by Steve Monts
Synopsis: Discipline is essential in successful living, establishing functional homes, maintaining an orderly society, and also in preserving faithful churches of Christ.
As our society becomes more tolerant of sinful living, it becomes less tolerant of those who rebuke sinners living in it. Furthermore, to withdraw from sinners is deemed even less acceptable in our society. Therefore, like a visit to the doctor, we avoid it. Although we understand it is actually for our good, we keep putting it off. We must realize that, by tolerating sin, we are harming ourselves as well as the erring Christian. Withdrawing from sinners is a neglected command today and has been for some time.
Recently, I was telling a friend of our need to withdraw from someone who had quit attending where I preach. Our patience had extended for nearly a year in trying to restore her, yet I felt that might have been too long of a period. In the discussion, my friend stated that many congregations may allow absences for several years before finally acting. I was shocked and saddened to learn of his experiences. Too often, the command for a church to withdraw is neglected. So, why is it neglected? I can think of at least four reasons.
It is neglected because we don't want to act too quickly; thus we forgot to act at all. Perhaps we start with the right doctrine and the right motives. We know the truth concerning discipline. Paul makes it clear by saying, "We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly" (2 Thess. 3:6). We also know that withdrawal is the last resort to restore a person. Therefore, we want to give plenty of time for faithful individuals to reach out and seek to help those who have strayed, study with them, and express their concern to them. We seek to hold off as long as we can before taking the next step. However, that next step can become a forgotten step—especially when no one wants to be the "bad guy" by bringing it up to the elders or in the business meeting. As the months begin to pass, we become involved in other aspects of life. Meanwhile, the feel of urgency fades away until it is merely an unpleasant memory. As the years pass, we completely forget until someone says, "What ever happened to so-and-so?" Then for a moment—just a moment—our conscience strikes us by reminding us that we have failed to be faithful to God and the erring Christian.
It is neglected because we feel that after someone has left us, there is nothing left to do. This "dodge" is sometimes brought up by those that hope to avoid the uncomfortable matter altogether. I believe this is a symptom of how our tolerant society is affecting us and molding us after its image. We try to "find a way out" of having to do some unpleasant thing God that would have us to do.
Some ask, "But how can you withdraw from the withdrawn?" Easy answer—you just do it. In Ephesians 5:11, Paul commanded, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness"—indicating there was something that they could do, namely stop their fellowship with those in sin. We forget that fellowship is a two-way street. When one seeks to join a local church, the church also gets to decide if they will extend fellowship to them (See Acts 9:26-27 in the case of Paul seeking to join the church in Jerusalem.) Why is it so hard to see that it also takes two parties regarding the removal of membership? When a person joins the army but later believes that military service no longer is for him, can he just get up and leave? If he no longer showed up for work, would the army throw up their hands and say, "There is nothing else we can do?" No, they would begin the process of a dishonorable discharge.
What about soldiers of Christ? A brother or sister may go "absent without leave" (AWOL), desiring never to return, join a denomination, or begin attending an erring church. This doesn't mean that, as the army of Christ, there is nothing that we can do. God's word still says, "Withdraw from every brother that walks disorderly." Is it not disorderly when members go AWOL? Did Paul add an exception in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, "...provided they did not withdraw from you first, because then there is nothing you can do…"? No. Despite what is written, this is a reason why many churches neglect the command to withdraw.
Discipline is also neglected because we often fear men more than God. Why would we neglect this command? Why hold back? We often fear people more than we fear God. People can give us nasty looks. People can decide to leave or attempt to split the church. People can threaten to sue us individually or collectively. People can tell lies and misrepresent the church in the community. People might think badly about the church. People related to the sinner might resent us or leave the church too. We see the immediate results among people and, thus, fear them. However, since we cannot see God nor feel His displeasure, we may become a people that walk by sight and not by faith—contrary to Scripture (2 Cor. 5:7).
The Bible clearly teaches that, if we desire to have a hope of heaven, we must have obedient faith: "For without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Heb. 11:6). We are to walk by this faith— not by sight. We should fear God's displeasure and judgment by faith knowing that He has asked the church to practice discipline. "Do not fear those that can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who is able to destroy both the soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28). We know that verse and use it often, but do we apply that verse to this command?
Sometimes, we think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We think we will stand against physical persecution because "we will not fear those that will destroy the body," but will we really? Why do we have this assurance when we avoid discipline in an attempt to prevent much milder forms of persecution?
Lastly, we neglect it because we don't believe it will work. This, again, simply reflects a lack of faith. What if the army of Joshua lacked faith to march around Jericho? What if Naaman never went to dip seven times in the river Jordan? These stories teach us that success will never occur if it is not pursued. One thing is for sure: If we never discipline, then discipline will never have the chance to work. It can't work if we don't implement it. It is true that one who has fallen into sin may not always return. However, this is not the only reason why God asks us to withdraw. It is also performed to keep the church pure (1 Cor. 5:6). It helps instill healthy fear in the members to keep on keeping on (Acts 5:11, 1 Tim. 5:20). It is necessary for us to continue in fellowship with God (See Revelation 2, and 3 where Christ held it against churches that neglected withdrawing from the unfaithful). It shows our love for God (John 14:15). It shows that we trust that God's ways are for our good always (Deut. 6:24). So, by faith, whenever we withdraw from an erring Christian, it always works, because these other goals are accomplished regardless of whether or not the lost soul returns.
Churches that neglect this command will inevitably grow weaker and sow the seeds of their undoing. In the future, many won't even be recognizable as churches of Christ as sin enters the camp. As churches increasingly "look the other way" and "leave sin alone," weak members realize that they can also transgress without facing discipline. Neglect allows such sinful attitudes to spread. Let us neglect withdrawing no longer. Churches may have to repent and turn unto the Lord's plan for discipline. Let us do so before it is too late.
Author Bio: Steve has labored with the 31-W North church of Christ in Franklin, KY for seventeen years. The church website is 31wchurchofchrist.com. He can be reached at stevemonts@hotmail.com.
