RESTORING THE SINNER Matthew 18:15-17 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (NIVUK) You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages Everybody sins. Even believers with many years of Bible knowledge and faithful service will sin. It is the condition of fallen humanity which does not leave us until we are translated to glory. However, sin always separates: person from person, and people from God. But it does not have to stay that way because the gospel of Gods grace is designed to bring people to repentance so that they can be forgiven and restored to their Makers service and to each other. Often people are not aware of the hurt they cause to others. Certainly the disciples had little idea of the grief they caused the Lord Jesus on occasions (Matthew 8:23-27). Jesus knew that believers needed to have a method of dealing with sin-separation, so He taught the disciples the need to confront sin in love, looking for recognition of the offence, repentance and the restoration of mutual love. If private discussion failed to move the offender, then one or two others who had also been offended in the same way should add their evidence. If the sinner refused to accept that there was a problem, then it should be made public to the whole congregation – not to accuse but to add further reconciling voices. However, if there was no recognition of the problem, there is no point in any more discussion. Rebellious believers place themselves outside of the fellowship and they should not be comforted (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15). Isolation from fellowship is designed to bring a godly sorrow which leads to repentance and restoration (2 Corinthians 7:8-10). Church discipline is difficult to get right. Most leaders are reluctant to exercise too much authority for fear of being unpopular, although some leaders are harsh rulers of their congregations. Restorative discipline involves a tension between loving somebody who should be respected by the church, and ensuring that he or she recognises the offence of their sin and repents. This teaching from Jesus is vital for churches to be healthy, encouraging people to keep short accounts with each other and with God. Failure to apply loving discipline will lead to a false gospel being received, weak people may be turned away from Christ and the church will become a nesting site for power-hungry predators. Prayer: Dear Lord God. Thank You for teaching the churches how to discipline those whose sin affects the welfare of others. I am sorry when I have not challenged the unrepentant or thought it is Christian to seek reconciliation without repentance. Please give me the courage and loving grace to let people know when they are out of order, and seek their repentance and restoration within Your family. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 04:49:53 +0000
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