Matthew 18 – verses 15-35
How to handle adversity in our Christian life:
Step one: We should always go to the person that offended us and explain it to them in private. “Tell him his fault.” Why do we need to do this? We do this for clarification and understanding. There are too many times when a situation is explained it resolves itself through clarification.
Step two: We need to bring someone with us. We bring someone else with us for deeper understanding and clarification of the situation. Many times another person’s view will help clear up the matter. However, if it is not settled there are witnesses to what was said and explained.
Step three: Take the matter before the church. I believe this is a church board and not a voting matter before the congregation. The goal is always to bring reconciliation and forgiveness. The verses about not taking your brother to court had the church counsel in mind when written. The matter is laid before spiritual church elders and the resolution determined by them is accepted by both parties as the will of God. God intended for church authority to be carried out in our lives. It is frustrating that everyone now believes they are islands of self-governing worship that is carried out by how they feel emotionally or have been spoken to by a feeling. We are called to surrender one to another and to the authority of God’s Word.
Step four: If the person does not receive the understanding they are placed outside the body of the local church. This does not mean much today – we just drive to a new location – but in the Bible days when you were not right with the church you were not right with God.
Jesus confirms that among the two or three witnesses He is in the decision. This is what this verse is talking about when it states that Christ is in the middle of two or three people. God declares that this process is His process and when it occurs biblically He endorses the outcome.
The rest of the chapter talks about forgiveness. Why is it in this order? Because when a person repents we are to receive them back. We are to forgive them over and over and over and over and over again and again.
The above process is to get believers back in fellowship with God and the Church. You could not be outside the local New Testament Church and be okay. There was never a view of ‘I worship in my own way’, it was always a community of believers. Your church life is important.
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