Can You Honor When There is Un-repented Sin?
If you’ve been following this blog for some time, you may think I’m avoiding a far too common scenario. I know some of you think I’m forgetting some straightforward instructions in Scripture.
Jesus said in Luke 17:3-4 (NLT)
So watch yourselves!
“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”
We are to rebuke a believer who sins. Jesus expands the thought in Matthew 18:15-17 (NLT)
“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.
The Church is to cut off those who don’t repent and still call themselves followers of Christ. We can’t participate in deeds of darkness committed by followers Christ, instead we are to expose them. Paul said in Ephesians 5:3-14 (NLT)
Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
“Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
And it even becomes clearer how the Church needs to deal with leaders who continue in sin – they are to be reprimanded publicly. Paul told Timothy concerning elders that:
Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others. I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone. 1 Timothy 5:19-21 (NLT)
So how do we honor and still excommunicate?
It’s easier when we understand what excommunication was really meant to be. If you’ve had any any experience with it in a local church, my experience says you’ll not have fond memories of it. It’s harder for church leaders to administer excommunication than it is for a church goer to leave the church – and it should be. However one reason for this that is because we view it as punitive. Look over the verses above carefully and tell me where you see it’s meant to punish.
Sure, some portions can be interpreted that way, but let’s pull a fuller understanding of the Father’s heart into it.
He has given us the ministry of reconciliation:
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (NLT)
And Paul makes it clear what the purpose of excommunication is to teach the unrepentant heart:
Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God. 1 Timothy 1:18-20 (NLT)
Removing someone from fellowship removes them from the grace of the Father extended to the Bride – His church. This is more profound than we grasp in a society that has so many churches within driving distance. But understand it is a spiritual act to excommunicate an unrepentant individual. The goal of it is to bring the offender the place of reconciliation.
It cannot be punitive ,“You’ve messed up big-time.”
It cannot be cleansing, “You’ve intoxicated the purity of the church.”
It cannot be self-righteous, “You’re not good enough.”
It is only done to the one who refuses to acknowledge any wrong doing in their sin. It should be both rare and also more common than we see in most churches today. Remember, its the job of the Church, not an individual follower of Christ to excommunicate someone unrepentant. It can be done with honor. Here’s how:
- Lead Humbly – you’re not in the right place if you enjoy putting someone in his or her place.
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NLT)
- Give Scripture It’s Authority – Make sure the offense is not adiaphora (things indifferent).
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16 (New Living Translation)
- Remember the Goal – even in excommunication the goal is Reconciliation
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT)
Don’t stand for sin. You’re not loving anyone when you let them continue in sin.
If the godly give in to the wicked,
it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring. Proverbs 25:26 (New Living Translation)
But honor everyone, even if you need to turn them over to satan.
Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. 1 Peter 2:17 (NASB)
This is not an easy road to walk, but we must to honor Scripture, the Father, and the one who is unrepentant in their sin.
I’d appreciate your comments on this one.
My name is Trevor Lund. I'm a Christian Speaker, Author and Lead Dreamer for Expectancy Ministries. I love to impart hope and empower destiny with creative communication, memorable motivation and applicable inspiration.
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4 Responses to “Can You Honor When There is Un-repented Sin?”
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Would you consider gluttony/obeseity to be a form of idolatry? If so,would you interpret these verses to mean that we should openly confront them about it?
Jeff,
Thank you for the opportunity to explain what I wrote above…
Allow me to use your question about gluttony to explain.
We know gluttony is one of the 7 Deadly Sins, but try to find it in the Bible.
It’s there… anywhere from 4 – 7 times depending on the version you check on.
That got me looking into what the Bible actually says about it.
The Hebrew word is zalal and it means “to be worthless, vile, insignificant, to make light of”
The Greek word is phagos and it means “a voragious man”
I’m assuming you want to tell overweight people they are living in sin and if they don’t change, they should leave the church. I may have misread your comments, but that’s the gist of what I read in your words.
I’m convinced the Bible doesn’t condone gluttony, in fact it’s clear it’s a bad idea Proverbs 23:21. Is it grounds for excommunication? Please read everything I’ve written about How to Judge and Not be a Jerk.
There are a lot of healthy, balanced, biblical approaches to weight loss. But having a the perfect body can also be a form of idolatry. Even that I’d leave between the person and the Father.
I’m assuming you want to tell overweight people they are living in sin and if they don’t change, they should leave the church. I may have misread your comments, but that’s the gist of what I read in your words.
No,I think that ALL sin is exactly whats between us and the Father. You’ve quoted some pretty plain scriptures about sin, I was wondering if gluttony was something that we as the church were supposed to “wink at” while we’re bashing homosexuals for being
unrepentant sinners.
1 John 3:4
Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=4&contentID=1743&commInfo=5&topic=1%20Corinthians&ar=1Cr_9_27
I was interested in what The Apostle Paul had to say about bringing our bodies under subjection so I read I Corinthians 9:24-27 This is a part of the Matthew Henry commentary concerning it.
Christians are ever in close combat. There enemies make fierce and hearty opposition, and are ever at hand; and for this reason they must lay about them in earnest, and never drop the contest, nor flag and faint in it. They must fight, not as those that beat the air, but must strive against their enemies with all their might. One enemy the apostle here mentions, namely, the body; this must be kept under, beaten black and blue, as the combatants were in these Grecian games, and thereby brought into subjection. By the body we are to understand fleshly appetites and inclinations. These the apostle set himself to curb and conquer, and in this the Corinthians were bound to imitate him. Note, Those who would aright pursue the interests of their souls must beat down their bodies, and keep them under. They must combat hard with fleshly lusts, and not indulge a wanton appetite, and long for heathenish sacrifices, nor eat them, to please their flesh, at the hazard of their brethren’s souls. The body must be made to serve the mind, not suffered to lord over it.
or this…
Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
What I want to know is if you feel gluttony is an area the modern church (particularly Americans) really should address in a much more meaningful way. Among so many other things,I see obesity as being a “poor witness” of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in Christian’s lives. I think it would do Christians a world of good to understand what it means to bring their bodies under subjection so that they might be able to have some empathy for homosexual’s who are basically struggling with the same issue.
I’m praying you can take your message in love to other believers, without passing judgment on another’s servant. What I find works best is to
1. Never use shame as a motivator – shame and guilt will never cause someone to permanently change, but knowing who they are allows them to live up to what they’ve already attained.
2. Only speak words of life – words of life provide tools for change. They need to be easy to apply, see real results quickly.
You’re so right that the root of sin needs to be dealt with and those roots are common to us all. Christ came to restore all things and cancel the curse, so none of us need to be under it any longer.
If you can find the keys to deal with the root issues and empower people to change you’ll be even more effective in expanding the Kingdom. I know the Spirit will teach you everything you need to know, and I sense you already have many of the pieces to the puzzle.
Thanks for the comments