Text 603, 144 rader
Skriven 2005-09-28 01:51:16 av Bob Hoffman (8:8/2)
Ärende: Work is Done; Rest in Him
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From: Bob Hoffman <Bob.Hoffman@family-bbs.org>

Work is Done Rest in Him
Faith's Checkbook

September 28

Work is Done; Rest in Him

"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God" (Hebrews 4:9).

God has provided a Sabbath, and some must enter into it. Those to whom it was
first preached entered not in because of unbelief; therefore, that Sabbath
remains for the people of God. David sang of it; but he had to touch the minor
key, for Israel refused the rest of God. Joshua could not give it, nor Canaan
yield it: it remains for believers.

Come, then, let us labor to enter into this rest. Let us quit the weary toil of
sin and self. Let us cease from all confidence, even in those works of which it
might be said, "They are very good." Have we any such? Still, let us cease from
our own works, as God did from His. Now let us find solace in the finished work
of our LORD Jesus. Everything is fully done: justice demands no more. Great
peace is our portion in Christ Jesus.

As to providential matters, the work of grace in the soul and the work of the
LORD in the souls of others, let us cast these burdens upon the LORD and rest
in Him. When the LORD gives us a yoke to bear, He does so that by taking it up
we may find rest. By faith we labor to enter into the rest of God, and we
renounce all rest in self-satisfaction or indolence. Jesus Himself is perfect
rest, and we are filled to the brim in Him.

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What Do You Do With Immorality? Jim Elliff

When the apostle Paul heard that there was immorality in the Corinthian church,
he was shocked. The brand of immorality was of such a kind that the
sensibilities of the pagan world would even be offended—"a man has his father's
wife". But his amazement was mostly because the church tolerated it as a badge
of honor. The church had so distorted the meaning of love that it was proud of
its acceptance of such persons. "And you are arrogant. Ought you not rather to
mourn?" exclaimed Paul.

This revealing episode in early church history, found in 1 Corinthians 5, could
not be more relevant.

As Paul said, "Your boasting is not good." The idea that some associations of
professing Christians actually lead out in the fight for same-sex unions,
homosexuality in the priesthood, and other practices mitigating against sexual
purity and the bond of marriage, would certainly evoke Paul's righteous
indignation if he were alive today.

The church is not a volunteer club made up of people of any persuasion or
behavior, an amorphous entity, accepting anyone who wishes to enjoy join in the
fun and excitement. It is a serious society with boundaries. It is for those
who have been given life from God, have confessed that change openly through
baptism, and are committed to walking in obedience and repentance all the days
of their lives. It is a union full of love, but not mere sentimentality. It is
a love that demands holiness. (2 Tim. 1:9; Gal. 5:13; Rom. 6:1)

Paul lists some of the boundaries of a Christian fellowship in this passage.
Among those the church should remove and "not associate with" are ". . . anyone
who bears the name of brother [that is, a
'so-called brother'], who is guilty of sexually immorality, or
greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler . . ."

So what should we do when we find immorality in the church? There really cannot
be any mistaking the answer:

&#61623; "Let him who has done this thing be removed from among you."  &#61623;
"you are to deliver this man to Satan [that is, by removing him you are to
leave him in the world and under Satan's control]"  &#61623; "Cleanse out the
old leaven."  &#61623; "I am writing to you not to associate with anyone . . .
who is guilty of sexual immorality, greed," etc.  &#61623; "[you are] . . . not
even to eat with such a one."
&#61623; "Purge the evil person from among you."
&#61623;
In the case of such notorious sins as immorality, church discipline is to be
done quickly and decisively. Why?

"Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?" is the
explanation. The longer leaven (yeast) remains in a lump of dough, the more it
spreads. Paul uses the Old Testament Passover feast to make his point. At that
feast all leaven was to be taken out of the home since it was a symbol for sin.
Paul says that the Passover Lamb has been slain (that is, Christ has been
crucified). We as the church should "celebrate the feast" (that is, live out
our lives to the full in Christ) without the old leaven of evil.

Paul passionately argues for the purity of the church. On the one hand we
discipline because it is the best for the individual. It is really the only
loving thing to do. To allow a church member to continue in sin is like
allowing a child to abuse himself and his siblings without correction. But on
the other hand, we discipline because God has called the church to purity.

When a chicken becomes rotten and maggot-infested, are you able to make it
better by putting a fresh chicken in the same bag with it? Of course not. The
infested and rotten always spoils the fresh, not the other way around. As Paul
wrote in the same letter, "evil company corrupts good morals."

Have you fallen for this old Corinthian problem of boasting in indiscriminate
toleration?

One pastor said, "I could never lead our church to discipline its members.
There are so many immoral people among us at present that it would cause a huge
conflict."

This mindset is precisely the reason why so many churches are ineffective in
changing the culture and in bringing people into a lifestyle that is radically
different. _____________________________
"The Integrity of the Local Church," an extensive article on church discipline
based on 1 Cor. 5, may be found at www.CCwonline.org/integrity.html For a copy
of a comprehensive church discipline statement order Our Church on Solid
Ground: Documents to Preserve Our Integrity and Unity,
www.CCWonline.org/sgbook.html



Copyright C 2005 Jim Elliff
Permission granted to copy in full, including all copyright information.  Other
uses require written permission.  For more ministry tools, see: 
www.CCWonline.org


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