STOP POLICING YOUR BROTHER, AND BUILD HIM UP IN FAITH
(Thoughts and suggestions taken from Galatians 5.)
Cynics think that no one can be trusted. While this might be somewhat true concerning fallen man, it smells of the Accuser’s, Satan’s, sulphuric breath. We must stop taking police action on our brothers and learn teach them freedom’s way. (Gal.5:1) Let’s stop the accountability partnership jazz and begin to make disciples who truly have circumcised hearts (Col.2:11-13) upon which the covenant has been engraved with Holy Spirit. (Jer.31:31-34; II Cor.3) All other attempts to get our brothers to properly behave, in the long run is worse than useless. It is reversal to the LAW, which could perfect NOTHING or NO-ONE (Heb.7:19; Col.3:16f) Paul, in Phil.2, calls all such attempts as garbage. Bylaws, accountability partners, 12 steps, and everything else like this cannot bring the spiritual perfection that is offered in the new and living way of Christ.
We have many brothers who suppose that there is a slippery slope whenever we allow a brother the freedom of conscience to do anything that we deem dangerous or less spiritual. New laws are formed, or the New Testament is viewed as containing some kind of laws - “prescribe these things” – to keep order and decency in the church.
Whenever we view other Christians as still not truly converted and submissive to Christ, we will, in desperation to improve their lagging performance in the church, substitute law for faith. Diligently searching the scriptures - like the Pharisees - we use a magnifying glass to find what we are and are not prohibited to do or not do, then impose these opinions on others who haven’t found them yet. Dragging out Greek-English Lexicons like bludgeons, we force any number of vague interpretations upon bright-eyed new converts, killing their enthusiasm and turning them into seven-times the sons of hell that we have become.
This must stop!! FREEDOM is the watchword for the Christian - freedom from man’s arbitrary rule over another’s conscience and personal convictions. Instead of viewing our newly immersed brothers as convicts on parole, we must treat them as freemen. We must let no one impinge upon our newfound freedom in Christ. It is the heart that matters – the motives and spiritual position that you now have in Christ as a Son of God. We have arrived and are seated exactly where we should be. We’ve been declared innocent of all wrongdoing, and the Father is well-pleased with us. He loves us unconditionally, and no amount of good deeds can add one iota to His love for us. Adding any physical accouterments to faith is like putting up an ugly wawawood (cheap boards) scaffolding onto a perfectly finished marble, bronze and gold temple.
As an example of such legalistic thinking, consider how so many times we’ve confidently asserted that there must be a plurality of elders - as if the Bible actually said so - for them keep watch on each other, or to be mutally accountable. That’s tantamount (the same as) to saying that they must police each other in case one gets “corrupted” and “goes bad”. Why not rather suppose that God wanted “iron to sharpen iron” and for there to be mutual encouragement and help for he incredibly difficult labor involved in true eldership responsibilities. These could be likened to those of a doctor or lifeguard who is always on call, or parents. In a growing church, the new “babes” in Christ take tremendous work to develop their maturity and deal with lingering sin issues from their past lives. Does it actually say that we need at least two elders because one of these might go bad, or do we just assume that? Was the reason that the Catholic cult took center stage and so much of pure N.T Christianity disappeared because one man bishops were installed, and then finally popes, or did these malpractices in church polity (organization and leadership) develop because the church quit building up the individual faith of each converted disciple and tried using law to keep the rapidly expanding church in line? Are we mistaking the symptoms of the disease (improper church structures) for the actual cause – like of personal discipleship and development of the proper faith picture and mindset of Christ in each new convert. (Col.1:25-19)
Another important consideration would be the incredible hardships and sacrifices that the original leaders were willing to make to establish the churches. Most of them died, violently, or were imprisoned for their role. And not only they, but most N.T Christians were under continual threat of persecution for obeying the gospel in immersion and then following through on that commitment by evangelizing others.
Also, let think about who is supposed to deal with the church or elder that goes bad? (I Tim.5 and Rev.1-3) Is he the only one who might become ill with some sin problem that needs treated? The answer is that any responsible members - two or three witnesses - can bring the evidence forward to the evangelist, who then must publicly deal with it. Such necessary, vigorous action will usually heal the sick member, who in this case happens to be an elder with more clout and visibility in the community. So we do need some sort of accountability or and church discipline when things go far wrong.
Nevertheless, let’s remember that it is not only the elders or evangelists that might on rare occasion need such action, but that also all Christians who get spiritually sick or corrupted need similar treatment. But this doesn’t excuse adopting a police mindset towards all brethren under normal circumstances. We shouldn’t treat the normal, functional, growing Christian as if he were sick all of the time! It is not those who are healthy who need a doctor. Intervention in the unique, rare situations where someone is off track and losing it should not cloud our view of the brethren overall. Are we supposed to hold men as guilty before proving them as such, or innocent until proven guilty? Why not view people as needed bolstered, encouraged and edified as to the faith, first and foremost, instead of needing watched carefully lest they get away with something?
Trust offered is trust gained. People will live up to how they are viewed, in most cases. And if not, then there is nothing more to be gained otherwise, since 2000 years of Jewish history prove that law just doesn’t work. What we might really fear is the loss of our money, time, energy or face (reputation) that might occur when others that we trust fail us, especially when we’ve invested so much into them. It takes heroic personal sacrifice to engage people where they live and use all that we have to develop great faith in them. (As examples, consider how Father Damien lived and died with the lepers at Molokai, Hawaii, or how William Wallace died for his country to ignite a passion for physical freedom for the Scots.) It is just easier to legislate morality and then use force to create it.
Jesus didn’t worry about these things - about creating an appearance of success in His ministry or keeping people in line by force. He just did the right thing at all times for each individual. That’s why he let Judas remain. That is why he didn’t preempt Peter’s failure, but allowed Peter the freedom to go ahead and to deny Him. Afterwards when from he own grief-stricken heart Peter repented, he got back up and served Christ much more strongly…after being forgiven and restored.
You see, we must really comprehend God’s grace as so amazingly powerful and all encompassing that it far outshines whatever dark shadows man’s failures might cause to crop up. The church can stand some failure without collapsing. Even the very gates of Hades cannot stand the true church. It is resilient and will repair itself, as a spiritual living organism, given the right recovery conditions. Much sunshine(focus on Christ’s glory) and spiritual renewal waters; plenty of spiritual nutrition (the Word and the Spirit working in conjunction); and resting in faith from works, plus much grace offered by other brothers, will allow any individual or church to recover from any fall or damaging blow from the enemy.
Sometimes, of course, we must discipline the unrepentant, sinning brother in order to help him repent and be restored as quickly as he comes to his senses and repents. And there are times to mark a divisive man who has left the faith and is causing division. (Tit.3; Rom.15) These should be regarded as unique and special cases of complete breakdown and reversal of a Christian who has left the faith and no longer can be normally dealt with as a brother in Christ any longer. (These are the “false brothers” of Gal.2 and of antichrist spirit of I Jn.2)
Despite such satanic intrusions or aberrations in the church, what we still really want to do, wholesale, is to convert ourselves completely to the intrinsic power of faith. Not just generic faith, but the real faith that Jesus demonstrated - the faith of Abraham. (Rom.4:17-21)
Faith in the whole N.T plan of grace through faith, working through love and liberally, generously and continually applied skillfully and consistently to the brethren through real spiritual leadership and by all more mature fellow saints. (Gal.6:1-3) This includes faith in our brothers, not just faith in Christ). Faith in their ability, if encouraged and motivated, to accomplish incredible things for God by the power of the Holy Spirit living within them. We need also to realize that faith does not stand alone, but also added to it is hope and love, with love outweighing the other two. (Nevertheless, we are not told that we are saved by grace through love. (Eph.2:8) And Hebrews 11 is still at the core of understanding the nature and mighty difference of the New Covenant from the Old.)
True Christlike love will be the super-natural, automatic result, or fruit, of real faith. By the lack of or abundance of this love in our lives, we can then tell whether we possess that faith. This entails examining our love, which consists of the real, tangible and constant proper behavior towards people, especially the saints. That is what I John is all about. If we have been and are still really being saved by actual effective faith, then our lives will reflect this fact. Any faith that isn’t producing good fruit is an illusion. James is all about this. Real faith will produce real fruit – the fruit of the Spirit, which is supernatural in its source and in its effects.
Over and over, despite all provocations and failures, we still must expect great behavior from the brethren, and when it is not forthcoming, puzzle with them over the reason why it is lacking. This will always revert back to their lack of faith. So now we know what to do – expose and highlight all and any factors subverting their faith, and eliminate them, all the while also building them up in those faith building exercises that will end up producing good fruit.
This comes down to developing better people skills and coaching skills. It is easier to tear down than build something up. “Wrecking-ball” Christians need to become “building-crane” Christians. Our lips need to quit being expert at put-downs, sarcasm, innuendoes, gossip, insults, pouting parties, and other “wrecking-ball” use of the tongue. Sticks and stones and grenades and AK 47s are nothing compared to the hydrogen-bomb power of the human tongue unleashed without love towards the soul of another human being. Like some cannibal’s teeth sharpened for the better tearing of their victims flesh, our tongues and lips are too easily used so often to strip the New Creature’s flesh (his identity) from his spiritual bones. In this manner, all confidence in his abilities and powers as a Christian are relentlessly torn down by the nasty suspicions and motive judging of the such self-appointed “Christian” thought police. Whatever joy remains is reduced to so threadbare thin as to be practically nonexistent!
These things ought not to be! My brothers, we must realize that confidence is the key to performance. Therefore, whatever attacks and weakens people’s confidence will impair and even ruin their great performance. The mind is the most powerful weapon in achieving victory over sin, Satan, the world and our flesh. Absolute confidence in Christ’s ability to empower us, and thus also in our potential performance, is crucial to absolute victory. If other’s cynical treatment of us is allowed to dictate our mindset or attitude about ourselves, then we are already defeated before even beginning the daily contest.
Rather than thinking that prescribing things, such as Titus was commanded to do by Paul, or that any New Testament command is a new law to the lawless, we must rather view them as the coaching advice of an expert (by his own achievements, not just in theory) who can help us achieve our spiritual goals – which will ultimately always lead to actually achieving Christlikeness in real spiritual maturity or perfection of our character by His power and grace. Just as we would want a doctor to prescribe whatever things - whether special exercises or nutrition, medicine or activities - which will bring perfect physical recovery and health, we also take the New Testament “commands” in the same vein. We have volunteered for this class – the lifelong discipleship class of attaining Christlikeness. From within, we really want to follow the example of Jesus, and welcome any information that is designed to help us achieve our goals. (II Pet.1:3)
Giving people coaching advice is more of what Paul and the other New Testament writers were doing, rather than bringing in a whole newly-revised system of lawkeeping. They were telling Christians how to be all that they could and wanted to be, and highlighting activities and mindsets that brought victory, and in comparison, also those that didn’t. For those who were are still are inwardly motivated by their own desire, to imitate and please Christ, such teaching (coaching) was and still is highly welcomed. Those that don’t really want all that God was offering through Christ are already lost anyway. The New Covenant doesn’t apply to them, for they have not really joined or signed up for God’s army in truth … for without faith, it is impossible to please God. Only Abrahams can be justified.
Let us direct our efforts and methods in developing great performance in Christ’s church by focusing on those who are willing volunteers with tender, new hearts that have been crucified with Christ and circumcised in immersion. Let’s not let the hardhearted, unbelieving, unrepentant, carnal-minded, and uncommitted dictate our attitude or efforts in the Lord’s vineyards. Rather, let us be, like the good shepherd, looking for true lambs - who might sometimes wander off - but ultimately want the greener pastures of the New Covenant, and trust them to do what is right when given the right example to follow, and the correct instruction (information upload) needed.
Christianity will not work unless we operate it according to instructions. Freedom is the best atmosphere for the development of great confidence in people. Law kills, but the Spirit gives life. And where the Spirit of the Lord is working, there is LIBERTY. Are you liberated today, or still laboring under a guilty conscience, trying to please God by working harder and harder, but never able to do enough? Or are, perhaps even subconsciously without malicious intent, piling on the backs of your brothers or the unsaved, bothersome burdens that neither you nor your ancestors were able to endure? Than get right with God, and learn to be free, and stop policing your brothers, but build them up in the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints. God Bless His Church. Amen.