Paul told the Church they were puffed up and full of pride for not dealing with this man. This was considered sharing in the mans sins. It was like saying it is righteous and OK. Because of this it could spread to others. Their convictions would be severed and they would feel that this sin was OK or at least not put a strong value on godliness. He mentioned that it is like making bread, and when you put leaven(yeast) in bread it makes the entire dough rise. They were unitedly puffed up like leavened bread, with pride(1 Cor. 5:6-8) together as one loaf. So Paul commanded them to deliver the man to Satan for the destruction of his "flesh", that his "spirit" would be "saved" in the Day of the Lord (1 Cor. 5:5).
The Corinthian Church obeyed the request of the apostle. For this man, it was a time of judgment: well deserved judgment; although, this mans life was not over. Notice the quotations I put above: flesh; spirit; and "saved". I put emphasis on these words for a purpose. It said the destruction was for the "flesh", but not for the "spirit": for the "spirit" would still be "saved" on the Day of the Lord. This is not a teaching on the End Times per say, but you have know what the Day of the Lord is in order to understand what I am teaching. Read: Isaiah 13:6; 2 Peter 3:10; Joel 2:30-31; Matt 21:29-30; Rev 12:7-9, 12. All these verses declared that there will be a visit form the Lord that will bring destruction to all the earth and it's inhabitants. Almost like saying the end all of all: the final judgment perhaps.
Well we know that the Day of the Lord indeed has not happened yet, but God allowed this man's testimony to be written in the Holy Scriptures thousands of years ago. So before the Lord's final Judgment we know that the spirit of the righteous both dead and alive will rise to glory and be saved from all this unspeakable wrath. So why did Paul say this man who was sinning worse than the pagans of those days would still be saved in the Day of the Lord? The reason is because the man gave his life over to Jesus to be saved. God's grace is protecting him; however, at this time it was better for the man to be exiled from the Church. This served two purposes. The Church could be pure again and this man could come to his senses. Even if the man continued to allow sin to abound in his life and never returned to the Church but instead died, Paul was making it clear that at the rising of the saints this man too could very well be in Glory with the rest of us; changed into a new image, with a spiritual body. Paul held judgment against the sin of this man and the sin of the Church but not on the individual as being a non-christian or false believer. He was simply bringing a rod of correction to drive the leaven right out of the Church so there would be a purity reigning again: so people would see, hear, and learn from this mans experience.
You may be wondering the outcome of Paul's decision. Well like I said there is a time for everything under the sun. There was a time for this man to be reprimanded and also a time for the man to be embraced. I also mentioned there was a two-fold purpose and that the Church indeed would learn and change as well. This very thing was happening. Paul heard rumors of the grief and sorrow of both the man and the Church. As Paul planned to make his journey again to Corinth, he wrote another letter which we call 2 Corinthians. 2nd Corinthians chapter 2 Paul revisits this issue with sadness in his heart declaring that the ones (Corinth Christians) that give him joy are grieved at heart. His tactics were working within the Church. They were repentant: they were grieved as if their Father was upset with them. But Paul knew the danger of to much sorrow and how the devil could get a foothold. He embraced the Corinth Christians telling them to have joy, and that the reason he wrote the first letter was out of a pure love for them. He applauded them for their obedience and was thankful that they passed this test. Although Paul couldn't be there in person he knew the Church itself would feel the love he had for them while they were embracing and showing this man caught in sin the same love. Paul said that to much sorrow could swallow up a man and that it was time to embrace him. In verse 8 he "URGES" them to reaffirm their love for the reprimanded individual. Godly sorrow produces repentance as does the love and the kindness of God. Both are active ingredients to real repentance. Sorrow in the heart and the manifestation of the kindness of God will bring the biggest of men to their knees.
This teaching doesn't excuse the harsh judgment of many in the Church that believe they have to become the Holy Spirit to every member they see sinning. Nobody is without sin including themselves. There is a form in which judgment should be used. First and foremost God must be in the center of it. Paul told the Church that when they deliver the man unto Satan that the Power of God should be present. It is impossible for God's power to be present and His will to not be manifested in the action. Paul was being led by the Spirit, he already knew of the sin of this man and had prayerful prayed and declared that God's power was waiting for them to obey in this. If this was not the case there would have not been much fruit. I know people that just can't keep their mouths shut. They feel it is there duty as a Christian to pass judgment and to speak up every time they see a Christian doing something wrong. This man went through a season of both destruction, and embrace. Sometimes people need your embrace. Maybe their hearts are already sorrowful because of their own convictions but need the embrace to bring about the fruit of repentance; like the icing on the cake. Christians have the heart of God within them, they have the a covenant with God and God has placed his statutes within the new heart. We know what is wrong, and often walk through a time of bondage and addiction, all the while having a sorrowful heart for what we are doing. The embrace is what is lacking. Christians are so easy to send the rebuke, but then label the man as "GUILTY" for the remainder of their relationships. This brings nothing and no power is present and the person usually feels so unloved by their own brothers and sisters that they purposely "orphan" themselves away from the Church. Paul urged them to reaffirm their love. This is lacking in the Church. Many brothers are walking the new life in destruction already and are just sorrowful and "PRAYING" that God will help them. God wants to send you to "EMBRACE", a season of "REAFFIRMING" the Love of God to people who are deep in the filth this world has to offer. Satan is already destroying their lives, God is wanting to bring about repentance but we to often forget that there is a balance. This man that was caught in sin, was living his life openly in the Church acting as if it was right. Trying to walk justly, he needed the strong hand of God and the rebuke before he received the embrace. Many are out there needing the embrace. They never felt the love from their own fathers who are not quick to forgive, so they need to sense and feel the EMBRACE of the Lord through the body of Christ.
Remember that God is a compassionate God. The entire city of Nineveh was in much sin and it angered the Lord. People read the old testament and automatically think that God was always about wrath, but if Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever and He displays the image of the Father then what can you say about Father God of the old testament? Numbers 14:18 and Psalm 103:8 both declare that God is SLOW to anger, but QUICK to love, forgive and show mercy. We see accounts of rebelliousness that forced the hand of God to bring judgment in the old testament and we take that as His entire persona. This is far from the characteristics of God. If that is how you perceive God then you have perceived wrong. Why do you think that God sent His Son in the place of all mankind? So they could escape like Noah did. So they could be saved within the ark during passing judgments coming upon mankind. Take it from Jonah. Jonah was a prophet that served the Lord and saw first hand of what God is capable of and seen His actions and personality up close. The reason Jonah had fled from the Lord makes no sense to all that see God as a angry hammer down judge. It seems as if Jonah didn't want the people of Nineveh to be harmed, but it is quite the opposite. Jonah was the judgmental man of today that was pointing the finger wanting to see the wrath of God. He felt that the uncircumcised non-Jewish people of that city didn't deserve the "EMBRACE" of the Lord, after all they were not Gods chosen people; the elect (sarcasm). Don't ever think it is prophetic to judge, it is prophetic to interpret the entire message of the Lord. Jonah knew that bringing the message of judgement to Nineveh would bring much sorrow and they would show works of repentance then God would EMBRACE them and show them kindness and mercy. One of the jobs and duties of the prophets back then was to teach the men and women of the Kindness and mercies of God and how he would forgive if they turned to the Lord. If you feel you are a prophet and are spiritual then you better learn the love of the Father or else you will see the hand of the Lord too. You can't be a judge in God's Kingdom without the Love of God. It is impossible and ungodly. Ungodly? Yes, for God is LOVE!
Galatians 6:1
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Bear One Another’s Burdens
6 Brethren, even if [a]anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
I tell you this, the prodigal son was not expecting the EMBRACE of the Father, but was begging to just simply be a servant. It says that the prodigal had come to his senses. That is the purpose in the destruction of the flesh; to come to your senses. When he did, he begged to be treated like a servant because he knew his father treated his servants well and they lived better than he was. He felt so unworthy and no longer of the same bloodline of his father. He was not expecting to be a SON again. But the Father embraced him. What do you think will happen when people feel that EMBRACE? Many will learn to live as sons and daughters instead of servants and peasants. You are a child of the most high, not a servant in His Kingdom, but a child of His, destined to reign. Now lets Go and a be bringers of light, which brings both the sorrow and the kindness, bringing forth fruit to true holiness. Lets EMBRACE the world for Jesus.
By: Rich Cohrs
www.richcohrs.blogspot.com
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