Sin, Discipline, Judgment and Love

I was thinking this morning about sin, specifically certain sins that are the result of believing lies, and bad theology, an interesting mix. I realized that we have to be very careful how we treat people who are deceived, and believing a lie, whether that is the stuff that is being taught about sinful lifestyles, or bad religion and teaching. We can't be angry with them, for they are deceived. We must not judge, for only Jesus can do that. We can express our belief and what we see as the truth, but we must not approach them with a sense of self-righteousness, or I am right you are wrong. This is where the command to love sees its primacy as the main motivation. Our first response should be love. We should not assume we know what they have experienced, or how they came to conclusion or belief they presently hold, but we should engage them in relationship and try to understand them. We must know what we believe, and why, and express that when questioned, and teach that when we are called. We must recognize that each person is significant and loved by the Lord, and our role is to represent Him.

I was just thinking about how different an approach this is, and how difficult to maintain. There is a definite role the that church should play, and we should stand up for what we believe in the political arena, but our personal ministry and relationships must represent Jesus. I think the danger is that some of the church feels that they can take on the judging role of Jesus, and they read scripture, seeing how He addressed the Pharisees and other religious leaders at that time, and figure they can act in the same way. I don't think this is our call, in fact in reading all the verses in the New Testament dealing with a judge or judgment, it is quite clear the Jesus alone is the judge. We can teach and correct those people in our own body, we can stand for the truth and teach the truth, we can explain our beliefs and thoughts to others, but I don't think we are called to take on judgment as a role, especially towards those outside the Body of Christ (1Cor 5:12-13).

I was thinking about a friend this morning who fell into serious sin in a particular area, and thought about how much of the church would want to treat him. As I was thinking about this, the Lord put it in terms of my relationship with my son, how if he were to mess up badly, as his father I wouldn't cut him off from relationship, I wouldn't punish him, I wouldn't stop all interaction with him until he got the one area back in line. I would continue to love him and be in relationship, and continue to work with him in all other areas. I would not interfere with the consequences of His bad decision, unless they were life threatening. I would help him wherever I could and encourage him to step up and be a man, and would love him through it all. This reminds me of a scripture comparing the Father to our earthly fathers - Matthew 7:9-11 NIV: "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" I think the "how much more" statement that Jesus makes about the Father, is applicable here as well. If I a willing to love my son through difficult and bad decisions, how much more will the Father in Heaven.

So this brings up another subject, that of disciplining our children. The Old Testament has many verses, especially in Proverbs, that speak of how to raise a child. As good example is Proverbs 13:24 NIV: "Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them."

The Hebrew word here translated discipline is the word - Yacar

Definition: 1. to chasten, discipline, instruct, admonish a. (Qal) 1. to chasten, admonish 2. to instruct 3. to discipline b. (Niphal) to let oneself be chastened or corrected or admonished c. (Piel) 1. to discipline, correct 2. to chasten, chastise d. (Hiphil) to chasten e. (Nithpael) to teach

The Hebrew word here translated rod is the word - shebet

It is from an unused root probably meaning to branch off.

Definition: 1. rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe a. rod, staff b. shaft (of spear, dart) c. club (of shepherd's implement) d. truncheon, sceptre (mark of authority) e. clan, tribe

My Hebrew to English Dictionary gives this definition of the word Shebet: rod, staff, a stick used to assist in walking, discipline, and guidance, often individualized and used for identification; of royalty: scepter, by extension: tribe, a a major unit of national group or clan.

So going back to Proverbs 13:34 - we could rewrite this verse to say the following - 'Whoever withholds guidance, direction and discipline from their child hates their child. But the one who loves their child is careful to correct, instruct, discipline and admonish their child.'. That sounds significantly different, and takes on a much more positive perspective.

So let us pray that the Church would learn to love, to act in love and to provide guidance, directions and instruction to those in the Body of Christ, and the words of life to those outside.