One In Jesus

We generally cannot distinguish someone who is struggling with his penitence from someone who has abandoned Jesus altogether. In such cases, I think we have to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume we’re dealing with a Christian but a Christian who is struggling with sin and needs to be confronted and even to be disfellowshipped.

However, where it’s clear this person has left Jesus altogether and become an enemy of the Kingdom, our response is dictated by several passages– Continue reading →

We start with a brief, but critically important, passage–

(2 Thes. 3:14-15) If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Plainly, the disobedient person under consideration is still a brother in Christ. He is impenitent, but not so much so that he is lost–at least, not so far as we can tell.

The goal of the disassociation is to shame him. Now, obviously enough, this means the action must be taken while he still cares what the church thinks. He must still be part of the community–so much so that being expelled will bring him to repentance. For this to work, the thought of losing the friendship of his brothers and sisters must be unbearable. Continue reading →

This is actually a continuation of the series of posts called “Classes on Grace.” And that’s important, because my ideas on church discipline won’t make any sense to someone with a very different understanding of grace. You see, it all fits together. It has to fit together, because it all comes from the same Mind. Now, the New Testament says quite a lot about disfellowshipping or excluding various people from the church. These verses are generally interpreted this way–

* I am right

* You are wrong

* You must leave

Simple enough, I suppose, but completely removed from the heart of God shown through Jesus. Continue reading →

Well, the good doctor Hadley has completely disassembled my back and put me back together again. And I’m alive and doing better.

My back still hurts like crazy! It’s just that, in theory, I’ve traded a permanent, worsening disability for a short-term, rapidly improving disability.

The doctor said my surgery was “challenging,” and given that he’s one of the very best in the world, it’s like Tiger Woods calling the 15th hole “challenging”–I mean, I must’ve really been a mess!

These surgeries typically take 2 1/2 hours. Mine took 4. Continue reading →

I’ll be having back surgery at 5:30 A.M., at UAB’s North Pavilion, this coming Friday, September 21. It’s an L5-S1 fusion.

Basically, they remove the disc between my vertebra and sacrum (tailbone), replace it with cadaver bone (bone from some unfortunate dead person kind enough to have made a donation of his body parts), and then screw it all together with titanium screws. Over time, it all merges into one much-less painful bone. At least, that’s the plan.

This is important to you, dear readers, for several reasons.

I may be laid so low I won’t be able to post much for a while. Or I may be so bored I’ll post more than ever. I really don’t know. Please do keep checking by. Having a high hit count would be a great encouragement during my recovery!

I know I’ll be in the hospital for about 4 days and then have a recovery of 2 to 4 weeks. I’ll have to wear a brace for 10 weeks or so.

Any way, please keep me in your prayers. I think I have the best possible surgeon, but I’d rather put my confidence in the Great Physician himself, and that requires prayer.

PS–That really cool drawing, which illustrates exactly how my back feels, is from the site of a Christian artist you might enjoy.