Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 ESV.

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” John 15:26 NKJV.

Our chapter, 1 Corinthians 5, reminds me of the admonitions in the Old Testament to separate from those who do evil, to discern a distinction between what is holy and what is not holy. We also learn that there was a letter from Paul to the church in Corinth before this letter, lost to time, and will find in his next letter Paul’s admonition to welcome back the person spoken to for correction in this chapter. It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. v. 1-5. Those are very powerful words. Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote in my letter not to associate with immoral people. I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a dunkard, or a swindler – not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves. v. 6-13.

Sometimes we need to really think about the effect our own sins have had in our own lives and the lives of others. When we choose that way of sin, have we not found the pressing down of our spirit into the mire of heavy negative destruction of all that is good? We don’t come away unharmed. That heaviness lingers. That is not the way of Creator God for our good. Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30. Walking with God guiding your heart is not like the way of Satan who relentlessly compels to harmful thoughts and actions. God’s actions may seem slow to us compared to the ever present rapid-fire urgings of the evil one. But God’s ways are sure. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9. Repentance is so important and it is God’s love that leads us to understanding so we can with all sincerity repent of everything in us not of God’s love. It’s a huge step. And taking that step with God clears away that clinging mire we were held in and we can breathe fresh healing air and be with Him. Neither God nor Paul was abandoning that man. And Creator God will not abandon us. The choice is always ours. But let me share a truth I have found. When I needed God to help me understand what my very spirit was repelled by and could not understand or accept, the reality of evil against innocent beautiful children, He was right there. He has been with me ever since. He doesn’t control. His teaching is so gentle as to be missed easily. His touch is light. He gives me room to make mistakes and learn and know that I can but turn to Him and He is here helping me understand and turn away from all in me that still resists what is good and needed. And it is my choice to turn away because I am learning with His help, not His coercion. God is so patient! Instead of thinking that one day = one thousand years, in the whole literal sweep of time, think of it in terms of your own life span. He didn’t hate that man in Corinth or those church members so filled with pride, or the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, or any of us caught in the mire of sin. That is the kind of Love you can turn to always to find true understanding – and then how can our convicted hurting hearts not repent in humble thankfulness and deep abiding love? As I was writing this, I kept thinking about how Satan never did repent and how that has left all of us in our whole history of being. But we can repent and turn to God and His love – and that makes all the difference in us as we walk in trust with Him. If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!