THIRD QUARTER 2026
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #4
JULY 25, 2026
"Sin in the Church". 

 

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies" (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20, NIV).

 

You'll seldom hear a sermon on the topics covered in this week's lesson, but Paul did not shy away from addressing the specific sins practiced by those in the newly birthed church at Corinth. These issues strike close to home—like the sin of Achan, these prevailing sins affect not only the individual involved, but their families, and by extension, the whole body of Christ. 

 

Someone once told me, "Church discipline doesn't work." Therefore, don't do it. And to a large extent that philosophy has been integrated systemically in local churches as well as the world church. The culture of Western countries now embraces lifestyles that the Bible condemns. In not a few instances, pastors, churches, and educational and healthcare institutions have rejected clear Bible teachings and are openly supporting what the Bible clearly marks as sin. 

 

Paul was clear with reference to the body of Christ: "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolator, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. . . . Therefore put away from yourselves the evil person'" (1 Corinthians 5:11, 13, NKJV).

 

"Strict discipline is what the church owes to the steadfast members, no less than to the disloyal ones. The church at Corinth, however, was puffed up, not because of this sin, but in spite of it. While the whole body should have been mourning the shame that had come upon them, and making efforts to remove it, they were congratulating themselves on their prosperity. Indeed this sin may have served to make manifest their pride, because it is likely that many were Pharisaically boasting because they had not walked disorderly, not thinking that by tolerating sin in the church, they themselves became responsible for it. It has been well said that 'Men are always elated and proud when they have the least occasion for it.' When church members feel a tendency to complacence and boasting, it is time to examine themselves to find out what is wrong."—E. J. Waggoner, Signs of the Times, November 22, 1883, p. 521.

 

"Some Seventh-day Adventists have the wild notion that because they cannot have church trials, with their resulting divisions, wars, and fightings, there is to be no discipline at all, but everything is to be left to the devil. No greater mistake was ever made. The truth is that while there is no place for a church trial, there is no place for anything but church discipline; that is, Christian discipline of the word and Spirit of God. That is what the church and church organization in the world are for; for the church is the pillar and ground, the support and stay, of the truth of God in the world."—A. T. Jones, Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, January 25, 1898, p. 62). 

 

While it may not seem obvious, the church today is in crisis. Do we believe the Bible or not? Is the Bible our rule of faith? Do we accept as truth what it teaches, even if those teachings don't accord with modern science or cultural mores? Today there is much encouragement to be unified. The way to produce unity is to preach the truth as it is in Jesus, as recorded in His Word. When this happens, a line will be drawn. People who believe the truth will accept it and live it no matter what the cost. They will be united in the love of Christ as revealed in His Word. On the other hand, preaching the truth as it is in Jesus also unites the opposers of truth. Hence, what is needed today is a revival of the preaching of the Word. More than that, Paul concluded, "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2, NKJV).

 

"We live in the day of Babylon,—in the midst of the corruptions that were in old Babylon. Licentiousness of every sort is becoming more and more prevalent, and even creeping into the church of God. Belshazzar's feast is given to us to show what the characteristics of Babylon were. There was feasting, drunkenness, licentiousness, and defiance of God. These are all in the world to-day. The Babylon of the book of Daniel is simply the antecedent of the Babylon of the book of Revelation. The Babylon of Revelation is given to us that we may know that the same things that were in the days of Daniel are here for us to meet. —A.T. Jones, General Conference Daily Bulletin, February 23, 1899, p. 69.

 

Because of our condition—"wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked,"—we can easily overlook the personal application of this important letter to the Corinthians. We need to closely examine ourselves to see if the sin we see around us is also lurking within.

 

The Ellen G. White Sabbath School lesson notes for this week are excellent and worth reading:

 

"A terrible picture of the condition of the world has been presented before me. Immorality abounds everywhere. Licentiousness is the special sin of this age. Never did vice lift its deformed head with such boldness as now. The people seem to be benumbed, and the lovers of virtue and true goodness are nearly discouraged by its boldness, strength, and prevalence. The iniquity which abounds is not merely confined to the unbeliever and the scoffer. Would that this were the case, but it is not. . . ."—Reflecting Christ, p. 150.

 

Because of our spiritually blind condition, there can be a disconnect between what we profess to believe and how these truths are applied in our lives. Since "[t]he heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9), it's hard to identify these inconsistencies in ourselves even if we can see them in others.

 

In a sermon I heard recently, the speaker contrasted the characteristics of pride, humility, and false humility. Pride, of course, originated with Lucifer. In coming to our world, Jesus was an unparalleled demonstration of humility before angels and men. In our fallen state, we can sometimes convince ourselves that we are humble when in reality we are covering our pride with a cloak of humility. He gave two examples: 

 

He likes to collect shopping carts in the parking lot and return them to their proper place. The other day while engaged in this activity, a thought came to him: Are other people watching me do this? He recognized that as a self-serving motivation.

 

A second illustration he shared was of how people can pretend to be humble by making self-deprecating remarks about themselves to others. He said, If you want to find out whether or not pride is behind the remarks, just agree with them and see what kind of response you get! He observed that people often make such comments to solicit flattery and have others build them up.

 

Another point worth noting is that people often don't consider that their outward appearance conveys a more telling message than words or profession alone. And if the two are in conflict, the nonverbal communication is often more convincing. 

 

"The external appearance is an index to the heart. When hearts are affected by the truth there will be a death to the world, and those who are dead to the world will not be moved by the laugh, the jeer, and the scorn of unbelievers. They will feel an anxious desire to be like their Master, separate from the world. They will not imitate its fashions or customs. The noble object will be ever before them, to glorify God and gain the immortal inheritance, and in comparison with this everything of an earthly nature will sink into insignificance.—Ellen G. White, Review and Herald, September 9, 1884.

 

Again, the Ellen G. White Sabbath School notes for this week apply:

 

"It is our work to know our special failings and sins, which cause darkness and spiritual feebleness, and quenched our first love. Is it worldliness? Is it selfishness?  Is it the love of self esteem? Is it striving to be first? Is it the sin of sensuality that is intensively active? . . . Whatever it is that has been petted and cultivated until it has become strong and overmastering, make determined efforts to overcome else you will be lost."—Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 361.

 

The Lord in His mercy sent a most precious message to our church through the combined ministry of Ellen White, the Lord's messenger, with brothers Jones and Waggoner to provide a remedy for our Laodicean (spiritual) blindness, to point us to our loving Savior who gave up heaven and all its glory to save our helpless, rebellious race. The purpose of this message is well captured in the words of a much loved hymn, ironically penned by a blind woman:

 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

Look full in His wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

—Helen Limmel, 1918.

 

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous, therefore, and repent" (Revelation 3:19, NKJV).

 

— Patti Guthrie