From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Example of Forgiveness – Part 2

But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, “Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.”  (Matthew 18:25-26)

The king in this parable has been gracious simply by not demanding an accounting earlier. In an infinitely greater way, God extends common grace to the most hardened sinner by allowing him to go on living — perhaps the greatest gesture of divine mercy. But there is coming a day in the life of every person when he must give an account for his life. I’m not talking about final judgment but a time of conviction when all persons must face their sin and their need for repentance. It is a time when they hear the gospel or a Bible passage, or a personal testimony.

Like the slave here, they realize they must give an account, that their guilt is inexcusable, and that the king (God) is good and right. The slave’s falling down and prostrating himself was more than the normal homage given to a monarch. It was an act of total submission in which he threw himself completely at the king’s mercy.

Likewise, every sinner should be as overwhelmed by their sin as the slave was by his debt. Sinners convicted by the Holy Spirit will realize their only hope is to humbly confess sin and throw themselves on God’s mercy in Christ (see Luke 18:13). The slave realized he could never repay his debt, which prompted his plea, “have patience with me,” and his unrealistic promise, “I will repay you everything.” His understanding was flawed but his attitude was right. As it were, he sensed the need of forgiveness and the chance to make good on his debt.

Ask Yourself:
What are some of the times in your life when radical measures were the only way to sum up the situation, the only way to have any hope of getting the help you needed? Why does God demand that we often take radical steps? Are there any you need to take right now?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Example of Forgiveness – Part 1

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.”     (Matthew 18:23-24)

The immeasurable, unplayable debt in this parable symbolizes the huge debt of sin that every person owes God. When the Holy Spirit convicts someone of his sin (John 16:8), that man or woman realizes their sin is beyond comprehension and humanly impossible to pay for. Like Paul, every sinner under conviction sees the utter sinfulness of sin (Romans 7:13). It is such a realization that caused Job to “repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). Similarly, it is what caused Ezra, on behalf of himself and his countrymen, to pray, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens” (Ezra 9:6).

Unbelievers take life from God, but rather than living as wise stewards who invest the gifts of life for His glory, they squander everything on themselves. They’re like the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-24) or the slave who buried his talent (Matthew 25:18, 24-30). Both of these wasted their “gospel privilege” from the Lord. As much harm as sin does to humanity, every sin ever committed is primarily against God (Psalm 51:4) and an offense before His heavenly throne.

The slave here is any unbeliever who knows about God (Romans 1:18) has life from Him (Acts 17:25), but wastes the opportunity to repay God His due and instead squanders it in sin — thus manifesting his dire need for forgiveness.

Ask Yourself:
It is not wholly inaccurate (though an extreme underestimation) to consider your sins like a bill in the mail, calling for full and immediate payment of your mortgage. Consider again today the desperation of your sin load, contrasted against God’s all-sufficient forgiveness.

October 19
From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Extent of Forgiveness

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times,
but up to seventy times seven.”     (Matthew 18:22)

Peter’s question indicated his thoughts were much like the Jewish leaders or any other fallen person was inclined to think. His ideas on forgiveness were in the measurable, limited terms of the law rather than the immeasurable, unlimited terms of grace.

But Jesus’ answer here is not merely extending the legal limits of forgiveness — certainly not the bare number 490. His illustration simply indicates a number that, practically speaking, is beyond counting. Keeping strict accounts is not considered, and neither is it by a believer with a sincere heart of forgiveness. That person forgives the 1000th offense as readily as the first, because that’s how God forgives him.

Jesus’ statement may have been an allusion to Lamech’s boast that “if Cain is avenged seven-fold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold” (Genesis 4:24). Sinful people always want to return evil for evil without limit. But Jesus said to return good for evil without limit.

On another occasion, Jesus said even if a brother “sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him” (Luke 17:4). This refers not to some daily forgiveness limit, but to regular sinning committed many times daily, day after day, and the corresponding forgiveness. The mature believer will never let his own forgiveness be surpassed by a brother’s sin. When callous sin against him increases, so does his gracious forgiveness — which reflects the divine nature (Romans 5:20; Ephesians 4:32).

Ask Yourself:
Perhaps you struggle with a sin that, as much as you hate to admit it, has been known to trip you up on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. Without giving yourself permission to continue in disobedience, what does it mean to you that your Lord and Savior’s forgiveness is unlimited?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

Peter’s Inquiry About Forgiveness

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”     (Matthew 18:21)

In view of Jesus’ teaching about church discipline, Peter here wonders how many times believers are obligated to forgive those who persist in transgression. How many times should they be allowed to repent and rejoin the fellowship? To his credit, Peter personalized his Lord’s instruction, and his primary concern about his own responsibility prompted the asking of this pertinent question.

Peter had a real penchant for asking questions. He always wanted to be sure he understood the implications of Christ’s words and deeds, and so he would receive much wonderful teaching from Jesus. God approves of genuine questions because He blesses those who truly seek to know Him and His truth. Jeremiah recorded this divine insight: “You will seek Me and find me when you search  for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Likely, with great thoughts of himself, Peter suggests a limit of 7 as the number of times a person ought to be forgiven and restored. 7 is more than twice the number allowed by the teachings and traditions of the rabbis (3; Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13), which was made into a universal rule for limiting both God’s times of forgiveness and His people’s. The Jews had illogically reasoned that it would be presumptuous for people to forgive one another more than 3 times, if that was God’s limit. Peter no doubt believed Jesus would be impressed with his generous suggestion of 7, which reflected his growing understanding of Jesus’ instruction and personal example regarding compassion and mercy.

Ask Yourself:
When confronted with a challenging lesson from Scripture, are you more likely to apply its consequences and responsibilities to others than to yourself? In what ways do you need to look first to your own compliance before concerning yourself with what someone else is or isn’t doing?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Authority for Discipline – Part 3

“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. . . . For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
(Matthew 18:18, 20)

When Christians sincerely seek through discipline to purify the church, they receive the needed energy, authority, and approval from above to carry it out.

Christ also assures us that He acts with us in all efforts to rightly purify the church — “where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” The context here demands that there be two or three witnesses to the discipline process. To invoke God’s name for a task is not merely to speak His name but to ask and work according to His will and character. If we have gathered in His name to accomplish discipline, we have faithfully performed our task — on the Lord’s behalf — of verifying the sincerity of the offending person.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer offers these thoughts and insights:

“Since the confession of sin is made in the presence of a Christian brother or sister, the last stronghold of self-justification is abandoned. The sinner surrenders; he gives up all his everlasting. He gives his heart to God, and he finds the forgiveness of all his sin in the fellowship of Jesus Christ and his brother or sister. The expressed, acknowledged sin has lost all its power. . . . It can no longer tear the fellowship asunder. Now the fellowship bears the sin of the brother. He is no longer alone with his sin for he has cast off his sin from him. Now he stands in the fellowship of sinners who live by the grace of god and the cross of Jesus Christ.”

Ask Yourself:
What are some of the great benefits of joining with other believers in matters of prayer, counsel, friendship, or any number of interactions? How are you making the most of God’s desire to keep us connected and caring for each other, working together for His kingdom’s sake?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Authority for Discipline – Part 2

“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. . . . For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
(Matthew 18:18, 20)

The Jewish phrases “bound in heaven” and “loosed in heaven” indicate that something is forbidden or permitted by God’s revealed and inspired Scriptures. Jesus’ listeners would have understood that people — and believers in particular — could not bend heaven’s (God’s) will to their own, but that the Father had a specific principle with which the church must conform.

The expressions “shall have been bound” and “shall have been loosed” are interpreted with the idea that God is not compelled to adhere to the church’s verdict on discipline, but that when it follows Jesus’ directives it conforms its decisions to what God has already done and receives His approval and authority (see also John 20:23).

When a person genuinely trusts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we in the church can confidently pronounce his sins forgiven because he has met the divine criteria for forgiveness, namely saving trust in Christ. However, is one refuses to acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior, we can declare with equal confidence that his sins are not forgiven because he has rejected the basic criteria for forgiveness.

Church discipline is serious business — something not to be approached with eagerness. Believers must ask, “Who are we to do this and by what authority do we, as fellow sinners, do it?” Only when we discipline according to Jesus’ standards can we have perfect confidence that we are acting according to His power and authority.

Ask Yourself:
The ability to see and declare things with spiritual confidence implies a living understanding of the Word of God. What are 1 or 2 matters of biblical principle you’ve learned as God by His Spirit has illumines the pages of Scripture to direct your thinking?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

The Authority for Discipline

“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. . . . For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
(Matthew 18:18, 20)

Church discipline should always be done with the utmost of care. Done in the wrong manner or with the wrong attitude, it can do much damage by fostering legalism or self-righteousness. On the other hand, discipline left undone can also cause much damage to the church by letting sin’s effect spread throughout the congregation.

Some charismatics have seriously misinterpreted this passage and used it (along with others such as Matthew 7:7 and 21:22) to claim every imaginable blessing and privilege. But in the larger context of Matthew 18, familiar Jewish expressions, and the text’s grammar, Jesus is not teaching that we can bend God’s power to serve our human will. Neither is the Lord saying that we can force heaven to do anything. On the contrary, He promises that when believers conform their wills to His will, He will endorse and empower their act of obedience.

This passage continues Jesus’ instruction on church discipline and provides a basis for those actions. If it is not speaking about asking God for special blessings or privileges, the verses certainly do not teach that church members in and of themselves have power to absolve the sins of fellow members. Christ simply sets forth that the church has divine authority to discipline members who won’t repent of continual sin.

Ask Yourself:
Certainly nothing good comes from being outside the will of God or seeking Him to endorse our every whim and inclination. What area of your life would you confess is not being lived in accordance with His Word, causing you to forsake both the power and the beauty of holiness?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

Final Discipline Not Optional

“If he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a
Gentile and a tax collector.”     (Matthew 18:17b)

The church has no option but to enact final discipline when the situation calls for it. Jesus commands it (“let him be” is imperative) and Paul ordered the Thessalonians to “keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us” (2 Thessalonians 3:6). Then he admonishes them, “If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame” (vs. 14).

When we have done our scriptural best to restore the offender, but he refuses to respond, that person must be left to his sin and shame. If he genuinely believes, the Lord will not cast him away. The discipline process should continue until the person repents or dies. The purpose of putting the person out is to protect the fellowship’s purity and testimony to the rest of the world who is watching. And for the offender himself, the purpose of exclusion is not simply to punish, but to awaken; that’s why we must act with love and humility. Paul declares again in that passage from 2 Thessalonians, “Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (vs. 15).

Not to have fellowship with an unrepentant brother or sister does not exclude all contact. Opportunities to admonish or call back ought to be taken and even sought out. But the sole purpose of these should be further admonishment.

Ask Yourself:
What are some specific examples of what it would cost a person to be outside the fellowship of a church? By thinking through this unpleasant list, consider the flip side — what a blessing these relationships are to those who enjoy and add to the privilege of being a part of the church.

From the desk of Pastor Ben

Church Discipline – Fourth Step

“If he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you
as a Gentile and a tax collector.”     (Matthew 18:17b)

The fourth step in church discipline is ostracism. If a sinning believer won’t listen to the church, the congregation must banish the person from the fellowship and treat him “as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Both groups were considered despised outcasts by the Jews of that day. “Gentile” mainly referred to non-Jews who practiced their traditional paganism and were not part of the worship and social life of the Jews. But the Jewish “tax collector” was more hated than a Gentile because he was an outcast by choice, being a traitor to his people.

Christ here is not teaching prejudice toward non-Jews. He came to save ALL people — some of His most noted followers (Matthew and Zaccheus) were former tax collectors. And notable Gentiles (the centurion whose servant was healed) also believed. The point with church discipline is that any believer who persists in sin must be expelled and treated as an unbelieving outsider.

Stubbornly unrepentant church members, who resist all attempts at discipline, must be completely excluded from the blessedness of the assembly’s company and encouragement. Such people willingly reject the standards of the gospel, and like Hymenaeus and Alexander, they shipwreck their faith. “Handed them over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme”(1 Timothy 1:20; 1 Corinthians 5:4-6). We can do no other that to urge those people to repent and be restored to fellowship, or to let them go in their sin over to the world and the devil as a last resort.

Ask Yourself:
This is a very hard teaching. It goes against our modern sensitivities. But I think we have forgotten about what sin really means and what it costs. How much of our sensitivity have we lost concerning the evil of sin and the grave insult it os to God’s holy nature?

From the desk of Pastor Ben

Church Discipline – Third Step

“If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.”     (Matthew 18:17a)

If the second stage of church discipline fails to produce repentance from the sinning member, then the two or three witnesses must bring the matter before the entire church. The first two steps are to be private or semi-private, but this step is to be public, with all church members eligible to be present. The straying member should be brought before the entire congregation to receive further reproof and encouragement to repent. All members who know the person must accept the task to call that man or woman back to holiness and lovingly plead with him or her to repent and avoid having to face the final step of discipline which we’ll talk about tomorrow.

Jesus indicates here, that the place for discipline is within the church. The familiar Greek word for church, ekklesia, occurs here with its basic meaning of congregation or assembly. From the context, it’s clear that our Lord has in mind any local group of redeemed people who assemble in His name.

Such an understanding of “church” removes any justification for believers to take church discipline or any grievances between Christians to a secular court. Paul asked the Corinthians, “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteousness and not before the saints?” (1 Corinthians 6:1-3). Only believers, no matter in a large church or small, can biblically administer proper discipline at this or any stage.

Ask Yourself:
Jesus calls us to go to great lengths to avoid embarrassing those who are failing to live up to their calling as a Christian or are outright rebelling against all they know to be right. How is even this third phase of discipline driven by a desire to protect the offender from experiencing any more shame?