BIBLICAL RESTORATION...church discipline done God's way

part two

Church Discipline God’s Way:

it never results in a media frenzy,

but a solemn, guarded loving act of restoration

The Bar is Set at Christ--Not Us
We usually set the bar for measuring another’s life where we are not susceptible and where we have already arrived. We have codes at Christian Colleges that require students to honor a pledge usually of no dancing, no drinking, no smoking, no movies, no drugs, etc. And while I agree that we should be responsible citizens of heaven by conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord, why is it that we don’t see on those same codes things such as: no pride; no lust; no greed; no gossiping; no self-righteousness; no bitterness, anger, or malice, etc. The reason is simple—if those things were on the codes even the administration would have to leave as well. Again, we all set the bar of righteous living where we are not susceptible and where we have already arrived.

But when we hold the plumbline of Christlikeness; the standard of Scripture, the bar of the Bible to measure any of our lives in the Lord; we must say with absolute meekness of heart with the Apostle Paul, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). One person may stand at the bottom of the Grand Canyon; another may climb to the heights top Mount Everest—-but neither one can touch the stars. “All have sinned and fall short…” Do we really believe that? Can we even admit that? Do we rightly accept that? Or do we think in our heart of hearts that we have arrived at our sanctification to such a degree that we are not as vulnerable to sin as others maybe? We all have PhD’s in rationalizing our own behavior, don’t we beloved? I don’t know about you, but I have graduated with honors in building cases against others while justifying my own failings. I have majored in "finding-the-speck-in-the-eye-of-others" while being completely blinded to the 2x4 protruding from my own. Have you as well? We all have blind spots-—some even around issues of sin. This is precisely why we need accountability with others in the local church, qualified pastors and elders to watch over our souls, and if need be, to be placed under the chastening hand of the Lord to bring us to repentance.

The Failure to Do What is Right
Question for you: If church discipline can help us guard our hearts, bring purity to the church, glorify God, show obedience to His Word, and exalt holiness, why don’t more churches practice it and believe in it? As previously written, there are primarily four significant reasons: 1. fear and the fear of man; 2. a low view and an accommodation of sin; 3. a failure to obey Scripture; and 4. a diminished view of the transcendence of God.

Many in the church today have never seen church discipline ever practiced or possibly if they have, have never seen it administered correctly. When done biblically two great benefits are given to the church: 1. A healthy recovery of the fear of the Lord; and, 2. The unparalleled joy of a sinning brother or sister who has repented of their sin, been restored to fellowship, and a right standing before the Lord again. Reverence and rejoicing... two 'ignored blessings' when church discipline is abrogated.

Administering Church Discipline is Never the Choice of One Individual

It involves the plurality of godly leadership and the entire body of Christ in the setting of the local church. The Lord Jesus gives us in Matthew 18 His first words of instruction for the church and it focuses on how to confront a sinning believer, seek their repentance, and what to do if they remain in their sin. Listen to these almost but forgotten and seldom practiced words from the Head and Chief Shepherd of the church:

"And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer. Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst" (Matthew 18:15-20).

Peter says, “love covers a multitude of sin” (1 Peter 4:8). In other words, genuine love for one another in the church will protect the scope of who has knowledge about ones failings. Love doesn’t broadcast another’s sin issues—-it covers them. We live in a time where any public figure in the church is immediate prey for a feeding frenzy by the media if there is a moral failing in their life. Unfortunately, we all have developed itching ears for the juicy tidbits about the downfall of others. This “Geraldoesque” approach to dealing with someone’s unrepentance is completely forbidden in Scripture. The Lord, desiring to always extend grace to any of us caught in the clutches of sin, gives four key steps that unequivocally define church discipline. He leaves no doubt as to our duty as Christians, whether individually or corporately, in seeking the repentance, restoration and reconciliation of another believer blinded and overtaken in sin.

Please keep these wise words from my dear friend R.C. Sproul in your thinking while going through the following four steps as outlined in Matt. 18:15-20:

"the goal of all church discipline or biblical restoration, is to produce repentance while keeping public awareness of the sin to a minimum. At no point is the matter to be broadcast to the world at large."

*(These four steps of church discipline that we are studying below are not meant to be a literal all-encompassing four steps only. They are principles that are to  be followed in the process of biblical restoration; but by no means are meant to be seen as a completely exhaustive little check list that pastors punch through in a mechanical and linear manner. We must remember that we are dealing with people's lives here beloved; and the body of Christ deserves more than "another compartmentalized program" applied in stoic and academic ways when confronting and encouraging someone else in regards to their struggles between flesh and spirit. True Christian charity and genuine biblical Christianity demands much more us.)

*STEP ONE:

“If your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother." This is the duty of every believer in Christ to another. If a professing believer in Christ is living in unrepentant sin, we have a solemn obligation to lovingly and humbly go to that person and “reprove” them. This means to show them the error of their ways biblically; call them to repentance; and walk with them until they are fully restored. Literally the Greek has the idea of 'bringing to light or exposing sin’. We are to shed the light of Scripture on the sin, expose it to the one who has transgressed and pray for their repentance. The Greek also carries the idea that we are to share this with them in a way that they cannot escape the reality of recognizing their sin for what it truly is.

This is to be done, the Lord has said, “in private.” You are not to call the prayer team and gossip about their sin; you are not to tell another close friend about it; you are not to trumpet in any fashion whatsoever their sin issue. Go to them "in private" and if they hear you and repent “you have won your brother.” What a blessing and joy. There is no need to go any further with any other disciplinary action. What a great privilege the Lord allows to involve us in this process of restoration. And think of the bond that develops between one another when there is that kind of care, love, humility, and gentleness given to someone in sin. That kind of confidentiality weaves together an intimate fellowship with another that is virtually unbreakable.

STEP TWO:

If they fail to repent after repeated attempts to encourage them to turn from their sin and turn back to God, then the Lord expands the scope of who has knowledge of their sin in order to cause one to repent. “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.” Church discipline is not for personal revenge; the "two or three witnesses" guards against that from happening. This is an O.T. truth that everything be confirmed by the mouth of two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15).

The two or three witnesses are to give credulity that the sin has actually occurred and that the proper rebuke to the sinning believer has been given.

This is to guard against slanderous wrongful accusation against anyone whether it be directed to a church leader or individual from the congregation.

By the way, it deserves mentioning here this is not a one time warning or conversation with an individual. It is a continual pleading and urging of the wayward Christian to repentance. Think of how patient the Lord is with each of us in dealing with our sinful ways; we need to extend that same grace to another. Too many times I have heard of well-meaning pastors or church members that have reached out to one who is living in unrepentant sin having made one phone call to them or had one meeting with them or sent one letter to them, and because there was not immediate repentance displayed by the one they were confronting or that the one being confronted responded with anger, hurtful words, left the room in a huff, didn't reply at all, or just blew everybody off for a season, etc. -  a wrong and quick verdict of “guilty—there’s no hope for them” was concluded and unfortunately announced when wise patience should have ruled the day. 

It takes time, beloved, when confronting another in their sin, to show them the error of their ways from the Word of God, then allowing proper time for the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to their lives. Think of it, every time that we read a passage of Scripture that convicts us of our own sin, do we always immediately respond in repentance and obedience to its truth? Sometimes maybe. But if we are honest, rarely at first. The same grace that we allow ourselves in our own personal lives should be given to another in this process... don't you agree? There is no hurried, irrational time table on grace. 

Sometimes, as with David’s sin with Bathsheba, the confrontation and conviction over sin is immediate. Other times, it may be more gradual as with Hosea’s wife. We must not presume upon the grace of the Lord to impetuously move that process along if there is no evidence that the person is unteachable or their heart has been hardened. To assume that one is willfully acting in insubordination or out of a heart filled with selfish conceit would not only be imprudent, but foolish and arrogant in its pronouncement. We always don't know how the Lord is working in another persons life beloved. That is why we should leave adequate time in these steps to be spectators of His grace in how the Lord brings one back from the "far country." And remember, people can reject the leadership within any given church without rejecting the Lord or His Word especially if that leadership has acted not in accordance with Scripture or has acted without the charity and humility needed in approaching one who is struggling with sin and repentance. And the two should not be confused or treated as synonymous. 

STEP THREE:

If a brother remains unrepentant and “does not listen” to the two or three witnesses, then the painful, but necessary, third step must occur—“tell it to the church.” God in His grace initially limits the number of people who have knowledge of someone’s sin. As the circle of those now being brought in to give testimony and counsel to the situation concerning the unrepentant brother or sister expands, it should bring a further weight of encouragement to repent as well. Again, this is a loving act of kindness and not a condescended or pontificated holier than thou witch-hunt driven by pride, revenge, or personal retribution. We are all sinners and all in need of God's restorative grace. Amen?

The first reprimand was completely private; the second is now semi-private (two or three witnesses); the third step is a more public admonition—"tell it to the church." What does Jesus mean by this shocking admonition. Two things could be derived: 1. it is before the church body of a local congregation; or 2. it is before the leadership of that local church comprised of its pastors and elders and possibly some of the members of the congregation who have been faithfully involved in this process of restoration all along.

This never means that a press release is issued before the congregation as if it were some news bulletin being reported on CNN. The goal is restoration, not shame nor public ridicule. For those that hold to this being announced and dealt with before the local congregation of a particular church, then the most reasonable place of grace that this should be carried out is surrounding the giving of communion. It is the place of self-examination and introspection. It is the place where the church contemplates the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and confesses their sins privately. It is the place where grace is lifted high and forgiveness is remembered and embraced. This step should not be rushed into and done only after several weeks or months of pleading, praying and loving confrontation has been exhausted. If pastors have not taken the necessary time and steps at this juncture personally with all those involved, then this step would be premature to embark upon. If they have not invested themselves faithfully as under-shepherds of the Lord Jesus Christ to the those to whom they will give an account one day (Heb. 13:17), then they should refrain from this step. If they rush ahead without having cared for those in unrepentant sin, then they should also be questioned and challenged as to their biblical duty being fulfilled and their fittedness to be a pastor to those they are given a heavenly charge to shepherd.

If you hold that this step means tell it to the leadership of a local church for further counsel and accountability, then the same solemn guides should also follow. It should be done with great sobriety of heart and mind; never to get even because of personal hurt or self-absorbed agendas. It is for unity, purity and reconciliation.

Listen to Matthew Henry on this important distinction:

"Christ, having cautioned his disciples not to give offence, comes next to direct them what they must do in case of offences given them; which may be understood either of personal injuries, and then these directions are intended for the preserving of the peace of the church; or of public scandals, and then they are intended for the preserving of the purity and beauty of the church. Let us consider it both ways."

"If he shall neglect to hear them, and will not refer the matter to their arbitration, then tell it to the church, to the ministers, elders, or other officers, or the most considerable persons in the congregation you belong to, make them the referees to accommodate the matter, and do not presently appeal to the magistrate, or fetch a writ for him." This is fully explained by the apostle (1 Corinthians 6:1-20), where he reproves those that went to law before the unjust, and not before the saints (Matthew 18:1), and would have the saints to judge those small matters (Matthew 18:2) that pertain to this life, Matthew 18:3. If you ask, "Who is the church that must be told?" the apostle directs there (Matthew 18:5), Is there not a wise man among you? Those of the church that are presumed to be most capable of determining such matters; and he speaks ironically, when he says (Matthew 18:4), "Set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church; those, if there be no better, those, rather than suffer an irreconcileable breach between two church members." This rule was then in a special manner requisite, when the civil government was in the hands of such as were not only aliens, but enemies."

In either scenario, here is where most churches stumble miserably in the process of biblical restoration. This happens partly due to political pressure from the congregation, a split in undiscerning leadership; the intimidation of a lawsuit; fear that the pastor himself might be voted out of his job, or that sin has been tolerated among the leadership or key laity for so long, that it would be hypocritical to invoke any discipline against another for fear of being exposed themselves. Whatever the reason, this is tough stuff and takes tremendous courage, charity, humility, and conviction of truth to move ahead.

As stated above “tell it to the church” could mean a more private meeting with an elder board, deacon committee, a gathering of a few pastors with the one undergoing discipline based upon local church preference and denominational convictions. Or it could mean the entirety of the local body gathered in that specific congregation. But what it clearly doesn't mean is that it turns into a community-wide or nation-wide media frenzy of unguarded half truths being broadcast to those who have no vested interest in that process. 

It means very plainly “tell it to the church—to ones local church or the leadership of that church—and no one but that church.” Did you hear that? Someone's sin or personal failing is not for public consumption; it is not for the blogosphere to banter about; and it is not to feed the itching ears of gossipers who can hardly wait to pass around the latest tidbit they have heard around town or at other churches about someone. It is only for the leadership or members of that particular local church alone. Why? Biblical "love covers a multitude of sins." Any process of church discipline that results in tabloid journalism or a media blitz is not biblical and both the one in need of repentance AND the local church leadership should be held accountable for their dissemination of information.

Listen, if we have tasted of God's grace in the forgiveness and repentance of our own sins, should we not then respond with humility and grace to others who are struggling as well? The unloving, unkind thing to do would be to talk about another person's sin issues to anyone else because we have been personally hurt or our hearts offended by an attitude or action of another. Those feelings must be guarded and bridled. Also, it is just as unloving to turn a blind eye or deaf ear to someone caught in a trespass and not care to walk with them through their situation.

Dr. John MacArthur states how Grace Community Church handles this third step:

“It has been the custom in our church, upon enacting this third step, to clearly indicate to the congregation that they are to pursue the person aggressively; and plead with him to repent before the fourth step becomes necessary. That crucial and potent procedure often draws the sinner to repentance and obedience.”

This passage affirms then that the proper place for church discipline (biblical restoration) is within the local church. It is not to be done in a psychologist’s office, at a biblical counseling center, by a committee of well-meaning neighbors, a Promise Keepers meeting, or a Women of the Word Bible Conference, or in the secular courts (prohibited by 1 Corinthians 6:1-8). Again, it is solely to occur within the local church under the scrutiny and loving care of qualified leadership and first hand involved laity.

STEP FOUR:

This is the most crucial and saddening of all the steps. This is the putting out of the church the unrepentant brother or sister in Christ. “…and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer.

Still the motive is love for the offender. It is not for revenge, but to protect the purity of the church and to reverence the Lord. A little leaven leavens the whole lump and you cannot negotiate with sin or falter in confronting it. To do so is to dishonor the Lord and His Word. This is very serious. It is the same thing as handing over another believer to Satan for the buffeting of their flesh; placing one outside the protection of the local church. It is giving someone over to the chastening hand of the Lord (see Hebrews 12:7-11; 1 Timothy 1:20; 1 Cor. 5:4-13). (Again, remember that the purpose of church discipline is not to throw people out of the church, but to see them restored, repentant, and reconciled to Christ. There is no place for smug self-righteousness or cold indifference when dealing with another caught in sin. Something of great value has occurred when an erring brother or sister in Christ has been restored to fellowship. This is cause for great rejoicing!)

We must careful even this point to not extend judgement where the Lord has not given that authority. Jesus is not saying, “Declare them to be non-believers” (Gentiles or tax-gatherers)for only the Lord knows the state of the heart before Him; but rather to treat them as such. The only sin that someone can ever be put out of the church for is unrepentance. No matter what kind of sin has been committed, if repented of—forgiveness should be extended. But when someone is hardened in sin, their conscience is seared and rejects the gracious pleadings of the church for repentance, they must be treated as a non-Christian and given over to the discipline of the Lord.

It Doesn't End Here
This step is not optional—it is not an elective in the school of holiness. It is a command and must be honored. Men of courage need to fulfill their biblical duty and honor the Lord no matter what the consequence to them personally. When believers continue to live a life of willful disobedience to the Lord and utterly reject the authority of God’s Word and the admonition of the church, they have “shipwrecked their faith” and fellowship should be cut off from them. “Do not even eat with such a man” Paul said (1 Cor. 5:11). All contact is not prohibited—all communion of faith.

When you see one that has been put out of the church, lovingly urge them to repent of their sin and come back to the Lord. Don’t just give them a hug, pass it off as a little glitch in this journey of life, hang out at the movies, shrug it off as no big thing, and tell them “well, we are all human; we all make mistakes." Beloved, that is a dangerous accomodationalism. Tolerance of sin is not a spiritual gift. The failure for a church to discipline those who sin forfeit the blessing and favor of God—no matter how big the yearly offerings are or the size of its membership. The Lord does not number us; He weighs us according to our spiritual integrity and holiness.

Listen to the words of Paul to the church at Thessalonica,

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good. And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that man and do not associate with him, so that he may be put to shame. And yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 13-15).

When a church has exhausted every effort biblically to bring a sinning believer in the Lord to repentance, then that believer must be given over to their sin and to its shame. They must be left alone (Cp, Hosea 4:17).

The purpose of putting one out of the church is not to punish, but to restore; not to excommunicate, but to call back to repentance. And this process is not to end even when they have been put out of the church until they repent or die. This is how important this process is to the Lord. How tragic when the biblical process is abated for personal gain, fear or political convenience.

BIBLICAL CHRIST-HONORING RESTORATION...pastors who love the Lord, will visibly love the people God has called them to serve

part one

There has unfortunately been a much publicized case of church discipline gone awry in the media these past few days. It is obvious it has been handled by all involved with not the best of wisdom nor humility. It has resulted in being an embarrassment to the body of Christ and His gospel. 

The following article does not mention nor deal with that particular situation alluded to above. That should be left to those who are involved first hand in that local congregation alone and not turned into blogger dialogue or cheap table talk conversation by those who love to gossip. We do need to pray for all who are involved that the Lord would grant wisdom and repentance as necessary. 

I pray the following can be an encouragement to all - and especially to pastors who truly want to honor the Lord with meekness, gentleness, grace, love, and biblical restoration and repentance for all whom they serve as ministers of the Lord Jesus. Biblical love doesn't wink at sin; biblical love isn't legalistic in dealing with sin; biblical love seeks restoration, reconciliation and repentance from sin; for biblical love "covers a multitude of sins."

Introduction:
Joshua Harris, mentored by C.J. Mahaney and now pastor of Covenant Life Church, has written a good little tome called, "Stop Dating the Church." It is a simple and yet important call for people to really get involved in their local churches by being committed to a fellowship of believers and serving the Lord in the midst of them. This is a much needed message in today's church hop, drop and shop mentality. 

But the converse is also true: pastors need to "stop dating the congregation" and really get involved in the daily lives of its people. It's not enough to produce programs, preachments, outreaches, fellowship groups, missions, concerts, etc. Pastors need to--in fact they must--invest themselves in the lives of their congregations to the point that they are tirelessly serving them, praying for them, loving them, faithfully preaching the Word to them, equipping them to do the work of the ministry, and yes if necessary, disciplining them. I don't know about you, but I have blind spots in my life. My heart heart is desperately wicked and apart from God's restraining grace, I could be given to all sorts of waywardness. That is why I need godly men (and so very thankful for those the Lord has brought into my life) to invest with me, my family and the ministry; to help guard my heart, challenge me, and encourage me in my daily walk with the Lord. I need men of God that will care enough to say the hard things to me, but also to love me enough to journey with me through the heights and depths of my daily life. Contrary to the Emergent Church Movement, what I am suggesting is far more than a "conversation of faith", it is living in a "community of faith." Is that your hearts cry as well? Oh for pastors that would honor the Lord in their churches and do this with humility, grace, sacrificial love, and broken hearts... Why? Because pastors are sheep too; shot through with all the same sins, cares, burdens, blind spots and moorings that every member of their congregations are. And that alone should motivate them in their service to the King; for when any of us have tasted deeply of God's forgiving grace, the impulse of our hearts should be to extend it to one another.

Church discipline begins by servant-leaders of Christ humbly shining the light of God's truth on every area of our lives; and then lovingly calling each other to live in response to that truth. If there are sins to confess, then we must quickly do it; if there is grace to be extended to another caught in sin, then we must fulfill the law of Christ and bear their burdens; and if there is reconciliation that needs to occur, then we must willingly pursue it. It is almost a forgotten duty in the church today and a forgotten grace. That's right. Church discipline done biblically, humbly and with right motives is a grace given by the Lord to protect the purity of the church and guard against anything that robs it of Christlikeness and holiness. Pastors that are afraid to discipline sin because of potential lawsuits, church politics, fear of losing their jobs, etc. should not resign themselves to a spirit of fear, but should do the godly thing, honor Christ and lovingly confront sin. Pastors that want to be your friend first, fellowship group leader second, and elder third have abandoned their calling and are suffering from a severe case of spiritual amnesia as to their biblical duty as an under-shepherd of Christ. They would be bettor off to leave the ministry and become something benign and ineffectual like a psychologist; for they ultimately bring tremendous harm upon the body of Christ due to their puscillanimous propensity for self preservation.

The highest form of worship, as Luther says, is the clear teaching and preaching of God’s Word lived in daily obedience to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is presenting our bodies as “living sacrifices holy, acceptable pleasing unto God for this is our just and spiritual worship” (Roms. 12:1). Holiness, purity, obedience, faithfulness—these are the marks of sincerity of faith. IOW, pastors should stop dating the church and serve her with love, grace, patience and longsuffering as the precious bride of Christ. Biblical restoration is at the heart of the gospel and should be at the heart of every servant-leader within the church. Why? Because pastors are sheep too and in need of grace for repentance every day! 

Hypocrisy, Instead of Holiness
God desires for His people to be pure and holy and to live a life of integrity in the world and before Himself. As the Apostle Peter has said, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). When the church embraces strong Bible teaching and rejects being held to its standard, we have the spiritual chaos that is evidenced today. When we divorce biblical preaching from biblical living “it promotes hypocrisy, instead of holiness” says, John MacArthur. To illlustrate, I had an opportunity last week to share the gospel with a Muslim gentleman while my front brakes were being changed. Through the course of our conversation he said something very insightful and convicting; his number one bewilderment about Christians is “why do you all believe one thing and constantly live another?” This is a tremendous indictment against the church.

Divine Chastening: The Mark of the Father’s Love
Even in the human realm, discipline is vital by parents to their children. Proverbs 13:24 says, “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” Proverbs 3:11-12 says, “My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, Or loathe His reproof, for whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father, the son in whom he delights.” I am a parent of five children and I desire for them to live right and honorable lives. They not only need to be told what the right thing to do is, but also led in living out what is right through loving discipline or correction. If I love them—I will discipline them. When we see unruly children not obeying their parents, it is a sign of indifference from the parents that they do not love their children and care how they act. Disobedient children and indifferent parents are both a terrible thing to witness. Just as a loving father disciplines his children, so a loving God chastens His people when they are living in continued unrepentant sin.

Listen to these discriptive words from the writer of Hebrews: “It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:7-11).

How does the church promote holiness and purity and cause people to live daily in the fear and reverence of the Lord?; and by what means of grace has the Lord provided for this important and holy undertaking? Church discipline; which I prefer calling Biblical Restoration.

Restoration, Reconciliation, Repentance
Church discipline is not a witch-hunt; it is not intended for retribution, reprisal, retaliation or designed for personal revenge. It is not meant to “even the score” between disenfranchised believers or fractured leadership with their congregations. It is not driven by control or to exert a “power-play” over another. The very heart of church discipline is motivated by love, clothed in humility, bathed in God’s Word, and has as its goal the restoration, reconciliation, and repentance of a sinning brother or sister in Christ still trapped in their sin. It is good and holy; an act of divine worship; and exemplifies the charity of the Lord Jesus Christ. It reveals reverence for God; hatred of sin; love for the purity of the local church; the desire for genuine fellowship with other believers; and an impartial—righteous scale of parity. When dispensed correctly, it protects the unity of the church in the bond of peace, fosters integrity, promotes holiness, and brings glory to God. It causes us all to pause and reflect on the wickedness of our own sinful hearts and to show empathy, compassion and sacrificial love for another still trapped in sin.

May I direct your thinking to a critical and key passage of Scripture that deals with this important issue: Galatians 6:1-2. There are other Scriptures we will consider, but this brief section of God's Word gives us a very powerful synopsis of the means, the motive, the manner, and the method for proper church discipline. Let’s carefully look at it together.

Ambushed by Sin… How Christians Should 

Restore One Overtaken in a Tresspass

“Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, 

and thus fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).

1. THE MEANS: 

“Brethren” – “you who are spiritual”. Notice that the Apostle directs the means for dealing with sin not to the therapist, the professional counselor, the courts, or even the pastor—-he places the responsibility on the body of Christ…the “brethren.” These are everyday believers in the Lord--members of a local congregation just like you and me.

A brief point for context: the churches of southern Galatia were located in the cities of Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, where Paul had ministered on his first two missionary journeys (see Acts 13:14—14:23; 16:1-5). The fact that Paul founded those churches gave him a position of authority in dealing with them (Cp. 1 Cor. 4:14-21, where Paul also states his right to confront the Corinthians because he was their founding shepherd). Therefore, Paul calls on believers, the church, to deal with the confrontation, restoration, and repentance of one who is “caught in a trespass.”

Brethren is a term of endearment given by the Lord to all He came to save at His resurrection (John 20:17). It is a sign of intimacy that signifies we belong to Him, we are His people; and that His once for all sacrifice for the salvation of our souls has so thoroughly redeemed us from the penalty, guilt, and wrath of God that burns against our sin, that we now have peace with God forever, by which Christ is unashamed to call us His brethren (Romans 5:1-2; Hebrews 2:11-13). Paul is right in calling believers in the Lord who have known His forgiving grace in their own lives to do their spiritual duty in bringing another believer who has strayed from life of holiness to repentance by that same grace.

He further clarifies the character of the brethren by saying, it is“you who are spiritual” who are to be about this work of reconciliation. Once again, MacArthur is spot on when he insightfully says, "Spiritual believers are those walking in the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, and manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, who, by virtue of their spiritual strength, are responsible for those who are fleshly" (cf. Galatians 5:16-23).

Not everyone who claims the name of Christ maybe is living for Christ. “Spiritual” also in this context, refers to those who are not new converts, but mature, faithful believers in Christ--those with proven godly character. This doesn’t mean their lives are free from sin, for that would eliminate all of us from the work of the Lord. None of us have arrived at the Christian life; none of us have perfected our sanctification, have we? But Paul means those whose lives are up to date and are consistent in their obedience to Christ.

2. THE MOTIVE: 

“if a man is caught in any trespass” – “restore such a one” – “fulfill the law of Christ.” Here Paul gives us the pure motive for such action: fulfilling the law of Christ by restoring a believer overcome in sin. The Greek word for caught is prolamban; and it means to overtake by surprise; to ambush; or as Lightfoot says, “to overpower before one can escape.” This is not one whom is premeditatively pursuing sinful desires or a life of lasciviousness, but one has let his guard down and failed to maintain a strong daily walk in the Lord so that he has been, as it were, surprised by sin in submitting to its deceptiveness. He has been ambushed by sin and overtaken in a fault. Sin is subtly deceptive and can overpower someone or ambush one when you least except it, leaving no room for escape from its snare. 

Paul’s command is when you see a man ensnared by sin of this kind… “restore such a one.” This is a surgical term used for the setting right of a fractured bone. As in medicine, the repaired bone that once was broken may heal so completely that it would be impossible to detect where the fracture originally occurred; and usually the healed bone is stronger than its original state. The same truth applies spiritually—the restoration should be so thorough in ones life and the repentance so profound, that the later state carries with it a strength that didn’t exist formerly. The fallen believer is stronger and useful to the Lord once again.

What is the law of Christ Paul speaks of? Love. This is self-sacrificial, unmerited, undeserved, unreciprocated love that seeks not its own comfort, but the benefit of another. There is no greater love demonstrated in the church than when Christians lay down their lives, risking even their own reputation, to see others within the church restored to a right relationship in Jesus Christ.

3. THE MANNER: 

“in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.” This is the humility of Christlikeness that guards against gossip, expose, and self-righteous religious pride. Gentleness is not simply a quiet demeanor—far from it. It means:

to submit to injustice free from revenge without malice; while doing acts of kindness to those who would see your own demise; trusting God in spite of it all—knowing that He is sovereignly working all things for our good and His glory. It is staying in the provocation until the breach is fully mended.

Restoring a sinning brother or sister in Christ can painstaking, tireless work and could mean even your own reputation comes under fire. It takes one “mindful of the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:1-2) to love someone seeing it through to the end. We are to take inventory of our own proclivity to sin and beware lest we succumb to the same temptation while trying to be agent of grace in the restoration of another.

4. THE METHOD: 

“Bear one another’s burdens…” Burdens means heavy loads that weigh down. Paul is not generally referring here to the daily trials, sufferings, or “bad days” that we all may experience. He is referring to the weight of sin which so easily can beset us. Only Christ and His grace are sufficient to equip another believer to bear this kind of burden. How can we as fellow sinners saved by and in need of grace each day do such a heavenly and gracious thing? We do so by gentle reproof and loving, humble confrontation; when we comfort another when overpressed with guilt by pointing them to Christ and His unfathomable grace; we do so by sympathizing with them in their sorrow or by interceding for them in prayers to God to manifest His pardoning grace to them; and most importantly, we do so by forgiving them and holding no ought against them.

So the burdens here is the weight of sin(s) that is pressing down on another believer to further tempt them to transgress. If we are to “fulfill the law of Christ”, then we must “bear another’s burdens.” It is the idea of coming along side another believer in Christ, under-girding the weaker brother or sister struggling under the heavy load of sin and then walking with them faithfully until they are repentant, strengthened spiritually, and able to walk faithfully once again in their daily live. This is discipleship at the most crucial level.

But if we are honest here in our appraisals, the reality for most believers in most churches is tragic. As the old saying goes, “Christians serve in the only army that shoots its wounded.” This is the cruelty of sin to others trapped in their iniquity when gossip, slander, bitterness, ego, pride, etc. are given prominence over the restoration of the fractured saint.

This admonition beloved to bear another’s burdens encourages us against turning away from a weakened brother or sister in a self-righteous attitude of superiority and to serve that one at the point of their need for their repentance and restoration.

And if we fail in this holy endeavor, the world around us sees our faith as one of legalism, cultish oppression, judgmental hypocrisy, political elitism, and a sham. It is by this shall all men know that you are Mine, Jesus said, "if you love one another as I have loved you." May we remember the grace we have been given in our lives to overcome our own sins and failings when dealing with another caught in a trespass. Those who have drank deeply of the forgiving, restorative grace of God should not be the ones who in their zeal to do what is right become calloused against one struggling under the load of sin.