"For those churches that embrace the purpose, follow the pattern, and implement the practice of church discipline, they will do their bodies good." - C.Today
"In general, with many exceptions, of course (and I am not including here real fundamentalist churches), American evangelical churches have allowed biblical and traditional virtues, values and rules to fall away. Individualism has become the norm; each church member’s lifestyle and conduct is solely between him/her and God." - Roger Olson
Reposted from Rooted Thinking.
This is the last of three articles exploring these truths:
The goal in pondering these four truths is to better understand what our responsibilities are and are not when striving to make disciples for Jesus. All of us try to discern genuine saving faith among those that profess Jesus Christ in our ministries. We see people fall away. We see some profess Christ but grow only minimally over years of faith. Are they real? How do we process people falling away and some growing so little? What responsibilities do we have in “making sure” that people are real? There are key truths in Scripture to guide us into a right understanding of this important matter.
Let’s consider the last two truths: Levels of growth vary between believers and life “baggage” and other hindrances can make change difficult.
Reposted from Rooted Thinking.
This is the second of three articles exploring these truths:
The goal in pondering these four truths is to better understand what our responsibilities are and are not when striving to make disciples for Jesus. All of us try to discern genuine saving faith among those that profess Jesus Christ in our ministries. But how much can we know if they are true believers? What responsibility does the church have in ensuring genuine faith? If we don’t understand what God’s Word says about certain aspects of disciple-making, we may carry unnecessary guilt and be weighed down with discouragement without good reason.
Let’s consider the second truth:
"Elders at Crabapple First Baptist Church condemned both the 'extreme and wicked' actions and the purported motives of a church member who allegedly killed eight people in a series of shootings, calling them a direct contradiction of his professed faith in Christ and the church’s teachings." - BPNews
"a Christian who moves ahead with the marriage despite the counsel of elders must be removed from church membership 'to sober the disobedient believer, wake them up, and win them to a repentant and obedient heart and restoration.'" - CPost
"It’s good to have a more accurate membership roll. But it’s best to pursue these non-attenders toward a specific end: removal if they’re attending another gospel-preaching church, restoration if they’re happy to return, and excommunication if they’re either unwilling to attend church anywhere or unable to be found." - 9 Marks
"The objections and hesitations are understandable, but they’re also a bit too self-conscious. They betray a little too much concern with what other people think. Awash in the spirit of our non-judgmental age, ... church discipline feels acutely judgy, and that can’t be good for business." - 9Marks
