“ And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.   For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 5:2-5. 

When is the last time you heard this preached in church?  According to this Scripture an unrepentive Brother or Sister who has fallen into sin should be delivered unto satan for the destruction of the flesh so the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Please understand, this Scripture does not say to deliver such a one unto satan for sin but for unrepentive sin.  We should mourn for our fallen brethren because they “might be taken away from among” us if their sin is unrepentive.  If we are obedient to the Word of God, we are to withdraw all fellowship with them.

What many don’t seem to understand is we cannot bring our Brothers and Sisters to repentance.  Repentance is a condition of the heart.  Physical affliction can not save one’s soul unless it brings them to repentance.  While todays apostate church tries to love them into repentance, the Word of God says to turn them over to satan in hopes that their spirit may be saved.

“But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;  Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” Titus 3:9-11.  There is another nugget the worldly church seems to overlook.  After admonishing someone of their false doctrine twice, we are to reject them.  The Lord says to “come out from among them, and be ye separate,…” 1 Cor. 6:17. 

Sadly, and I mean this with all sincerity, many in the church do not realize their vain attempt at “loving them into repentance” is in fact a hindrance because our “love” does not want their flesh to be destroyed so their soul will be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Our “love” is in fact not love at all but instead selfishness because we don’t want to see them turned over and unbelief because we are scared the Lord will not deliver them once their flesh is destroyed.

Ironically, and I am unsure if that is the correct word, it appears as if those who are sitting under false doctrine and have been warned time and time again but are unrepentive are the very ones who are to be turned over to satan for the destruction of their flesh.  I do not say those words with any kind of joy but sadness.  In my flesh I want to shake them and tell them to wake up but my spirit knows I, Donna, cannot give them a repentive heart.

“Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.  So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.  Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.” 2 Corinthians 2:6-8.

In 1 Corinthians 5, the Saint was put on trial for his sin and turned over to satan for the destruction of his flesh.  In 2 Corinthians 2, the church of Corinth was on trial for their obedience to the Apostle Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 5.  It appears as though this man’s punishment was sufficient and the church was instructed to forgive and comfort him lest he be swallowed up in sorrow.  It appears as though God’s Word did not return to Him void…it appears as though the unrepentive sinning Saint’s heart was changed when their flesh was destroyed.

As Christians, many claim to believe the Word of God but are too scared to be obedient to the Word.  If we are not obedient to what the Word of God says, we do not believe what It says or else we would be obedient.

Before anyone walks away from this believing I’m saying the Bible says to turn away the sinner from the church doors, please read again.  I am speaking to the Saints who are oppressed by sin, those whose sin nature has dominion over them and do not see this, recognize this or care about this.  I am speaking to those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour but remain in sin and are unrepentive.   The world calls them hypocrites and the apostate church calls them Brothers and Sisters.

However, to those who are under the bondage of sin and hate their sin as much as they hate other’s sin but cannot maintain victory over their sin nature, the Word of God has an answer for them too.  It starts in Genesis 1 and ends in Revelations 22 and it tells you the story about the One who defeated sin and gave us the victory and His name is Jesus Christ.  If we will simply believe that the Cross of Calvary gave us that victory, that Jesus paid our sin debt, not so we could comfortably sin but so we could go and sin no more, the Lord Jesus Christ will deliver us.  You see my friend, deliverance is in the Cross of Jesus, He will perform His Word but we have to have faith in His finished work in order for the Holy Spirit to dethrone the reigning monarch – our sin nature.  We have to believe His Word and trust His ways.  No one wants to turn anyone over to satan in order for their flesh to be destroyed but we have to love them enough to be obedient to the Word of God and trust God enough that He is going to do everything short of overriding their will to bring them to repentance.  And understand this, once their flesh is destroyed, their heart will either be softened or hardened and it is their choice, not God’s fault.

40 days of purpose, 12 steps or 100 ways does not have authority over the devil.  Jesus Christ and Him crucified is where satan was utterly defeated.  If you reckon that to be so, quit wavering to and fro and believe what the Word of God says…Jesus Christ will deliver you from your bondage, look to Him.  The answer in which you seek is in the Cross of Christ.  Your deliverance is dependent on Whom you believe…Jesus Christ.  “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” Psalms 34:19.   Do you believe that?  – Donna Clark Warren