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Testimonies for the Church Volume 7
“But if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an
heathen man and a publican.”
Verse 17
. If he will not heed the voice
of the church, if he refuses all the efforts made to reclaim him, upon
the church rests the responsibility of separating him from fellowship.
His name should then be stricken from the books.
No church officer should advise, no committee should recommend,
nor should any church vote, that the name of a wrongdoer shall be
removed from the church books, until the instruction given by Christ
has been faithfully followed. When this instruction has been followed,
the church has cleared herself before God. The evil must then be made
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to appear as it is, and must be removed, that it may not become more
and more widespread. The health and purity of the church must be
preserved, that she may stand before God unsullied, clad in the robes
of Christ’s righteousness.
If the erring one repents and submits to Christ’s discipline, he
is to be given another trial. And even if he does not repent, even if
he stands outside the church, God’s servants still have a work to do
for him. They are to seek earnestly to win him to repentance. And,
however aggravated may have been his offense, if he yields to the
striving of the Holy Spirit and, by confessing and forsaking his sin,
gives evidence of repentance, he is to be forgiven and welcomed to
the fold again. His brethren are to encourage him in the right way,
treating him as they would wish to be treated were they in his place,
considering themselves lest they also be tempted.
“Verily I say unto you,” Christ continued, “whatsoever ye shall
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose
on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Verse 18
.
This statement holds its force in all ages. On the church has been
conferred the power to act in Christ’s stead. It is God’s instrumentality
for the preservation of order and discipline among His people. To
it the Lord has delegated the power to settle all questions respecting
its prosperity, purity, and order. Upon it rests the responsibility of
excluding from its fellowship those who are unworthy, who by their
un-Christlike conduct would bring dishonor on the truth. Whatever the
church does that is in accordance with the directions given in God’s
word will be ratified in heaven.
Matters of grave import come up for settlement by the church.
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God’s ministers, ordained by Him as guides of His people, after doing