August 27

Job 23:1-27:23, 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:11, Psalm 41:1-13, Proverbs 22:5-6 

Pray: Lord, help me to do the hard things and take the painful actions that address sin. And help me to have complete restoration as my motive and goal when I discipline.

Read: In I Cor. 5 Paul addresses sin that is taking place in the church at Corinth. “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from amongst you. ….deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved." Paul’s first letter to the church rebuked them severely for allowing a man to have sexual relations with his mother while doing nothing about it. Paul had pointed out that allowing this not only defiled the man but also the whole church.

Edify: How do you handle correction? How does your church handle correction? Paul had corrected the church at Corinth. Correction is never easy. There certainly must have been a lot of hurt. But the church did take action. They removed the man, who was living in sin with his mother and wouldn’t repent, from the church. Paul writes II Cor. 2:5 and says, “I am not overstating it when I say that the man, who caused all the trouble, hurt all of you more than he hurt me. Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him. I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions."

Practice: Discipline should be meted out with the goal being complete restoration. The attitude of the church concerning the man sleeping with his mother prior to Paul’s severe rebuke was “this too shall pass”. Paul corrected the church. The sin had to be confronted and since the man would not repent, he had to be removed from church life. Time passed. The man repented. Paul once again took action. Even though the man had caused much pain, he had to be restored and loved on. Restoration is God’s plan. When you discipline is restoration your plan?