Church Purity

Everyone loves to quote 1 John 4:8, "God is love", but I hardly ever hear anyone quote Hebrews 11:29, "God is a consuming fire." Romans 1:18 speaks of God's wrath coming down from Heaven on to those who know who He is and what He demands and yet suppress that truth and continue living in wickedness and Godlessness. I think it is vital to apply 1 Cor. 5 in our churches. Paul instructs us here to let God judge those outside the church (it is none of our business if non-Christians sin), but we who know Christ and are part of His church, His adopted family, are to watch over the church and keep it pure. It is to be a refuge for those who fear and obey God. One who calls himself a Christian but lives a life of repeated and willful sin, not repenting, is a liar (1 John 2:4), and has no part in the fellowship of the church. We in the church are called to "bear with one another" (Eph. 4:2), for we're ALL sinners (Romans 3:23), but persistent and willful sins (like sexual immorality-1 Cor.5:11) call for expulsion from the fellowship of God's family.