LIFE IN THE BODY (continued)

Commandment #3 ... Be pure. "Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?" 1 Corinthians 5:6. This rhetorical question stresses the effect of an individual's sin on the group. Love does not mean overlooking sin and the damage it causes. Unity is not unity if it requires the sacrifice of purity. We must love one another and preserve unity ... in part by dealing effectively with the sin in our midst. Three types of sin must be purged from the Body ... our personal sin ... each other's sins ... and the sin of a divisive or unrepentant man.

First ... we must purge our personal sin. One person's sin can devastate the group as in Joshua 7 ... where one man's greed brought defeat to the entire army of Israel. The Body can be hurt by lying to one another ... and by immorality, impurity, greed, filthiness, silly talk and coarse jesting, Colossians 3:9, Ephesians 5:3-4. In addition, the one who commits sexual immorality transgresses and defrauds his brother, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6. There is a cure for our personal sin ... God will forgive and cleanse us if we confess our sins, 1 John 1:9.

Second ... we must purge each other's sins. In doing this we need to "put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other.” Colossians 3:12-13. Sometimes someone must be rebuked. "If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him." Luke 17:3. There is a three-step Biblical process for rebuking a brother, Matthew 18:15-17. First ... go to him individually. If he repents, forgive him ... and it is finished. This is private. It is not public in any way. If this attempt fails then go on to step two. Confront the brother again ... but this time with one or two witnesses. These are more than witnesses of the confrontation. They must be witnesses of the sin of the brother. If the brother repents, forgive him ... and it is finished. This is also a private event. Finally, if the problem is still unresolved, "tell it to the church". If the brother repents, forgive him. "If he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and tax-gatherer." ... that is as an outsider, Matthew 18:17. The goal of each of these steps is to "restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.” Galatians 6:1. In every step of this process keep verses like Ephesians 4:26,32 and 1 Peter 4:8 in your mind and heart.

Third ... we must purge the sin of a divisive or unrepentant man. An unrepentant, immoral, or a factious man cannot be tolerated. We are instructed to "reject a factious man after a first and second warning.” Titus 3:9-11. Then we are to "turn away from them." Romans 16:17. We are instructed to "keep aloof from every brother who leads an unruly life.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6. We must "remove the wicked man from among yourselves." 1 Corinthians 5:11-13.

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Disciplemaking 1, copyright 2003, is available free from www.MyDisciplemaker.org where you can study online or print free copies. You may copy this course, any any part of it, for free or at-cost distribution ... without change to the content ... and with this copyright policy attached. Published by www.ActsOneEight.org. Bible Quotations are from the NASB unless noted.