Radical solutions

Sometimes my world view is so different from other people's, even other Christians, that I don't dare speak up. And sometimes I blame the Apostle Paul.

The verses I read this morning are one reason. In 1 Cor 5:1-5 Paul writes to the Corinthian Christians about a specific case of sexual perversion. He reproves them for tolerating it, and then writes this (vv4-5): "When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord."

The drastic solution in these verses seems shocking at first, but Paul is prescribing radical sacrifice to save a soul. 

I get that, because all soldiers get it. Soldiers sometimes throw themselves on hand grenades or stay behind to hold the pass. And soldiers also accept that a certain number of casualties is an acceptable price for victory. They do those things because they know there are more important things than their own lives.

The reason I can't have conversations about that: People think life and health are more important than anything. In fact, don't we often assume that God wants long life and good health for His people? We think that because our focus is life here on earth.

However, we can all name one or more saints who don't get both of those things, because that's not what's important to God. To Him, there is only one thing about us that is really significant, and that's the relationship we have with Him. He's willing to put us through all kinds of badness in order to get that right.

Give that man to Satan, Paul says. Cut him off from the blessing of fellowship with the body. Two things will result: He will no longer contaminate the whole church, potentially causing others to sin. And after Satan has gleefully wrung everything good from his life and left him a wreck, he may turn again to God. That chance of a renewed relationship with God is worth whatever the man suffers.

Blunt truth: Following Christ, though a guarantee of eternal life, is no guarantee of health or even happiness here on earth. Why, then, should an unrepentant sinner get a better deal? Why should I, if I don't repent?