SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/11/2023 10:28 AM
My Worship Time
Focus: PT-5
“The Process And The Place For Discipline”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
Matt. 18:16-17
Message of the verses: “16 But if he does
not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be
established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 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 collector.”
This final step in discipline is not something that
is optional. MacArthur writes “Let him
be translates a present imperative and is therefore a command. Paul gave a similar command to the
Thessalonians: ‘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’ (2 Thess. 3:6). A few verses
later he says, ‘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’
(v. 14).”
One
of the things that I have learned in my study of the Bible, especially in the
New Testament, is that men do not truly know other men’s hearts. God is the only One who truly knows a person’s
heart, and He knows our hearts better than we know them. Here is my point in relationship to what we
are talking about here. A true Bible
Believing church who is doing everything that they can to live for the Lord has
to follow the steps of discipline, and when they get to this fifth step in
which they put the person out of the church to live in the world without the
help of the church, the church is not really sure if this person is a believer or
not. By putting them out of the church
to live in his sin, and praying for him, that is about all they can do. I think that in most cases the church will
find out whether or not this person is a true believer.
Paul
explains to the Corinthian church that separation from a sinning believer is to
be more radical than separation from sinful unbelievers.
“9 I
wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I did not at all mean with the
immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with
idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I
wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person,
or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler — not
even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders?
Do you not judge those who are within the church? 13 But those who are
outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.”
MacArthur adds “But putting an unrepentant member
out of the fellowship is not the end of the discipline process. It should not end until the brother has
either repented or died. As far as the
welfare of the church is concerned, the purpose of putting the brother out is
to protect the purity of the fellowship and to give a testimony of
righteousness to the watching world. But
as far as the welfare of the brother himself is concerned, the purpose of the
ostracism is not to punish but to awaken, and it must therefore be done in
humble love and never in a spirit of self-righteous superiority. ‘Do not regard him as an enemy,’ Paul says, ‘but
admonish him as a brother’ (2 Thess. 3:15).”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I think that people of the church need to
understand that each person in the church is a part of the body, and just as
Paul speaks of this each part in the body is something that is needed. No need for anyone to feel superior, or God
has a way of humbling people.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I am thankful to the Lord for saving me, and
I am thankful for the Lord for giving me a part in the body of Christ. My prayer is that I will bring glory to the
Lord by doing what He has called me to do.
1/11/2023 10:52 AM
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