Discipline
This seems like a simple topic. There are very good websites talking about the subject. Some of them are here, here, and here. But, there are subjects and verses that seem to be over looked. Most websites seem to end the discussion with excommunication of the unrepentant Believer who is sinning with significant sin, or he repents and is welcomed back into the fellowship. What happens during the excommunication seems mostly ignored. This entire subject is a sensitive one, so let us begin.
Heb 12:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 states, “4 You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin. 5 You have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, “MY son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the LORD, nor faint when you are reproved by HIM; 6 for WHOM the LORD loves, HE disciplines, and chastises every son whom HE receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you endure. GOD deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have been made partakers, then you are illegitimate, and not children. 9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the FATHER of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days disciplined us as seemed good to them, but HE for our profit, that we may be partakers of HIS holiness. 11 All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” WEB.
If our FATHER in Heaven, WHO is Love (1 Jhn 4:8), disciplines HIS children who are Believers, than it is loving for Believers to discipline other Believers as the LORD instructs in HIS Word. Notice in the verses above, the LORD does not seem to be disciplining unbelievers (who are not sons).
1 Cor 5:12, 13 states, “12 For what do I have to do with also judging those who are outside? Don’t you judge those who are within? 13 But those who are outside, GOD judges. “Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.” WEB.
So, Believers are not to judge unbelievers who are outside, but they are to judge Believers who are within the Church. GOD judges the unbeliever.
Mt 7:1, 2, 3, 4, 5 states, “1 “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 4 Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.” WEB.
This verse is used a lot by a person in sin to tell someone not to judge them. But, notice in verse 5, this is about getting rid of sin. It is also about not being a hypocrite and judging someone for the same sin you are doing. And, once again it is the brother’s eye the speck/sin is being removed from after the Believer delivering the message repents from their sin.
(This between the white lines is from Ending Sin.)
So, what is sin and its outcome? The Bible defines sin as “… sin is disobedience-of-the-Law/lawlessness” 1 John 3:4. This Law of the LORD can be learned from the Bible, which is another reason we should read the Bible. Sin is a thought or action that is unholy and unloving. This is the opposite of the LORD who is holy and, “…GOD is love” (1 John 4:8) (Lev 11:44). The LORD says, “…you shall be holy, for I (am) holy…” (1 Peter 1:16, Lev 11:44, 45; 20:26; 21:8). “For, I the-LORD/YEHOVAH do not change/alter…” (Mal 3:6). And so, what is holy does not change or alter. The whole Bible/Word teaches us how “… to separate/distinguish between the holy and between the unholy and between the unclean and between the clean…” (Lev 10:10, 11). A Believer not only can read the Word to know what is holy and unholy, but has this covenant/information written on their hearts/minds by the SPIRIT to testify to themselves what is holy, as also the Word testifies (Hebrews 10:16; Jer 31:33). “…I will give/put MY law/instruction/direction in their midst and write it upon their hearts/minds, and I will be their GOD and they will be MY people/flock/tribe” (Jer 31:33). So, we as Believers know what is right/holy/clean/loving, and the SPIRIT confirms what we read in the Bible about what is holy as being holy, even if in our flesh and opinions we disagree. Sin is sin, but how we sin is different. “And, HE (was) bored-through/slain/profaned/pierced for our transgression/sin/rebellion, HE (was) crushed/bruised/beat-to-pieces for our iniquities/guilt/sins; (the) discipline/correction/rebuke for our peace/shalom (was) upon HIM, And by/in HIS stripes/bruises/blows/scourging, for us, we will be healed/made-whole.” (Isa 53:5). We find here transgression (pesha‘) & iniquity (‘avon) are both different than the word for sin (cheth’). The Hebrew words related to transgression (Pesha‘) are rebel & step; transgression is when a person rebels against the LORD and steps/walks in a sin to anger the LORD. The Hebrew words related to iniquity (‘avon) are dwell & strength; iniquity is when a person dwells in a sin making it his/her strength because he/she desires and enjoys it, not because he/she wants to rebel-against/anger the LORD. And then, there are unknown sins. “And, if a person sins and does one from all (the) commandments/instructions/laws of the-LORD/YEHOVAH which are not to be done and does not know (it), and (he/she will be) guilty and will bear/carry his (her) iniquity” (Lev 5:17). Isa 53 shows it does not matter how the sin was done or what kind of sin it was in order to be forgiven, just as also 1 John 1:9 states, “If we confess/publicly-declare our sins, HE is faithful/trustworthy and just/righteous that HE will release/suffer-for/forgive us our sins and make us clean from all iniquity/unrighteousness.” “HE has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, (so) great is HIS loving kindness toward those who fear HIM. As far as the east is from the west, (so) far has HE removed our transgressions from us” (Psm 103:10, 11, 12). (There is no east or west poles, so those directions go around infinitely.) But, as stated above we need to acknowledge our sin before we can confess it, repent of it, ask forgiveness of it, and continue in a working relationship with the LORD. This is why YESHUA stated, “No one having laid the hand upon (the) plow, but looks on the things behind, is useful for the Kingdom of GOD” (Luke 9:62). Because, the work (plowing) of the Kingdom can not be done while knowingly-walking (looking behind) toward/in transgression or iniquity.
Stating what the LORD states is sin and unholy is not judging but speaking the truth. When talking to the unbeliever, we can without judging state the truth and ask the unbeliever if they are guilty of that sin to allow the Law to show them their sin and unholiness and allow them to judge themselves (Rom 3:20). This same thing can also be done with a Believer. Jhn 7:24 states, “Don’t judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” WEB. So, Believers can not judge other Believers by anything other than the fruit of actions and facts that can be compared to the Word to see if the actions/facts are holy or unholy, just as suggested in Mt 7:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. (Good article on judging HERE.)
Mt 18:15, 16, 17 states, “15 If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. 16 But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a pagan/heathen/Gentile or a tax collector.” WEB.
So, confronting a Believer about their sin is done privately and with unrepentance is made more public until everyone knows. The process is stopped as soon as there is repentance. But, if the Believer wants to sin and will not repent, then they are to be treated like a pagan or tax collector. What does it mean to treat someone like a pagan or tax collector? We know YESHUA ate with tax collectors (Mt 9:10, 11). But, 1 Cor 5:11 states, “However now, I wrote to you not to mingle-together/keep-company/associate with anyone if he is a brother being designated/assigned/called a-fornicator/sexually-immoral, or a-coveter/a-defrauder/someone-eager-for-what-is-not-his, or an idolater/idol-worshipper, or a slanderer/railer/reviler/abuser/verbal-abuser, or a drunkard, or a swindler/robber/extortionist; do not even eat/take-food-in-company with such a person/one/kind.” The verses seem to go against each other until we look Mt 9:13 that states, “ But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” WEB. A Believer is not call a sinner (1 Jhn 1:7; 3:1; 1 Cor 3:17; Rom 5:8; 2 Cor 5:17;). YESHUA was eating with tax collectors who were unbelieving sinners; they were not Believers who wanted to continue in their sin without repentance. If fact 1 Cor 5:9, 10 states, “9 I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners; 10 yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortionists, or with idolaters, for then you would have to leave the world.” WEB. This shows Believers are to eat and have company with unbelieving sinners but not Believers who want to continue in sin without repenting. But, we can not cut off all communication with the Believer in unrepentant sin, or we would not know if they have changed their mind and repented of their sin.
Normally, Believers are to lay hands on the sick to bring healing to a person as Mrk 16:18 states, “… they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” WEB. But, 1 Cor 5:5 states, “To deliver/hand-over/surrender/abandon the such a person/one/kind to Satan/the-Adversary for/into destruction/death/ruin/punishment of the flesh/body so/in-order that the spirit may be preserved/saved/rescued on/in/at the Day of the LORD.” So, for the Believer not wanting to repent of their sin, we are to deliver their flesh over to the enemy so that the death and darkness of their sin be upon their flesh to move them toward repentance.
All this sounds a little harsh until you look at the big picture.
(This between the white lines is from the Marriage article.)
If in a marriage you sin or wrong your spouse, is the marriage over? No. In fact in a Jewish marriage, the husband has the right to overrule the decisions of the wife with the husband bearing her guilt (Num 30:8, 12, 13, 15). What did change? How each person in the marriage walks, talks, and works together as one. So, sin is not changing our marriage/salvation status, it is changing our closeness in relationship and the effectiveness of our marriage in accomplishing the will of our FATHER.
We can see that the HOLY SPIRIT is very much needed and a part of the marriage process. It is the HOLY SPIRIT that convicts a person of their sin and brings them to repentance (Jhn 16:7, 8; Gal 5:17; Tit 3:5; Jhn 14:26; Acts 17:30; Rev 3:19). As shown in the Marriage article, the SPIRIT is also the ring/seal of the marriage/wedding, the Promise of the FATHER (Eph 1:13). If a person pushes the SPIRIT away, how can that person then repent of their sin? So, if sinning or not sinning does not change our marriage/salvation status, what would? A divorce. This is why blaspheming the HOLY SPIRIT is the unforgiveable sin (Mt 12:31, 32; Mrk 3:28, 29, 30; Luk 12:10). It is not that the LORD would not want for that person to repent, be saved, and be in a relationship with HIM; but, once a person has pushed the SPIRIT away completely, there is no way for the person to come to repentance to turn toward the LORD. If a married Believer would blaspheme the SPIRIT, it would be like the Believer is calling for a divorce from the LORD, removes their wedding ring/seal, and no longer wants to be in a relationship with the LORD. The LORD will never divorce anyone in HIS Church, because HE paid everything for the Bride/the-Church to be HIS Wife (Jhn 3:16, 17, 18). But, blaspheming the SPIRIT leaves a way a Believer can divorce the LORD; which they would only be inclined to do if their heart/mind was hardened by continued intentional unrepentant sin (Heb 3:12, 13). The continued intentional unrepentant sin is the “sin that leads to (physical) death” (1 Jhn 5:16) (for a Believer’s spirit has already died and been reborn; Jhn 3:3, 4, 5, 6). This type of death from sin is to protect the Believer from coming to the point of divorcing the LORD, which once done can not be reversed (which is why a husband who is divorced from a woman can not remarry her after she has remarried even if her 2nd husband dies [Dt 24:1, 2, 3, 4]) (Heb 6:4, 5, 6; 10:26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31).
So, in the end all of this is a loving process and needs to be done in love to bring a Believer back into a right relationship with the LORD and the Church and to save them from themselves and their own actions that could lead to an eternal judgement in Hell/the-Lake-of-Burning-Fire-&-Sulfur/Geenna/Gehenna.
On another note, since the Believer who is in sin can no longer do the work of the LORD to allow the LORD to work through them to set the captives free and bring salvation to the unbelievers, the Believer in unrepentant sin is stating through their actions they do not love the lost and do not care if they go to Hell. This means they also do not care the LORD died for our sins to deliver us from Hell and they are not showing love toward the LORD but hatred (Tit 1:15, 16).
Even when an unrepentant Believer has gone to the point of being removed from the fellowship of Believers and had their flesh turned over to the enemy, we should still continue to pray for their repentance and that they would understand the depth of the darkness and death they have brought into their lives and the lives of those around them through their sin that they might turn from their sin back to the LORD and enter back into the fellowship of believers.
How is a family of Believers suppose to treat an unrepentant Believer that is part of their family? This article is about adults who are making their own decisions. As noted in the beginning the LORD expects fathers and mothers to raise their children in “the discipline and instruction of the LORD” (Eph 6:4). There are many verses in the Scripture directed at the need for parents to discipline their children (Prov 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 29:17; Heb 12:7, 8, 9, 10, 11). But, while they are children they are not getting kicked out of the family. What about when they are adults? Mt 12:48, 49, 50 states, “48 But HE answered him who spoke to HIM, “Who is MY mother? Who are MY brothers?” 49 HE stretched out HIS hand toward HIS disciples, and said, “Behold, MY mother and MY brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of MY FATHER WHO is in Heaven, he is MY brother, and sister, and mother.” WEB. Believers are called to be like CHRIST (Phil 2:5; Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18). So, our family are those who do the will of the LORD.
But, when a Believer repents even 490 times, he is to be received back into the fellowship (Mt 18:21, 22). We are to help the the person who wants to get out of sin and follow the LORD as being part of the Family, but the person who wants to keep their sin gets to keep their death and darkness that goes with it (Rom 6:23).