For other essays, see HERE.
Read also: Faith and Flesh: PART ONE
Those who don’t know Christ are spiritually “dead”. Unknown to them they are following the ways of the world and the evil power that comprehensively controls it. Worse still, if they die in that condition they will face God’s righteous wrath and judgement. Unless they are told how will they know that “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31)?
In the book of 1st Corinthians we read the following very harsh instruction from the apostle Paul: “…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” (5:5). A similar judgement is found in 1st Timothy 1:18-20: “…fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.”
Should we conclude from Paul’s terminology that he considered these three men to be spiritually dead and lost because of their serious sins? For the Corinthian, being delivered to Satan was intended to lead to his spiritual salvation. Hymenaeus and Alexander were guilty of blasphemy and their sin had shipwrecked their faith. Is a shipwrecked faith a forever ruined faith?
What did Paul mean by handing them “over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme”? If eventually they learned not to blaspheme that would show they had responded to sound teaching. With 1st Corinthians 5:5 in mind, we can be sure Paul delivered them up in the prayerful hope they would either be restored or saved.
Hymenaeus’ corrupt beliefs were spreading among God’s people like a dangerous disease. He had strayed far from the truth. His false teaching was leading to an increase in ungodliness and was upsetting the faith of some. Alexander was a coppersmith who repeatedly hurt Paul. It was Paul’s desire that the Lord would repay Alexander according to his deeds.
In the above examples, sexual sin, false teaching and repeated mistreatment justified handing people “over to Satan”. It’s fair to conclude that it was Paul’s intention that these men should ultimately benefit from their emphatic rejection. Sin and error would bring untold trouble and pain into their lives, but in time it would lead to salvation and could result in correction. The Corinthian wouldn’t be eternally lost and Hymenaeus and Alexander could learn. Are all minds and consciences that have been defiled beyond hope?
Keeping in mind the truths we read in Ephesians, these stern judgements make sense. Those we know in our local churches who knowingly and stubbornly disobey God and continue to wilfully sin are in fact stepping back into “the domain [Greek: authority] of darkness” they were rescued from (Colossians 1:13). When wrestling with their sinful nature and repeatedly falling into ongoing sin, believers are in essence being delivered to the evil power that controls the disobedient age we are living in. We shouldn’t confuse this sinful behaviour with the practices of those who, rebellious to the core, knowingly shrink back from God and fatally follow the evil spirit who orchestrates the ways of the world.
The fullness of Satan’s power in the world cannot be overstated. His sphere of influence is absolute. As the Expanded Bible puts it: “…the Evil One controls the whole world” (1st John 5:19). Jesus prayed, “…I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one” (John 17:9, NET). When teaching us how to pray meaningfully He said, “…deliver us from evil [or, the evil one]” (Matthew 6:13). The evil that saturates the world has one distinct spiritual source and we must be delivered from it. If we are not faithfully following Christ, we are defining our daily existence in the domain of spiritual wickedness. We have swapped one authority for another. There is no middle ground.
We must be very careful not to assume that those who are clearly failing have lost their salvation. We dare not jump to conclusions when for a time we can see no evidence of the “things that accompany salvation” (Hebrews 6:9). Some claim that it’s possible for Christians to forever lose their standing in Christ. They would have us believe that those who are born again, who have been justified by faith, redeemed by His blood and clothed in His righteousness can fall away into eternal, conscious punishment. But it is God Who alone looks on the heart. We cannot.
The Lord knows those who are His. Likewise, He is aware when someone is not genuinely rooted in Christ. We may be fooled for a time, but He is not. He recognises false faith, regardless of its accomplishments (see Matthew 7:15-23). He knows all those who have been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift who will nevertheless take offence at Christ and fall away into everlasting ruin. (Prayerfully consider Matthew 11:6; 13:18-23; Luke 9:26; Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:23-31.)
There are many so-called Christians who are comfortable with their endless hypocrisy, or are unaware of it. Hypocrites and pseudo-Christians need to be challenged by the warnings of Romans 2:3-10:
Those who suppress God’s will and fail to examine themselves can pay a very high price, but it’s unwise to say their current behaviour proves conclusively that they have definitely lost their salvation. God’s discipline is proof of sin in the Body of Christ. In the lives of true believers disobedience results in God’s correction because He disciplines all those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). With this in mind, Hebrews 10:39 is both motivational and sobering: “But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.” We are not those who recognise, yet wilfully step away from, the Truth. Instead, in ongoing faith and obedience, and in spite of our failings, we press on knowing our lives are secure in Christ.
But what are we to make of the solemn words that close the Book of James? “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (5:19, 20). Among believers—the “brethren”—there are those who drift away from Christ’s Truth. They are no longer established in the sound teaching that nourishes and protects their local assemblies. As those who commit sin, Christ is no longer at the centre of their lives. Unchecked their wayward lifestyle will lead to a great number of sins. But worst of all, by living disobediently their souls are facing “death”. What is meant here by death? Is this an eternally lost soul?
Some may argue here that even though these people are part of the “brethren” in the local church, they stray from the truth because they are in fact lost sinners—they had never genuinely come to Christ. Yes, they formerly behaved more or less like true believers but now their ongoing conduct proves they are in fact condemned. The alternative to this view is the belief that straying from the truth is potentially fatal because continually living in error can lead to spiritual death and an everlasting, conscious separation from Christ. One thing is sure: we must be determined to willingly abide in Christ each day, fully surrendered to God’s will without distraction.
Occasionally we may hear about those who seem to be falling away, giving their lives over to unbelief, or in some cases becoming slaves to the absolute disaster of filth (see James 1:21 and Revelation 22:11). Even though we are secure in Christ we must never underestimate human nature’s compulsive desire to do what’s wrong (see part one above). Given half a chance the old self will be tempted to follow the corrupted spirit that controls the world. Many of us know only too well that “the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other” (ESV) to keep us from doing the things we want to do (read Galatians 5:17-25). When we are weakened by struggles and compromises we may hurt ourselves and others.
We must be those who are mindful of God’s holy character. We must nurture personal purity and be fully committed to a righteous lifestyle that stands against the ways of the world. “...do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (1st Corinthians 6:19, 20). This ongoing pursuit of moral purity is part of our sanctification process (consider carefully Romans 6:22, 1st Corinthians 6:11 and 1st Thessalonians 4:3-7).
When Paul wrote about handing people over to Satan, he meant it literally. If we aren’t walking with God in the secure power of the Holy Spirit we will be walking with our spiritual enemy. When we seek out unrighteous paths we will be unable to protect ourselves against the corrupting influences of Satan’s world. We will be spiritually weakened by the intrinsic disobedience that characterises the lost.
For lasting comfort we should often remind ourselves that no one in this world, and no evil power of wickedness, can snatch us out of Christ’s hand and the Father’s hand: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29).
Those given to Christ by the Father hear His Word and follow Him. They abide (consciously remain) in Him and are secure. However, we must accept that it is possible that true believers can take their eyes off Christ because of sinful choices, persistent suffering and the world's distractions. We must also acknowledge that through God's loving discipline we will suffer painful consequences if we are careless and behave sinfully. It’s true that we are not saved by what we accomplish (our works), but in Christ we have a daily responsibility to walk in His commandments, ever willing to do good deeds.
Having an attitude that seeks to honour and obey God is the evidence of our love for Christ: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.’” (John 14:23, 24). From your heart are you showing your love for Christ today?
Jesus also said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Right living before God, and the righteousness that comes from being in Christ, are precious realities everyone should hunger and thirst for. When we desire righteousness from our hearts we are favoured by God, and He is glorified. The words Jesus chose—”hunger and thirst”—emphasise how overpowering our need to pursue holiness should be (Hebrews 12:14). To be continually motivated and driven forward in this way will purify our relationship with Christ and spiritually strengthen us against the works of the flesh.
To help us stay strong in Christ each day, we must focus our minds on following the teaching of God’s Word which is able to save our souls (see also 1st Corinthians 15:2). Some of the most famous words of Scripture are found in Psalm 23: “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (v. 3). If you look to Him faithfully every day, He will provide all you need to serve and follow Him until your life is over. By continually leading you along righteous paths He will make sure you don’t disgrace His holy name.
Unless noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, 1995.
Read also: Faith and Flesh: PART ONE
Read also: Faith and Flesh: PART ONE
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest” (Ephesians 2:1-3).
Those who don’t know Christ are spiritually “dead”. Unknown to them they are following the ways of the world and the evil power that comprehensively controls it. Worse still, if they die in that condition they will face God’s righteous wrath and judgement. Unless they are told how will they know that “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31)?
In the book of 1st Corinthians we read the following very harsh instruction from the apostle Paul: “…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” (5:5). A similar judgement is found in 1st Timothy 1:18-20: “…fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.”
Should we conclude from Paul’s terminology that he considered these three men to be spiritually dead and lost because of their serious sins? For the Corinthian, being delivered to Satan was intended to lead to his spiritual salvation. Hymenaeus and Alexander were guilty of blasphemy and their sin had shipwrecked their faith. Is a shipwrecked faith a forever ruined faith?
What did Paul mean by handing them “over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme”? If eventually they learned not to blaspheme that would show they had responded to sound teaching. With 1st Corinthians 5:5 in mind, we can be sure Paul delivered them up in the prayerful hope they would either be restored or saved.
Hymenaeus’ corrupt beliefs were spreading among God’s people like a dangerous disease. He had strayed far from the truth. His false teaching was leading to an increase in ungodliness and was upsetting the faith of some. Alexander was a coppersmith who repeatedly hurt Paul. It was Paul’s desire that the Lord would repay Alexander according to his deeds.
In the above examples, sexual sin, false teaching and repeated mistreatment justified handing people “over to Satan”. It’s fair to conclude that it was Paul’s intention that these men should ultimately benefit from their emphatic rejection. Sin and error would bring untold trouble and pain into their lives, but in time it would lead to salvation and could result in correction. The Corinthian wouldn’t be eternally lost and Hymenaeus and Alexander could learn. Are all minds and consciences that have been defiled beyond hope?
Keeping in mind the truths we read in Ephesians, these stern judgements make sense. Those we know in our local churches who knowingly and stubbornly disobey God and continue to wilfully sin are in fact stepping back into “the domain [Greek: authority] of darkness” they were rescued from (Colossians 1:13). When wrestling with their sinful nature and repeatedly falling into ongoing sin, believers are in essence being delivered to the evil power that controls the disobedient age we are living in. We shouldn’t confuse this sinful behaviour with the practices of those who, rebellious to the core, knowingly shrink back from God and fatally follow the evil spirit who orchestrates the ways of the world.
The fullness of Satan’s power in the world cannot be overstated. His sphere of influence is absolute. As the Expanded Bible puts it: “…the Evil One controls the whole world” (1st John 5:19). Jesus prayed, “…I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one” (John 17:9, NET). When teaching us how to pray meaningfully He said, “…deliver us from evil [or, the evil one]” (Matthew 6:13). The evil that saturates the world has one distinct spiritual source and we must be delivered from it. If we are not faithfully following Christ, we are defining our daily existence in the domain of spiritual wickedness. We have swapped one authority for another. There is no middle ground.
We must be very careful not to assume that those who are clearly failing have lost their salvation. We dare not jump to conclusions when for a time we can see no evidence of the “things that accompany salvation” (Hebrews 6:9). Some claim that it’s possible for Christians to forever lose their standing in Christ. They would have us believe that those who are born again, who have been justified by faith, redeemed by His blood and clothed in His righteousness can fall away into eternal, conscious punishment. But it is God Who alone looks on the heart. We cannot.
The Lord knows those who are His. Likewise, He is aware when someone is not genuinely rooted in Christ. We may be fooled for a time, but He is not. He recognises false faith, regardless of its accomplishments (see Matthew 7:15-23). He knows all those who have been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift who will nevertheless take offence at Christ and fall away into everlasting ruin. (Prayerfully consider Matthew 11:6; 13:18-23; Luke 9:26; Hebrews 6:4-8; 10:23-31.)
There are many so-called Christians who are comfortable with their endless hypocrisy, or are unaware of it. Hypocrites and pseudo-Christians need to be challenged by the warnings of Romans 2:3-10:
“But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds:
“to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Those who suppress God’s will and fail to examine themselves can pay a very high price, but it’s unwise to say their current behaviour proves conclusively that they have definitely lost their salvation. God’s discipline is proof of sin in the Body of Christ. In the lives of true believers disobedience results in God’s correction because He disciplines all those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). With this in mind, Hebrews 10:39 is both motivational and sobering: “But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.” We are not those who recognise, yet wilfully step away from, the Truth. Instead, in ongoing faith and obedience, and in spite of our failings, we press on knowing our lives are secure in Christ.
But what are we to make of the solemn words that close the Book of James? “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (5:19, 20). Among believers—the “brethren”—there are those who drift away from Christ’s Truth. They are no longer established in the sound teaching that nourishes and protects their local assemblies. As those who commit sin, Christ is no longer at the centre of their lives. Unchecked their wayward lifestyle will lead to a great number of sins. But worst of all, by living disobediently their souls are facing “death”. What is meant here by death? Is this an eternally lost soul?
Some may argue here that even though these people are part of the “brethren” in the local church, they stray from the truth because they are in fact lost sinners—they had never genuinely come to Christ. Yes, they formerly behaved more or less like true believers but now their ongoing conduct proves they are in fact condemned. The alternative to this view is the belief that straying from the truth is potentially fatal because continually living in error can lead to spiritual death and an everlasting, conscious separation from Christ. One thing is sure: we must be determined to willingly abide in Christ each day, fully surrendered to God’s will without distraction.
Occasionally we may hear about those who seem to be falling away, giving their lives over to unbelief, or in some cases becoming slaves to the absolute disaster of filth (see James 1:21 and Revelation 22:11). Even though we are secure in Christ we must never underestimate human nature’s compulsive desire to do what’s wrong (see part one above). Given half a chance the old self will be tempted to follow the corrupted spirit that controls the world. Many of us know only too well that “the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other” (ESV) to keep us from doing the things we want to do (read Galatians 5:17-25). When we are weakened by struggles and compromises we may hurt ourselves and others.
We must be those who are mindful of God’s holy character. We must nurture personal purity and be fully committed to a righteous lifestyle that stands against the ways of the world. “...do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (1st Corinthians 6:19, 20). This ongoing pursuit of moral purity is part of our sanctification process (consider carefully Romans 6:22, 1st Corinthians 6:11 and 1st Thessalonians 4:3-7).
When Paul wrote about handing people over to Satan, he meant it literally. If we aren’t walking with God in the secure power of the Holy Spirit we will be walking with our spiritual enemy. When we seek out unrighteous paths we will be unable to protect ourselves against the corrupting influences of Satan’s world. We will be spiritually weakened by the intrinsic disobedience that characterises the lost.
For lasting comfort we should often remind ourselves that no one in this world, and no evil power of wickedness, can snatch us out of Christ’s hand and the Father’s hand: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29).
Those given to Christ by the Father hear His Word and follow Him. They abide (consciously remain) in Him and are secure. However, we must accept that it is possible that true believers can take their eyes off Christ because of sinful choices, persistent suffering and the world's distractions. We must also acknowledge that through God's loving discipline we will suffer painful consequences if we are careless and behave sinfully. It’s true that we are not saved by what we accomplish (our works), but in Christ we have a daily responsibility to walk in His commandments, ever willing to do good deeds.
Having an attitude that seeks to honour and obey God is the evidence of our love for Christ: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.’” (John 14:23, 24). From your heart are you showing your love for Christ today?
Jesus also said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Right living before God, and the righteousness that comes from being in Christ, are precious realities everyone should hunger and thirst for. When we desire righteousness from our hearts we are favoured by God, and He is glorified. The words Jesus chose—”hunger and thirst”—emphasise how overpowering our need to pursue holiness should be (Hebrews 12:14). To be continually motivated and driven forward in this way will purify our relationship with Christ and spiritually strengthen us against the works of the flesh.
To help us stay strong in Christ each day, we must focus our minds on following the teaching of God’s Word which is able to save our souls (see also 1st Corinthians 15:2). Some of the most famous words of Scripture are found in Psalm 23: “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (v. 3). If you look to Him faithfully every day, He will provide all you need to serve and follow Him until your life is over. By continually leading you along righteous paths He will make sure you don’t disgrace His holy name.
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1st Peter 1:14-16).
“...conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27).
“...if anyone should sin, we have One Who will intercede for us with the Father—Jesus Christ, the righteous One” (1st John 2:1, from various translations).
Unless noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, 1995.
Read also: Faith and Flesh: PART ONE
