March 7, 2016
RELATIONSHIPS RESTORED AFTER CONFRONTATION: GOD'S WILL FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST
Matthew 18:15–20
Patricia Simmons
Central Truth
Restoring a brother or sister in Christ is about humility—humility of the offender and the offended.
Key Verse | Matthew 18:20
"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Matthew 18:20)
Matthew 18:15–20
If Your Brother Sins Against You
15 If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed 1 18:18 Or shall have been bound shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Dive Deeper | Matthew 18:15–20
I'm horrible at math and in my non-math brain, the title of this devotional would read: "Confrontation Leads to Restored Relationships That Equal God's Will for the Body of Christ." Really too long for a title, but I digress. Conflict is inevitable and never easy, but Matthew lays out a plan to restore relationships with fellow believers. A one-on-one discussion is always best and hopefully well received, restoring fellowship. If this is not the case, we are told to broaden the circle and bring along others to be a part of the healing process (Deuteronomy 19:15).
If these two steps don't restore, we are to tell the "church" and afterward to withdraw fellowship if there is still no resolution. At this point you may be thinking this sounds pretty harsh. Actually it is hard, and many of us choose to do nothing and thereby allow our friend to continue to walk in darkness. We keep quiet in the hope of not offending someone, yet we give no thought to offending a Holy God by our inaction. Withdrawing fellowship does not mean we turn our back on our friend, we just can no longer treat this person as a spiritual brother because he has forfeited that right. Followers of Christ should conduct themselves in all humility in these situations and not make any decisions of this magnitude without prayerfully seeking the will of God and the wise counsel of mature believers. When convicted by the Holy Spirit to confront and discipline, we are doing what God Himself would do for the person. What an awesome privilege and responsibility!
So, what does this mean? God is in the business of restoring relationships, and His way works. We have the perfect blueprint for the restoration of families, marriages (a personal high five on that one), and friendships. Fellowship with other believers is not to be taken lightly. Members of the Body of Christ are the physical representation of Christ on this earth. I pray that we will speak the truth in love and live in harmony with one another as we await the day of Christ's return. We are being watched by an unwitting world, longing to see reflected in us what this Jesus is all about.
Discussion Questions
1. Have you been on the receiving end of discipline/rebuke from a friend? How did you handle it? Was the relationship restored?
2. Are you a victim of today's political correctness? Are you deciding if you need to speak to a fellow believer about something God has already laid on your heart? Remember, your inaction might hinder that believer's relationship with God.
3. Do you know how to go about the process of confronting another Christian? If you don't or need help, www.watermark.org has many resources on this topic, including a Field Guide that will walk you through the process. It can be found here:
http://realtruthrealquick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/conflict_field_guide.pdf