Nor Cal / Nev College Ministries

Discipleship and Discipline

"My brothers, if one of you wanders away from the truth and another brings him back again, remember this: whoever turns a sinner back from his wrong way will save that sinner's soul and bring forgiveness of many sins" (James 5:19, 20 TEV).

Sometimes disciples wander away from the truth. Reasons for this are numerous. Jesus warns that some will have truth snatched from them by Satan. Others never go beyond the initial joy of salvation. Still others fall away due to trouble, persecution, or through the deceittulness of wealth and desires for other things in the world. For many, they really don't lose their faith, they just cease to use their faith. The neglect results in coldness in their relationship to Christ and they begin to renege on their commitment. Double-mindedness sets in. Again James reminds us, "...he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does" (James 1:6b-8).

Until recently, there has been very little written on bringing restoration to members within a local body of believers when they go astray or are caught in a sin. No doubt this issue makes many nervous due to gross mistakes made which have caused much harm to all involved. There is a tendency to avoid the issue or problem altogether. Pervasive individualism in our society has crept into our fellowship groups and churches, thereby causing many to consider intervention into someone's life an intrusion or an infringement upon one's personal privacy. We come to believe that it is inappropriate to ever bring any questions or demands upon someone else, fearing that we have overstepped our bounds.

But when one considers the instructions given to us in the Scriptures concerning the interdependency of believers toward each other, we should not be surprised to see injunctions such as Matthew 18:15-20 and Galatians 6:1-5.

"If your brother sins against you, go to him and show him his fault. But do it privately, just between yourselves... If he listens to you, you have won your brother back. But if he will not listen to you, take one or two other persons with you, so that 'every accusation may be upheld by the testimony of two or more witnesses,' as the scripture says. And if he will not listen to them, then tell the whole thing to the church. Finally, if he will not listen to the church, treat him as though he were a pagan or a tax collector." Matthew 18:15-17 TEV

"My brothers, if someone is caught in any kind of wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should set him right; but you must do it in a gentle way. And keep an eye on yourselves, so that you will not be tempted, too. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should judge his own conduct. If it is good, then he can be proud of what he himself has done, without having to compare it with what someone else has done. For everyone has to carry his own load." Galatians 6:1-5

These call for direct and explicit initiation toward someone in the body who is struggling in their Christian walk. This then is a vital issue for all who respond to the call to become disciplers. It is an essential responsibility in the process of discipleship.

Discipline For the Wayward Disciple

Let us recall some things mentioned in a previous lesson. "Discipline is training that corrects, molds, and perfects the mental abilities and moral character of a person. Many times we think first of punishment when we consider discipline, but even good punishment should serve to penalize a person due to their lack of self-control (trusting that the direct attention will aid in the development of self-control). Thus, to discipline simply means to impose order upon disorder within the mind, heart and spirit."

Every disciple submits to Godly discipline. The writer of Hebrews tells us that "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness."

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, how­ever, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:7-11

The discipline we are focusing on in this lesson is that which is necessary to be brought to a brother or sister who is wandering from the truth. Their eternal life is at stake.

In Lesson 8 we mentioned that "discipline is repentance lived out." To discipline a brother caught in sin, is to bring them back to the foundations of their salvation and their relationship with God. It means to speak the message of grace again to them and to call upon them to repent from their folly. How are we instructed to carry out this process of discipline?

The Occasion for Discipline: "If Your Brother Sins"

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault..." Mt. 18:15a Scholars debate the meaning of "against you" in this passage. Some feel that it refers only to direct sin which injures you. Others feel that "against you" means that you are the witness of the problem. Probably both posi­tions are correct. (In fact, many of the ancient manuscripts omitted the words "against you" in this passage. This would make the injunction even more simple. If you are aware that your brother is in sin, then you are to go to him).

Neglect is not excusable on any grounds. Too often we sound like Cain when he said to God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" This passage seems to underscore that since we are brothers and sisters in Christ, we have responsibility to one another. One of these responsibilities is to care enough for each other to intervene during times of spiritual waywardness.

We must remember that living a spiritual life is a reality in which sin and righteousness are mutually exclusive. Consequently, even if acts of sin are concealed, the symptoms of spiritual illness will eventually surface some-where. When the revealing signs of sin make their appearance, the discipler is constrained to inquire into the life of the individual in question. This is not a matter of prying into the private life of people; it is an attempt to help them return to the way of faith. Thus, the fellowship does not go around looking for hidden sins. As in evangelism, so in discipline, we are looking for discipleship, which by its nature is open and visible.

What kinds of sins do we become concerned about? The deeds of the flesh that Paul gives in Galatians 5 immediately precede the list of fruits of the Spirit and the instructions on restoring a brother caught in trespass. The following list can give us some assistance as to what Paul intends for us to become concerned about.

DEEDS OF THE FLESH FROM GALATIANS 5:19-21

Immorality...primarily referring to sexual immorality of any kind. It was so common in Greco-Roman antiquity that it was not regarded as especially reprehensible. Our culture is not much different. "Sexual preierence" or "sexual orientation" or even "safe sex" are really immorality redressed.

Impurity...like an unclean wound or an unpruned tree. To be impure means that one can't approach the holy God.

Sensuality...readiness fer any pleasure with no restraint fbr any desire. Hedonism, as it is called today, is glorified in our culture by the quest for the "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous".

Idolatry...where material things have taken the place of God. Our culture doesn't promote the oonstruction of statues to worship, but calls us to worship power, fame, wealth, security, etc. Idolatry is any substitute fer the living and true God.

Sorcery...literally "the use of drugs", primarily for use in witchcraft. Drug use and the rise of the occult are both issues that our culture struggles to deal with effectively.

Enmities...hostile sentiments, intentions, or acts. The examples here are numerous (child abuse, wife abuse, rape, terrorism, international aggression) and each one is experienced in proportions never before seen in the history of mankind.

Strife...rivalry which finds its outcome in quarrelings and wranglings. The opposite of strife is peace.

Jealousy...desire to have what someone else has. Our compulsion to consume and possess which fuels and drives all of western capitalism.

Outbursts of Anger... bursts of temper, anger that strikes out physically, verbally, or emotionally.

Selfishness...selfish ambition. Describes the man who wants office, not from any motives of service, but for what he can get out of it.

Dissensions...where members of a group fly apart instead of coming together. Westenn individualism fostered, nurtured, protected, defended and promoted.

Factions...cliques where people who hold different views finish up by disliking not each other's views, but each other.

Envyings...begrudges the fact that someone has things at all. The grudging spirit that cannot bear to contemplate someone else's prosperity.

Drunkenness...excessive indulgence in strong drink which weakens people's rational and moral control over words and action. Unilaterally hailed by administrators and students as the number one problem on campus today.

Carousings...always in close association with drunkenness this is probably equivalent to what the university community calls "partying". It means unrestrained revelry, enjoyment that has degenerated into license.

A common thread among all of those listed above is that they all are a sin against relationship in some form or another. This list is not intended to be conclusive. But you can feel that you are confronting correctly if one of the above is involved.

The Goal of Discipline: "If He Repents Then Forgive"

We must continually remind ourselves that the goal of discipline is not to correctly fulfill the specific instructions in restoration (although we must do that), but to win our brother back through repentance to God.

Let us draw a distinction between admonition and excommunication.

admonition this is gentle, loving but firm reproof in coun­seling and a warning against a sin or fault.

excommunication this is the process by which a member of the body is placed under an exclusion from the fellowship (shunned from the body).

Jesus very clearly teaches both of these actions in Matthew 18, but most clearly in a process of moving from admonition to excommunication. Since He teaches both, we must then take both very seriously.

A truly dangerous testimony of any fellowship's witness before God and in the world is their ability to see a brother or sister's sin and to do nothing about it. On the other hand, the fellowship is hurt by an excommunication that is too hasty, for then the Christian community comes to be regarded (with good reason) as a body concerned not with restoration of its members to God, but for its self-image.

The initial approach in the disciplining act, whether it is called admoni­tion, exhortation, rebuke, reproof, correction or any other such term, must be seen as a presentation of the gospel. This is to be done with a sincere personal appeal. "If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness," writes the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:1

"Admonition of a sinner in the church is analogous to evangelism outside the church. As in evangelism repentance issues in forgive­ness and fellowship, so in discipline response to the word of admonition issues in forgiveness and continued fellowship. Like-wise, as in evangelism an individual's rejection of the gospel is respected and he is not incorporated into the body of Christ, so in discipline an individual's rejection of the word of admonition is respected and he is excluded from the body of Christ. The only difference is that admonition begins with a sinner in the church, whereas evangelism begins with one outside the church." Marlin Jeschke, Discipling the Brother, (Herald Press, 1972) p.85.

This process is intended to accomplish a sincere confession of sin, this is the obvious goal of the Matthew 18 instruction. This confession of sin brings renewed fellowship between sinner and God the Father. Repentance of the sinful life needs to then follow, and repentance can be seen as the indicator for renewed fellowship in the body of Christ.

The Qualifications To Execute Discipline: "You Who Are Spiritual..."

A. Who are the "spiritual"?

Let's look into Galatians 5. In verses 18-25, Paul tells believers to "walk", "live" and "be led" by the Spirit. A focus we can notice is that Paul expects to see right actions which flow out of right thinking.

B. How does one become "spiritual"?

In verses 24 and 25, Paul adds, "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." A spiritual person is one who kills the acts of sin in their life. They have come to hate sin and its effects in their life. Beyond this, the spiritual man is one characterized by the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23). This truit is not to be seen merely as right attitudes or dispositions, but as manifestations flowing from us as from the Spirit.

Since you then are spiritual, you are the one, having seen the trespass, to go to your brother and gently, but firmly restore him to the Lord.

The Healing in Discipline: "Restore Such A One"

"Restore" is used for executing a repair and for the work of a surgeon in removing some growth from a man's body or in setting a broken limb.

We are to restore someone who repents. True repentance is evidenced by Godly sorrow. It is more than just saying "I'm sorry". Godly sorrow produces much good in our lives. Paul describes this to the Corinthians, "For you became sorrowful as God intended....Godly sorrow brings re­pentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done" (2 Corinthians 7:9b-11a).

Therefore, we could propose the following guidelines:

Restore someone who repents.

Discipline someone who does not repent.

First Step of Discipline: "Watch yourself, or you also may be tempted."

"But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted" (Gala tians 6:1b).

Start with yourself. Go with a spirit of gentleness. The story is told of the great Chicago preacher L. Moody, when once walking along the street, he saw a drunk lying in the gutter. He turned to his friend and said, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." We must start with careful self-examination and repentance before the Lord of our own temptations. We cannot gloat over the grace we have received. That completely misunderstands the work of grace in our life. With a renewed sense of our own position before Christ, a sinner saved by grace through faith, we are then to go to our brother.

One more issue is very important-forgive your brother from your heart before you go, and as you go. The greater context of Jesus' words in Matthew 18 are as follows. In verses 7-9, Jesus teaches us to rid ourselves of anything which would prevent us from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. Do radical surgery where necessary. Then in verses 10-14, He tells us that the Good Shepherd goes after the one out of the 100. He describes the joy of the Father when the one lost sheep is returned. Going on we come to our passage for today, "If your brother sins, go to him..." He then talks to us about prayer for the ones who wander off, and affirms that when two or three agree on such a thing, it shall be done for them by their Father in Heaven. However, Jesus saves the punch line for last. In verses 21-35, He tells a story of a servant who is forgiven an incredible debt, but who turns around and punishes someone who owes him a days wage. Jesus says this unmerciful servant will be punished very severely. Jesus last words speak volumes, "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart" (Matthew 18:35).

Putting It All Together: How to Confront and Restore

A. Personal introspection
Evaluate your own life, and make sure you are "walking in the Spirit", i.e.- keep on becoming "spiritual".

B. Distinguish between sins and differences
Make sure you are evaluating your wayward brother from a biblical perspective. Be sure that what you are confronting is sin and not a matter of conscience. Refer to the "Deeds of the Flesh" as a beginning guideline.

C. Pray

Confess your need of Christ's forgiveness; praise Him for His abundant grace in your life; pray that you will not be led into temptation; ask for guidance.

D. Forgive
Forgive your brother from your heart. Be merciful.

E. Confront personally
Go to the wayward brother and discuss the area of concern. If it is in fact true that he has fallen into sin, then ask for confession of this sin and ask to see a turning from the sin. Do so in a spirit of gentleness, while at the same time not backing down from the truth of God's word.

F. Maintain confidentiality
Keep the circle of awareness as small as possible. Don't tell everybody about your brother's sin or even about you going to him. The goal is to "win" your brother back, and then allow him to reestablish fellowship with the body of Christ. If the repentant wishes to testify about his return to the Lord, let that be for him to choose. (Unless, of course, the nature of the sin caused direct injury to the local body, or it was a spiritual leader who sinned. Elders are to be disciplined publicly, but still with mercy. 1 Timothy 5:19, 20)

G. Include witness(es)
If your brother does not repent, then go again with one or two others. Again ask for a turning from sin and a turning to the Lord.

H. Include leadership
If still no Godly response, then approach the Fellowship's leadership and have them confront the brother. If the brother persists in his sin, then decide with the leadership how best to present this issue before the body.

I. Keep restoration as the goal

Remember, the purpose of discipline is to win a brother and not primarily to maintain a pure community, at least not initially. The issue of corporate purity comes after the issue of personal purity has been pursued to the fullest.

J. Celebrate restoration
Jesus tells a parable where a shepherd leaves the flock of 99 sheep to go out after one lost sheep in order that the lost sheep might be restored to the fold. Immediately following that parable is the parable of a woman who looses one coin and searches until she finds it. When the lost is found she then calls all the neighbors and has a party!And finally Jesus tells one last story about lost things. The parable of the lost son. When the son returns home to his father the reconciliation is celebrated. (Luke 14.1-32) You must not fear personal failure in confrontation and restoration. It only takes the focus off the injured person and puts it on you instead. Beyond that, our lives are to be lived in faith, and this will certainly cause your faith to grow. Most importantly, eternity is at stake for the transgressor.