26.13 Of The Bride: Bonded to One Another
Table of Contents
The Text
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (CSB) For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body — so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and we were all given one Spirit to drink. Indeed, the body is not one part but many.
The Chapter
No church members, upon any offence taken by them, having performed their duty required of them towards the person they are offended at, ought to disturb any church-order, or absent themselves from the assemblies of the church, or administration of any ordinances, upon the account of such offence at any of their fellow members, but to wait upon Christ, in the further proceeding of the church.
The Confession
Matthew 18:15–17 (CSB) “If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he won’t listen, take one or two others with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. If he doesn’t pay attention to them, tell the church. If he doesn’t pay attention even to the church, let him be like a Gentile and a tax collector to you.
Ephesians 4:2–3 (CSB) with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Church folks are not perfect. And we know this. And people who have been hurt, when they have not sought to get healing by the Healer, tend to hurt others. And church is not the exception.
When there are members of your church, who have gone through the discipline process and with their tongue confess that Jesus is Lord and they have repented of their wrongdoing, there are going to be other members who might be satisfied with their repentance. Do not balk--it might be you.
What are we to do?
The confession states it clearly: this belongs to the Lord. It is the Christ, by the mercies of the Father, and the power of the Holy Spirit, will bring each of brothers and sisters, all the way home.
We cannot count on our gut, intuition or "vibe check". We might not be satisfied with the outcome. And depended on the severity of the sin, their repentance might not always be good enough.
But what can elders do? Are they cult leaders that can excommunicate just because they feel like it? Not unless they are want to be judged by the Lord. No.
What can members do? The elders have seen fit to welcome back these people who are walking in repentance. Should the members ostracize them and continue to treat them like Gentiles and tax collectors? Certainly not, for as far as we know, they are part of the invisible church.
But here is where it all shakes down: how are we to treat other believers? Proclaim the good news of Christ.
What if the offenders did not repent? How are we to treat them? You've guessed it: proclaim the good news of Christ.
Listen, Christians on the Lord's Day, not to serve or even give glory to God but first and foremost, we gather to receive the one actual thing we need that only the Father can provide: his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.