Dear COA family,
Are there differing standards of good behaviour required of believers as compared to non-believers?
Recently, I have heard a youth in our church say, “Church should be a place of grace where everyone is welcomed and received regardless of his or her behaviour.” What he meant was that all kinds of behaviour, however bad it may be, should be tolerated within the church since it is a place of mercy and grace. No one should be subject to any form of discipline.
To a certain extent, there is truth to his statement. In the year of God’s favour, God welcomes all without discrimination and condemnation into His kingdom through the grace of Jesus (Luke 4:19). We can all be reconciled to the Father through the cross (Ephesians 2:16) and have the privilege of approaching His throne by Jesus’ blood (Hebrews 10:19). We can therefore freely and confidently invite our friends to receive the love of Christ just as they are.
Yet, that does not mean that God tolerates wrong behaviour or profane lifestyles among His people.
The Lord demands holiness from His people. Holiness means being set apart for God, living in purity and reflecting His character. It is a central theme in the Bible.
Holiness is both God’s nature and His calling for His people.
The idea “Be holy because I am holy” is repeated throughout the Old and New Testament (Leviticus 11:44, 19:2, 20:2,7; 1 Peter 1:16). The book of Hebrews takes this idea a step further by instructing us: “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Church leaders are called to “preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).
This is where church discipline comes in. There is to be a different standard expected of believers and non-believers. God has welcomed us despite the darkness and shamefulness of our sins but He does not intend for us to stay that way. And the leaders and community of the church are responsible, even mandated, to teach and admonish everyone so that all may grow to reflect Christ and not become a stumbling block to others!
So, beloved, if I or even other leaders do exert discipline against errant behaviour, it is both for your good and the right thing to do in God’s sight. It works for our eventual well-being. Let us not live according to wrong concepts of who we are to be as God’s people nor be stubborn in clinging on to sinful behaviours in this year.
“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise”
(Proverbs 19:20).
Revd Ian