The Value of Church Discipline

Several months ago a group of "dissenters" were allowed to leave our congregation without being reconciled with our body.  This was not a decision that was made at our local level but at the classical level.  Yesterday I ran into a lovely lady who attends the congregation that these "dissenters" joined with after leaving us.  She asked me where I was attending church now (she had apparently assumed that I would have left that body for another) and when I told her I was still attending there she got a very funny look on her face and said, "Oh".  I didn't know how to respond because I know that she has heard a LOT of hurtful things about that body and so I just let it go.  She didn't say anything negative but the look on her face spoke volumes.  I wanted to tell her not to believe everything she had heard from these people but she didn't say anything, it was the look on her face.  

What does that have to do with church discipline?  The ultimate goal of the discipline of believers is reconciliation and because these "dissenters" never had to reconcile, their attitude has never changed.  Reconciliation causes a change in the heart.  Once I have reconciled with someone I can't look at them in the same way.  I can no longer hold their offences against them.  It may be a long process, as it was with my father, but it is oh, so very restful in the end.  Am I to the point that I will never hold a grudge again?  No, but I know that the Lord is working in my heart to soften it and to bring me to repentance.  (Hey, it only took me two weeks to forgive the person who wronged my sister!)  Sometimes it is a gentle rebuke that brings us to repentance but sometimes it can only come throught the firm hand of God chastening us through church discipline.  We must remember to always pray for our elders and our pastors, our classis and our synod leadership!  We must pray that God will give to them the courage to do those things for which He has ordained them.  We must be diligent to be thankful for their watch care over us! Theirs is not an easy task!  Praise God for them!

Till next time...