“Brethren, if any man be overtaking in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” Galatians 6:1 (KJV).
The purpose of Christian discipline is restoration of the fallen or erring Christian. The goal is to correct the Christian and to get him back on track after he has learnt the lesson of the implications of falling into sin and its consequences on his relationship with God and the brethren.
Christian discipline is not a punitive measure but corrective measure. The purpose is not to show superiority over the falling Christian or to prove to the believer how weak he is but rather to show the hidden strength and potential deposit in him. It is to show the believer how much God loves him and the provision God has made for a victorious Christian life. The goal is not necessarily to point to weaknesses and failures but to point out inner and hidden grace, helping him to activate the grace for victorious living.
In applying discipline, care must be taken by leaders not to see Christian discipline as a show of superiority or a mere display of authority. The life and destiny of the fallen believer should be the focus, how to bring the believer back to faith and the path of holiness or sound Christian living. It is not the reputation of the church that should be the top priority but the salvation of the soul. As the believer is restored, the reputation of the church is established as well.
Note that believers can be overtaken in a fault. This happens when such believer yields to temptation thus making provision for the flesh and giving satan an advantage over his life. When the hedge is broken, satan is given a cheap access into the life of the believer, fellowship with God and the brethren is broken or hindered. True restoration will bring the believer to a point of realization of his fault and to a place of genuine repentance and quality decision to slam the door at the devil by committing to sound Christian practices and lifestyle that will ensure victory over sin and the devil.
The scripture warns that in carrying out the ministry of reconciliation, that one should not assume a holier than thou attitude or be careless to avoid falling into similar temptation by allowing spiritual pride or carelessness to come to play. One should learn to depend on the Holy Spirit and trust in God’s grace and not become over confident by claiming infallibility. We should understand that we stand by grace. Believers should be careful not to resist discipline but to accept every Christian discipline in good faith with a heart of appreciation knowing that it will produce character.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to gladly submit to Christian discipline.
Rev. Vincent Diolu