Practical Thoughts on Restoration

By: Adam McClendon

Adam is the Lead Pastor at Springhill Church and the Director of New Line Ministries.

Galatians 6:1–5: ¹ Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. ⁵ For each will have to bear his own load.

In this passage, the apostle Paul calls believers to be agents of restoration for those who are bound in sin.  So many rich things can be said of this passage and this precious call; nonetheless, for the sake of brevity, only 4 thoughts for consideration will be presented here.

1. Each believer is commanded to be a Restoration Agent.

The statement translated “should restore” is actually a command in the original languages.  All believers who have the Spirit of the living God within them and are seeking to live in accordance with that Spirit are spiritual (Gal 3:14; 4:6; 5:16, 25).  This command is for each member of the church not just those perceived to be leaders.

God has a role for each member of his body in helping restore others.  Instead of passing along concerns for others, believers should see God’s sovereignty in placing them in the path of this need and believe that God adequately equips those he calls into his service.

2. Restoration Agents will experience the best and worst of community.

The reality is that wounded people wound people.  When someone tries to help someone who is bound in sin, they will experience all types of responses.  They may be attacked and asked who they think they are.  They may be accused of being judgmental.  Their generosity may be taken advantage of. 

At the same time, some will respond to these loving gestures to come alongside and bear these great burdens.  Some will respond well and in so doing allow brotherly bonds to be forged in the depths of these trials.

3. Restoration does not necessarily mean the removal of all consequences.

As people do allow for others to help, consequences may still remain.  Divorce may still happen.  God may not heal the STD.  Gambling and addiction debts may remain and children may still get hurt.

Restoration doesn’t negate the destructive wake sin leaves.

4. Restoration is messy.

Helping others is a messy process.  Look at the ministry around Jesus.  Chaos and messes followed him everywhere.  All too often, churches strive to be “pretty,” when the biblical model of restoration will actually cause them to be brilliantly and biblically messy.

This type of restorative forgiveness is transformative to a community.  When believers understand the depth of their sin and the unbelievable forgiveness they have experienced from God it changes their approach to sin.  It does not lessen the disdain for rebellion whether it be from themselves or someone else; however, it helps them in continually reaching out and reaching up.  It causes believers to repeatedly forgive and seek restoration for others.  It causes them to lose count of transgressions and be kind to others.  It causes them to respond kindly to harsh comments and realize that when people are in habitual sin, they often act irrationally.  Why?  Because wounded people, wound people. 

When this type of restoration is practiced, it will deepen the authenticity, patience, humility, strength, and transparency in a church family and they will experience the depth of community in a way like never before.

www.newlineministries.com 

Love Enough to Confront

By: Adam McClendon

Adam is the Lead Pastor at Springhill Church and the Director of New Line Ministries.

Matthew 18:15-20 presents a beautiful, but highly misunderstood, aspect of Christian community.  This text will not likely be preached in a church growth seminar.  It is not considered culturally practical or acceptable, but if the Bible is to be the guide for the church, then it is a passage that we must submit our lives to despite how difficult it is.

At first reading, we may be tempted to feel that Matthew 18 is too harsh.  After all, if this approached is followed, we run the risk of looking judgmental and losing relationships. 

It is much easier for us to talk about someone’s sin than to talk to someone about their sin.

Nevertheless, the approach Jesus gives his children here is designed not to be harsh, but kind.  What Jesus says here goes against the practice of the normal religious community.  The Pharisees would drag someone out into the public and show everyone how worthless this person was while acting pious and indignant (John 7:53-8:5). 

Yet, in Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus encourages his followers to confront sin with dignity when they can first and foremost.  He presents a plan to deal with sin privately, until it must be made public.  He presents a framework for dealing with unrepentant sin among believers combining honesty and grace.  His approach doesn’t dismiss sin, but shows compassion on the sinner.

Notice in the text, the offender is to be approached privately and graciously at first.  If the problem doesn’t get resolved, two or three witnesses are to be taken.  These witness are to help resolve the conflict while trying to involve as “few” people as possible.  That approach is so different than our gossip, slanderous, lawsuit-happy culture.  Additionally, these witness can provide objectivity and veracity to the issues at hand.

Only then, if all else measures fail and the offense is legitimate is it to be taken to the church. 

What if the church took Jesus’ words seriously here?  What if we decided to go against the grain of culture and saw the sensibility and compassion in Jesus’ approach?  What if we trusted that his methods for dealing with sin were better than the world’s?

If so, then we would do two things.

   * First, we would love one another enough to confront unrepentant sin patterns graciously and privately.

   * Second, we would love one another enough to accept godly encouragement from others.

A community that lives with love enough to both provide and receive gentle rebukes from one another makes an incredible family; a family that seeks to combine honesty and grace while not tolerating blatant hypocrisy.

We are to live with such a perspective, not looking for those we could confront, but examining our lives that we might live consistently with the gospel we profess.

When we are loving enough to address sin in the camp and humble enough to allow others to graciously hold mirrors to our blind spots, we will find a unified community that stands strong in the face of great adversity.

www.newlineministries.com