Healthy church discipline — it's a real need we often hide from ourselves as the church, as well as from the world. When we aren’t comfortable acknowledging it’s necessity within the body, we often don’t deal with it well or at all. We become like the permissive parent. We have biblical guidelines of how to do life but rarely enforce them. We may be uninvolved in each other’s lives, functioning as individual entities oblivious to the impact our actions have on others.
But, in the same sense the Bible teaches that if we love our children, we will be careful to discipline them and if we neglect to do so, we hate our children (Proverbs 13:24). One of the greatest displays of Christian love within our church is that of church discipline.
As we prayerfully and lovingly carry out the instructions of today’s verses we are saying to our brothers or sisters in Christ, “I love you! I don’t want you to continue on the path of disobedience you’re traveling. I don’t want you to face the destructive consequences of sin that are ahead of you if you don’t listen to wise rebuke. I don’t want the spirit quenched in your life or in the life of our church because of un-confessed, unrepentant sin.“
The question is this ― will we love each other enough to practice biblical church discipline? One not directed by a motive of revenge or judgment, but one of love and restoration. Or will we continue to look away, afraid to offend and lose members?
Father, teach us how to do church life in a way that is the most beneficial for Your kingdom purposes. Help us to love each other enough to practice healthy church discipline. Amen.
Going Deeper — Ask your pastor or Bible study leader to teach over today’s verses so you can gain an understanding of how to lovingly practice healthy church discipline.