can’t spread.

Jesus removed the mould from you, when he died as your Passover lamb:

We are forgiven, because Christ died for our sin

And that is why, even though Jesus forgave everyone, the Church still disciplines people

Imagine if someone in your circle of friends becomes really controlling over your life.

You spend a year working out what’s happening, and creating boundaries and making yourself safe. And finally you’ve got some separation, some freedom.

And then another friend brings this person back in… …with all of their controlling and abusive behaviours.

It’s the kind of thing that divides friendship groups… …as people now have to protect themselves again.

That’s exactly what Paul’s talking about here with sin.

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump

Jesus sacrificed himself. On the cross.

On Good Friday he allowed himself to be brutally nailed to a tree so that we could be clean, and free of this controlling thing of sin.

And so if someone embraces sin. If someone says “Sin doesn’t really matter… …I can choose to have a little bit and control it.”

Paul says: cleanse out the old leaven, which means: “No: you can’t take the Sacrament with us.”

And in cases of extremely destructive behaviour: “No: you can’t come on a Sunday.”

Not because you’re worse than others, but because sin cannot be treated as normal here.

All sin wants to take control and define you.

If you bring it back into the church as though it doesn’t matter… …Paul says it will take over and define us.

But, we are defined by forgiveness. That’s why the church disciplines.

So celebrate being defined by forgiveness, not failure

Please look at v. 8:

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.

When Paul says “celebrate the festival” he’s not referring to Easter, but to the whole of the Christian life shaped by Jesus’ death and resurrection, which is what the festival of passover pointed towards.

But the words fit quite nicely today, don’t they?

And all he’s saying is this: celebrate your freedom from sin!

That really controlling guy is not in your life anymore, Paul says. He’s gone: you’re forgiven! So: enjoy it!

Stay away from the leaven, the controlling mould of malice and evil:

Malice meaning hostility, a relationally destructive attitude—harbouring the Law inside our hearts.

Evil is the outward expression of that in our lives.

Which in Corinthians means:
—rivalry with others, chapter 1
—jealousy, comparison, resentment, chapter 3
—arrogance, superiority, controlling behaviour, chapter 4
—finally, just open unbridled sin, in chapter 5

Which like a cancer spread into a culture of pretending, boasting, minimising sin.

“You’re free from all that!” Paul says. “So, enjoy your freedom!” How? Sincerity and truth.

Constantly remembering that objective Gospel fact: You are forgiven.

On Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, declaring that the sin of the world was paid for at the cross. The whole world has been forgiven: which is fantastic news! Universal forgiveness. Objective justification. Death has no sting. The Law has no power!

Jesus forgave everyone—so the Church still disciplines people because we’re free from that controlling, abusive guy… …sin… that wants to take over.

We’re free of it now. That’s what the resurrection declares. Keep telling each other: you’re forgiven. Refuse to be defined by anything other than your baptism. Look at Jesus: died and risen for you.