Of Church Censures, XXX:3

Church censures are necessary, for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren, for deterring of others from like offenses, for purging out of that leaven which might infect the whole lump, for vindicating the honor of Christ, and the holy profession of the Gospel, and for preventing the wrath of God, which might justly fall upon the Church, if they should suffer His covenant, and the seals thereof, to be profaned by notorious and obstinate offenders.

This paragraph sets forth the purposes of church censures (disciplinary measures). Note that these are mostly positive. The emphasis is on reclamation and restoration, as well as setting a positive example for the church as a whole. Only the idea of avoiding the wrath of God is a negative.

Church censures are intended to:

1. Reclaim and gain offending brothers. Many think of discipline as primarily punitive. In the church, according to the biblical model, discipline is first and foremost restorative.

2. Deter others from committing like offenses. The proper exercise of discipline reminds everyone that sin is taken seriously by God and should be taken seriously by his people.

3. Purge out the leaven. In order to maintain the purity of the church and protect other members from the corrupting influences of unrepented sin it is necessary to exclude--hopefully for only a season--those who remain obstinate.

4. Vindicate the honor of Christ and the profession of the gospel. Do we really want the world to see the mud we splash around? Sadly this is all too characteristic of the church. The bride is a mess; it unjustly reflects on the bridegroom and the truth of his gospel of salvation.

5. Prevent the just wrath of God from falling on his people. Judgment begins with the house of God. Christians are called to have a greater righteousness than that of the scribes and Pharisees. In Christ we certainly have that greater righteousness (indeed, none greater) but we frequently don't live in keeping with our status.

God has entrusted the church with his holy things. We have a grave responsibility to handle them appropriately.

Tomorrow: The process of censures.