Discipline Motivated by Love

The motivation for any discipline should be love for the other person. While no discipline seems pleasant when being administered, it should not be avoided at all cost.

Hebrews 12:3-11 describes God’s discipline of those whom He loves. The purpose is to bring about change for the good of those being disciplined. Verse 11 states, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Discipline can be instructive (preventive) or corrective (penalizing). Sometimes it is necessary to withdraw or pull back from someone when they choose not to follow God’s expectations for Christians (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15).

Corrective discipline of a fellow Christian does not mean:

the church is primarily trying to make them suffer (Hebrews 12:11) an act of vengeance towards the offender (Romans 12:19) condemnation to hell, but a hope of saving them the withdrawn one becomes your enemy (2 Thess. 3:15) a public announcement only, it requires full cooperation of the church.

2 Thessalonians 3:14 – 15 indicates that we are not to keep company with one who has been withdrawn. They do not become our enemy; they continue to be a fellow Christian for whom we have a deep concern for their soul.

It is proper to be friendly and speak to a fellow brother or sister when we see them and specifically indicate our care for them and their soul. Avoiding the subject and maintaining the same social relationship as before renders the act of discipline ineffective and the issue soon becomes faint.

We must stand ready to forgive and receive a repentant person back (2 Corinthians 2:6-8). “For if we confess our sins he just and faithful to forgive our sins and the blood of Christ cleanses us. (1 John 1:9)

The act of disciplining a fellow brother or sister is humbling; it should cause each of us to continually examine our own lives and our commitment to God (1 Timothy 5:20).

For the elders, Terry Clark