One man changes his own position

following instruction by the church:

After carefully evaluating 1 Corinthians 5 and the teaching that was provided by Pastor Burchett during the Leadership Training class, I have determined that my former position was wrong concerning the case study, “A brother Involved in Immorality.”

My former position:

I believe that I have first of all erred in not knowing what the Word of God teaches concerning this matter and in being infected by worldly wisdom and standards. Furthermore, I believe that I have treated the problem of sin in a Christian’s life (including my own) far too lightly.

So how would I have treated a fallen brother? I believe that I would have assumed that forgiveness came far too easily, without looking for signs of genuine repentance and without being concerned about restitution. I also think that much of the counsel that I might have given to this brother would have been centered around simply trying to straighten out the relationships of the ones involved. I do not think that I would have adequately addressed the higher concerns of the offense to God and the damage to the fellowship of the church.

My new position:

I see in I Corinthians 5 that open sin in the fellowship cannot be tolerated and that a brother in the fellowship should be cast out if he will not repent. It would be better for the person to be cast out into the world where Satan reigns so that he might finally repent (1 Corinthians 5:5). This is a very serious matter.

When a brother confesses some ongoing sin that he has been tolerating, such as an adulterous relationship, I believe that signs of genuine repentance must be shown. The repentance must be more than simply remorse. The man should show a sincere desire to make restitution to all aggrieved parties. The ultimate goal is to restore the person to a right relationship with God and the fellowship. The restitution to the fellowship could involve confession of the sin and a plea for forgiveness before the congregation. The restitution to the woman involved could mean speaking to her husband and asking for his forgiveness.

I believe that the man should be made to realize that the one most offended by this sinful relationship is the Lord. His holy name is dishonored by our sin (Proverbs 30:9). We are treating the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf with disdain when we continue in sinful relationships.

The new position that I have taken might seem harsh to some, but it is actually a position of true love that is concerned with both truth and justice. Love and justice are not inconsistent. The Lord is a God of love and of justice (Psalm 36:7, Psalm 9:16). This approach is the only path that will be able to truly restore the individual and address the injured parties.