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?