“The Reformers defined three marks of a true biblical church: Preaching the Word…Rightly administering the sacraments… Faithfully exercising church discipline”
(Joey DeRuntz – TruthScript) The war for the purity of the church is not waged with worldly wisdom or cultural clout, but with truth applied in love. Weak churches avoid confrontation. Faithful churches wield it with holy resolve. As we move from the blueprint of Christ’s commands for corrective discipline to the battlefield of their execution, what’s at stake becomes undeniable: either sin is purged out or Christ walks out, taking His lampstand with Him. As we now turn from the design of discipline to its function, let us not forget the ultimate aim: God’s glory magnified in a holy people. The following sections will illustrate what happens when pastors and churches take holiness seriously, love deeply, and treasure Christ enough to confront sin in their midst.
IV. The Function: Purity, Protection, Restoration, and Witness
Corrective discipline fulfills no less than four critical functions:
- Purity: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Cor. 5:6). Unchecked sin spreads like gangrene (2 Tim. 2:17).
- Protection: Discipline shields the flock from doctrinal error, moral decay, and relational ruin (Acts 20:28–30).
- Restoration: The aim is always to win your brother (Matt. 18:15). When discipline sparks repentance, the church rejoices and restores the sinner (2 Cor. 2:6–8).
- Witness: A church that refuses to discipline forfeits its credibility and has its candlestick confiscated (Rev. 2:5). What’s the message when the church shuns Jesus and mirrors the world? (1 Pet. 2:12; Titus 2:10)
So-called “loving churches” that shirk discipline are not loving but hateful and bear the character of antichrist (Prov. 13:24; 1 John 2:17-19). They are refusing to bind up the wounds of sinners with the only cure: gracious truth found in Christ alone.
Bible Resources & References – On Solid Rock Resources
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