Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. -1 Cor. 6:9-10

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. –Matthew 18:15-20

The above are Scriptures that confirm that someone who remains unrepentant when it comes to the sin (and crime) of sodomy, should be excommunicated from the fellowship of the Church. Such was the case with Dylan Settles, a young man who was openly unrepentant and embraced the sodomite lifestyle. His Church, a Baptist Church no doubt, took a stand and removed him from fellowship because of his sinful lifestyle.

Settles posted the letter he received from Woods Chapel General Baptist Church on October 11 that informed him because he has “made it known publicly… to embrace the homosexual lifestyle.”

The Church specifically had in mind that he might see how serious his sin is that the Church would remove him from their fellowship, even calling him to repentance in hopes that he might “return to full fellowship with God and the church body.”

Keep in mind that Settles is not the victim here. The testimony of the Church’s Gospel is. When one professes to follow Christ, but practices lawlessness, especially sodomy, one is denying the very faith he professes (Matt. 7:23).

“I was in awe,” Settles told KARK 4-TV. “I was in so much shock, I couldn’t read the rest of it… I don’t feel comfortable sitting at pew or sitting beside my parents when all I’m going to see is people pointing their fingers at me because of the lifestyle I chose.”

Well, that’s just it, isn’t it? If Mr. Settle was serious about being a follower of Jesus Christ and the Word and Law of God Jesus upheld, then he would take this a bit more seriously, instead of pitching a temper tantrum and understand that the people of God are trying to help him see how serious his sin is. If the Church casts you out due to open professed sin, then what does Mr. Settles think God will do? I can tell you that 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 is clear that he has no inheritance in the kingdom of God, which means he remains under the judgment of God and will face his wrath if he does not repent.

While media outlets like the Huffington Post mock the phrase that appears on the corner of the church’s letter, “We love because He first loved us,” saying, “Because exile is sure a funny way to show that,” what they fail to understand is that is what the Bible commands in order to demonstrate how serious the person’s sin is.

The church openly acknowledged, “While we understand the struggles we all face with sin, in our lives, we must also be aware of the consequences of our choices,” they also reminded Settles, “As a Christian we must choose to serve and obey, in accordance with God’s holy word, in order to remain a member in good standing of the church body.”

Look, the same happens in other organizations when people depart from whatever they have confessed to believe or hold to. The Church seeks to teach others to depart from sin, not embrace it. Huff Post and other liberals and false Christians don’t seem to get this. They are happy to allow people to wallow in their sin and even encourage it, but the Scriptures know nothing of that as it relates to Christianity.

My hope is that Mr. Settles will be afflicted by God due to his unrepentance and that quite possibly that affliction might drive him to repentance. This is so that the same results desired by the apostle Paul when he told the Corinthians to excommunicate a man who was having sexual relations with his father’s wife, namely that his flesh might be destroyed so that his soul might be saved (1 Cor .5:5). Many believe that excommunication ultimately ended up with the man’s repentance and restoration to fellowship in the Church (2 Cor. 2:5-11); at least that is the aim of Church discipline. I hope the same for Mr. Settles.