Note 10 at 1 Cor. 5:13: Paul makes a statement that is a total shock to most Christians today. God doesn't judge believers, just unbelievers. This of course is because our judgment has been placed on Jesus.

That is not to say that the Lord doesn't reprove His children of sin. He does (Jn. 16:8). He also chastens us (Heb. 12:5-12) but never in a punitive, judgmental sense. The Lord doesn't bring judgment against His children. That job belongs to the body of Christ.

These verses reveal that the Lord expects His children to police each other. This should be done under the guidance of the eldership the Lord has set in the church (Eph. 4:11) and in compliance with the instructions Jesus gave for church discipline (see note 5 at Mt. 18:17, p. 277). But this makes it very clear that the Lord committed the authority to His body to correct a fellow believer. There are special instructions about how to deal with a minister who is not following the Lord (see note 1 at 1 Cor. 4:1, p. 875).

It would be far superior for the body of Christ to love each other enough to enact this discipline than for these problems to go unchecked. Not accepting this responsibility has caused many individuals to not realize the seriousness of their sins until it's too late. The passive attitude in the body towards our fellow believers is allowing sin to spread like yeast in warm dough (vv. 6-8).