Difficulties make us grow and show us how we can improve ourselves. When we encounter hardships, we should stand firm for God and prove our love for God with time. Therefore, our enemies are not the one who constantly give us hard times, but time. We are all restricted by time and space, as a result, we need to be trained in time. However, “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17). If we focus on God, time will go by very swiftly. Time is our enemy, and God is using it to train us and to turn us into gold, silver, and diamond.
Paul could take misunderstanding, scolding, physical harm and even threat to his life because he knew there is an eternal life ahead of him; it is also the reason why he was able to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. Paul also reminded the church in Corinth, “Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast–as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). God killed every firstborn, including both human and livestock, on the night of Passover. However, destroyer will pass the household of those who observed God’s command. A day ago, the Israelites were still slaves, and on the next day God led “His Army” out of slavery and of Egypt. Hence, it doesn’t matter if you were weak and unworthy yesterday, you will be in God’s army once you choose to stand on His side.
In the church of Corinth, some people committed adultery, and some were too arrogant and conceited to repent. Jesus Christ is the lamb who died for our sins. Jesus was crucified, and He became the sacrifice once and for all, which is why all our sins are forgiven. Hence, our faith should not be temporary, but everlasting. Also, we should not belong to this world. Those who don’t believe in Jesus yield to their flesh, but we do not wage war as the world does. Therefore, Paul asked the people in the church of Corinth to hand those who were promiscuous or greedy to Satan!
By writing “Hand this man over to Satan,” Paul wasn’t asking us to allow people to perish, but was asking us to insure the spirit of those sinful men be saved on the day of the Lord. We can judge from Paul’s words that those people were baptized, and thus were saved. “Adultery” was committed through their bodies, which were God’s temple! “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:17). God will destroy those who destroy His temple, and yet, this is also the way how God will save those people! Man’s lack of faith will not nullify God’s faithfulness. Therefore, Paul asked us to repent, for Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Paul wrote to the church in Corinth not to place judgments on the people in that church, but to remind them that there were problems they have to deal with. The original meaning of judge is “to teach sternly.” If people do not repent, hand them over to Satan, and may they return to God after they suffer from illness or distress. God’s purpose is to let us return to Him. God will never forsake or give up on you as long as you don’t abandon yourself.
Jesus Christ is the Passover lamb; He gave up His life for us. Although we sin against God (even if we commit such serious sin as adultery), Jesus’s Holy blood can always purify if only we are willing to repent. People will have no hope if they don’t believe in Jesus. Why are Christians willing to suffer? Because even though we have time as our enemy, God is our only master. By the power of God, we will always triumph! The Passover lamb has won the victory for us!
