"Hand him over to Satan"?

1 Corinthians 5:1-2, 5-13

"It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this?

...Hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 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. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people — not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."

This is a difficult passage in many ways. One, is that how easy it is for even believers to still fall into blatant sin. Second is that to "Hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord." Finally is with regards to judging whether within and outside the community of believers. First is that we, as in the people in the early church, can slip into old ways of living (and even proudly justifying it) by failing in our walk with Jesus. That is not to say that even that is a permanent failure in sanctification, God is always ready to accept our U-turns, which brings us to the second point. In some commentaries I've read, the most plausible interpretation of "handing over to satan" is excommunication, with, however, the purpose of coming to repentance — "that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved..." through realizing the consequences of our pride and sinfulness. So even this is not to be a permanent disassociation, unless of course, the person chooses to, which to me, will be highly unlikely for a true believer. This brings us to the third point, hence, must be exercised with complete information and most especially discernment granted by the Holy Spirit. This is not about judging whether another is a true believer or saved, or not. To me, that is still between God and the person as it is with God and the world 'outside'. Two things may result in Paul's instructions in this view, nevertheless, (1) the expulsion of the wicked — pretend 'believers' deceptively placed within our ranks and (2) on the other hand, more importantly the prayerful evaluation of the attitudes/behavior of another believer is our solemn responsibility in keeping the church pure and helping our brothers and sisters, as ourselves, to be sanctified continuously, and that true believers will definitely heed constructive criticism no matter how far they have gone wrong.

Romans 8:38-39

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."