THE ESSENTIALITY OF REPENTANCE (4): Communal Sins & Repentance

Scriptures

Numbers 16:1-37; Joshua 7:1-26; 2 Samuel 21:1-14; Jonah 3:1-10; 2 Corinthians 7:1-11

Thought 💭

There is a concept of commonality that results when people come from the same race, tribe or organization that must be recognized, harnessed, and also guided against, if we are to fulfill corporate destiny.

Commonality refers to the state or fact of sharing features, interests, characteristics, or qualities. It essentially describes the traits, themes, or attributes that two or more things; whether people, objects, or concepts, have in common with one another. Blacks, White, Hispanics, Arabs, Jews, Asians etc, have a certain commonality, Nigerians, Beninese, Ghanaians, South Africans have a certain commonality, Yorubas, Fulani, Igbos etc have a certain commonality, Churches, Denominations, Para-church organizations, local congregations etc, all have different commonalities.

We all share a common commonality in Christ:

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

—Ephesians 4

However when we belong to a local church, a particular ministry, a para-church organization etc, there is a specific spiritual commonality; in covering, in grace, in faith, in blessings, and yes, in holiness, that begins to be noticeable.

"We want you to know, brothers, about the GRACE OF GOD THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN AMONG THE CHURCHES OF MACEDONIA, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part."

—2 Corinthians 8:1-2

This commonality exists in different spiritual communities. Its positive and negative aspects are very real. Paul had an eye to recognize it, here he talked about a giving grace he had recognized amongst the churches of Macedonia. In Corinth or amongst the Corinthians, Paul recognized a grace for spiritual gifts:

"I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,...so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ."

—1 Corinthians 1:4,7

He also recognized a certain spiritual weakness; sins that were particularly strong amongst the Corinthians:

"It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you."

—1 Corinthians 5:1-2, KJV

Just like graces usually begin with one man, sins usually start with one person as well.

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

—1 Corinthians 5:6

The Corinthian church, like in many of our churches forgets this commonality or celebrates only the positive commonality while failing to deal with the negative commonalities that are running riot amongst us.

"Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed...When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn't talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don't even eat with such people."

—1 Corinthians 5:7,9-11

The spiritual community is real, and there is communal grace, faith, holiness, spiritual authority, weaknesses and sins. We need to recognize both the positive and negative, and fight against the negatives, help ourselves, confront each other, be accountable to each other; otherwise it will affect both our corporate and individual destinies, and will result in corporate judgements.

"Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn't repented of their sins and turned to God. 'What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.'"

—Matthew 11:20-24

Sodom and Gomorrah were judged corporately. Tyre and Sidon too. Nineveh was to be judged corporately but thankfully they repented corporately (Jonah 3:1-10). What to do to avoid corporate judgement?

"So Moses got up and rushed over to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, followed by the elders of Israel. 'Quick!' he told the people. 'Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don't touch anything that belongs to them. If you do, you will be destroyed for their sins.' So all the people stood back from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, together with their wives and children and little ones...The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned."

—Numbers 16:25,26,27,32

From the book of Psalms, we understand that even the sons/children of Korah left their father's tent and escaped judgement (Psalms 42-49, 84,85,87,88).

The identity and purity of any local church are linked, their faith, their works are linked. Sins also operate in linkages. Once sin takes root, nothing is an isolated moral failure, it is a corporate sin, a culture.

In Corinth, Paul does three things to help the Corinthian church come to a place of corporate repentance:

1. Corporate Identity and the "Leaven" Metaphor
2. Paul narrows on an individual sin to the spiritual health of the entire congregation.
3. The Danger of Contagion: He writes, "Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?" (1 Cor 5:6).

Thankfully they did come to a place of corporate repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-16). Verse 11 describes the fruit of their repentance:

"Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right."

—2 Corinthians 7:11

Prayers

#1 Thank God for the positive aspects and gifts, graces, and blessings in your local church, ministry or para-church organization.

• Pray that more than ever these positive aspects will percolate downwards and everyone will come into its blessings.

#2 Pray for your local church, ministry, or para-church organization.

• Pray for the leadership; that God should deliver them from sins that destroys and compromise leadership; pride, sex, money.
• Pray that before a sin takes root corporately or becomes a culture, God will give them boldness to confront the sins in their congregations/ministries.
• Pray for grace for corporate repentance in local congregations, ministries and para-church organizations.
• Pray that God will deliver the Nigerian Church/Beninese Church, the Global Church from unrepentant sin that defiles the community's collective identity and compromises its witness to the world.
• Pray for yourself. You will not be a leaven, a source of corruption.

Thank God for answers to prayers.