Nugget for Church Life (1)

“If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother” Matt 18:15

Jesus here gives the prescription for offenses within the body of Christ. Do you believe His medicine is effective? Will you apply its healing power to your life?

If a member of the body has injured you in some way, Jesus says to speak with him or her about it in private. Do not broadcast the injury around the church. Do not try to gather a group of people “on your side” within the church. In fact, do not bring it up with anyone else at all!

Tell him his fault between you and him alone. That is the first and necessary step toward genuine reconciliation and peace within the body. If this labor does not work, Jesus gives further instructions in the verses that follow.

Hmmn….

Apostle Paul to the Church of Ephesus “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing ONE another in love; ENDEAVOURING to KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT in the BOND OF PEACE. There is ONE body, and ONE Spirit, even as ye are called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all”

Therefore sir/hello ma, before moving on to the next “step” of discipline, consider this first and foundational admonition carefully. 

* Have you spoken to the offending person, in complete privacy? 

* Was your goal to gain your brother or sister, as Jesus clearly intimates it should be? 

* Or were you simply seeking to offend someone in return?

Do you and I believe the Great Physician knows how to heal His own church? 

Then we must apply His cure liberally to our own hearts individually and friendships and see its marvelous power to restore, refresh, and renew the body of Christ.

True fellowship with God and man should be our objective always.

The Liteman T, to his people in Illumination by The Word
(c) 2015