SEE PART I

Both the Old and New Testaments give us many examples on how God disciplines His people. While some may say that the examples of the Old Testament are not relevant to us today because of the dispensation of grace, we must remember that God does not change and neither do His principles that were established by Him. God will never allow His plans to be changed by anyone or anything and His will is always going to be completed no matter what.


Discipline did not originate with the Church age. It was instituted by God way before the creation of the world as we know it today. The first one that had to be disciplined by God was Lucifer[Morning star or Light bearer]. In Isaiah 14:12-17 and Ezekiel 28:12-19, he is pictured as an angel, "full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. Every precious stone was his covering and he was perfect in all his ways from the day when God created him, till iniquity was found in him and he became prideful. As a result, he was cast out of his exalted position in heaven[Isaiah 14:12-14, Luke 10:18].

After this, we see Adam and Eve in the garden. God had given them everything that anyone could want and more. But they disobeyed God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which God had forbidden them to eat from. Because of their disobedience they were cast out of the garden and also their eternal state was lost [only to be regained by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary]. Not to mention the curses that came upon them, the serpent and the earth.

Cain killed his brother Abel because of jealousy and when God inquired of him he responded in a harsh way by saying;"I KNOW NOT: AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER?" He lied to God and as a result God placed a curse upon him[Gen.4:1-16].

There are so many other examples; with Moses, Saul, David, etc. in the Old Testament that we can go on and on.

In the New Testament also;Ananias and Sapphira lying to the Holy Ghost[Acts 5:1-11], Barjesus the sorcerer when he tried to turn Sergius Paulus the deputy from the faith[Acts 13:11], Paul delivers a sinning brother in the faith to Satan[I Cor.5:1-5].

Let's understand that it's only because of grace that some people get away with doing some of the evil things that they do, but God will never be mocked.


CHURCH DISCIPLINE IS BASED ON;

#1) The Holy Character Of God[I Peter 1:16, Heb.12:11]. The pattern of God's Holiness- His desire for the Church to be Holy, set apart unto Him, is an important reason for Church discipline. When Christians fail to accept Biblical discipline its usually because of a lack of awareness and concern for the Holiness of God.

#2) It is to be patterned after and based on the Word of God. If a Church and its members fail to exercise its responsibility in the area of discipline it's demonstrating a lack of obedience and belief in the Word of God[2 Tim.3:16, Rom.15:4].

#3) If the people in the Church act just like the ones in the world then we will loose our credibility. We must keep our testimony[I Peter 2:11-18, 3:8-16, 4:1-4].