Christian Churches of God

No. 112B

 

 

 

Reconciliation through Forgiveness

 

(Edition 2.0  20080119-20080203)

 

This text follows on from the paper Forgiveness (No. 112) and deals with the reconciliation to the Church and the brethren.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reconciliation through Forgiveness

 

Over the years the Church has lost a number of people through sin, error and self-righteousness.

 

Sometimes people regret their errors and seek to be reconciled to the Church.

 

Many are held back from reconciliation through shame.  Many hate for the same reasons.

 

Where the Church is a body of believers that agree on a course of action, then sometimes manipulators seek to wrest control or to change the course of the decisions by devious means. Those people also usually leave when they are caught out. Some commence alternate groups, but rarely accomplish anything of value as the same spirit of conspiracy and intrigue accompanies them in the next venture.

 

Some people think that they are serving God when they meet with people that believe other things than they do. The usual result is that they do not discuss the key issue on which they disagree.

 

That was one of the reasons the Churches of God under Herbert Armstrong rarely ever gave a sermon on the Nature of God. They did not understand it and there were multiple variations in belief concerning it. For the same reason, the Armstrongite offshoots have multiple views and, likewise, rarely discuss the Nature of God. That also was the reason the central organisation and some of the offshoot members could be subverted into full-blown Trinitarianism.

 

People will make errors from time to time and they should be exhorted as brothers.

 

The text of the paper Forgiveness (No. 112) ended with the procedures for forgiveness.

 

Actions in Forgiveness

 

Phase 1:  Offence

 

Consider: Is it a breach of God’s Law, or is it our or their pride, or a root of bitterness? Has it happened before?

Step 1.   Go to God in prayer for guidance.

Step 2.   Decide to ignore or decide to act. If we ignore, then forgive and forget. End the matter.

 

Phase 2:  Establish individual responsibility

 

Step 1.  What did we do? What could we have done? What should we have done?

Step 2.  What did the other party do? What could they have done? What should they have done?

 

Phase 3:  Go to the person

 

Step 1.   Discuss both aspects.

1. Acknowledge our fault(s) first.
2. Note their problems. Take the low ground.

Step 2.   Their response:

1. They repent of their action.

Go to Phase 5.

2. They show no repentance:

Proceed to Phase 4.

 

Phase 4:  Litigation

 

Litigation is the process of settling dispute before authority. There are specific processes and authorities established for the resolution of dispute. Dispute should be resolved within the Church.

 

Step 1. Go to the person with witnesses. Establish the problem as in the first instance.

 

Step 2.  If there is still no resolution then and only then proceed to the ministry and the council of the Church. Too often individuals run to the ministry before going to their brother. However, a minister can suffice for the witness phase if necessary.

 

Step 3. The case is decided by the council of the Church and the matter is resolved. Go to Phase 5.

 

Step 4. The matter is not resolved by the Church council and the matter is serious enough to warrant solution. Paul is clear that this is a last resort and that the Church is responsible for just resolution of dispute. We must decide matters between the elect, as we are to judge the world and angels (1Cor. 6:2-3). If the Church will not act and there is no repentance, then proceed to civil litigation, that is, if there is no other option and the matter is serious enough.

 

Phase 5:  Reconciliation

 

Step 1. Be united in the resolution of the matter. Proceed in brotherly love.

 

Step 2.  Rectify the problem:

1. physically
2. spiritually and emotionally.

 

Step 3.  Ongoing care of the relationship and guarding against further offence.

 

If offence is repeated then commence again. If forgiveness is requested, then forgive again and continue the relationship. Bring the offence to mind only if it is repeated.

 

The only exception to this sequence is that of the cessation of the doctrine of Christ and relapse into the doctrine of Antichrist through the view of the Godhead, which seeks to separate Christ’s divinity from his humanity. 2John 9 then requires that the offender be not even greeted. Repentance must be shown to be complete.

 

Actions in Restoring to the Church

 

Phase 1. Establish the Reasons for the Estrangement.

 

Ask the question: “Why did I leave the Church? Was it a result of disagreement with the elected leaders of the Church, or did I simply sin and leave or was removed as a result?

 

1.A: If so: did I go to the Church with the problem and abide by the resolution of the Elders and voting members?

 

If I did not do so, why did I not do so?”

 

Remember, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, as it says in 1Samuel 15:22-25.

²² And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. ²³ For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king." ²⁴  And Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. ²⁵ Now therefore, I pray, pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD."

 

Other questions are: Did I fail in my written undertakings to abide by the Statement of Beliefs and the Constitution? Is the current group I am with properly and democratically run? Do I have a vote? Why am I there?

 

Did I listen to whisperers and to attacks on the brethren? Where are those people now and what are their fruits? What do they do for the Faith?

 

If I simply did not like someone in authority over me, or working with me, what is the biblical basis for me leaving the Body of Christ?

 

Where is the real Body of Christ working and am I taking the Passover with that Body, having discerned its location and fruits? Do I tithe to that Body? If not, then I am in sin or it is not the Body of Christ.

 

Remember, there is no excuse for failing to support and work within the Body of Christ.

 

Most people who leave the Church stop tithing for some twelve months before they announce their exit.

 

At his return, Christ punishes those who bury their talent.

 

Matthew 25:14-30 "For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; ¹⁵ to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. ¹⁷ So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. ¹⁹ Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, `Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' <sup>21</sup> His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' ²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, `Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' <sup>23</sup> His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' ²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; <sup>25</sup> so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' <sup>26</sup> But his master answered him, `You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰ And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'

 

If you have answered all these questions and realise that you must be reconciled then it is time to rectify the situation. We cannot take the Passover without proper reconciliation to those in the Body. We certainly can’t when we are out of the Body of Christ.

 

1.B: Estrangement in Sin.

 

We should ask: If I sinned and was rebuked by the Church, did I leave in a huff or was I dismissed as a result of a review?

 

If I left in a huff then it is about time the matter was treated in maturity and I was reconciled.

 

If the person was dismissed, was it because they refused to accept correction or did they attempt to lead a rebellion or cause a schism in the Body?

 

Were they dismissed for theft or other sin? Did the person attempt to make amends?

 

If the person did not attempt to make amends, is it not about time he/she did so now?

 

Reconciliation and Restoration

 

We might realise now that, regardless of the rights and wrongs of the issue, we all have to be reconciled to the Church. We might say: “I was wrong but I was also wronged, in my view”. Be that as it may, we all have to put that aside and seek reconciliation.

 

Reconciliation Step 1.

 

The person to be reconciled has to contact the secretaries of the Church and ask to be reconciled.

 

They will then provide a minister to interview and counsel with each person. There will be fruits of repentance evident that lead to reconciliation.

 

The minister may require some matters to be completed or rectified before reconciliation.

 

If the minister is satisfied that the person is repentant and earnestly seeks reconciliation he will recommend to the Church that the person be readmitted, and forward the completed ‘Application for Fellowship’.

 

The committee of the Church responsible for those matters will process the application for fellowship. There are times when people have been marked and the Church has determined that they have an additional period of trial added to their fellowship. That is because the circumstances have been serious enough to warrant that decision. The decision is never made lightly and is usually voted on by the members in that congregation as well, or sometimes even the international body.

 

The Church has had applicants restored to full voting membership immediately as well, because the circumstances were understood to be such that it was a misunderstanding.

 

As CCG is one of the few churches that confer voting membership on its members, what does it matter if you have a vote or not? In such circumstances the person simply has to rely on the fact that Christ is running the Church through the voting members with the Holy Spirit.

 

Limited Restoration

 

There are circumstances when officers have been removed or remove themselves for various reasons so that the period is extended, or the person is restored to fellowship but not to their former position(s) and responsibilities.  

 

We all labour for salvation and receive the same wages as the parable of the labourers in the field tells us.  

However, there is a price to be paid for error. Satan and the demons will be offered repentance but will not receive the same positions they held before the rebellion (see the paper Judgment of the Demons (No. 80)).  The First Resurrection is a better resurrection. Repentance and loyalty are required to achieve it (Heb. 11:35).

 

Sometimes God restores a person and places their sins as far as the east is from the west and they go on as before.

 

It is God through the Holy Spirit that determines the level of maturity and understanding. It is up to each individual to make amends and to initiate the process of reconciliation, and the Holy Spirit will make the matter manifest.

 

If we pray and fast for repentance and reconciliation God will deal with us. It is not a new thing, and the Churches of God have dealt with it all before, and God’s mercy is without measure.

 

You will not be the first in that situation nor will you be the last. Be prepared to make amends and to be restored to your brothers and sisters.

 

They have never stopped working and loving one another in the Faith. They have prayed for the reconciliation of the whole world to God through Christ and, most of all, those who have been estranged from the Church.

 

They do not reply to overtures from the estranged, but pray for their reconciliation.

 

The silence is to make one aware of the problem and initiate the recognition of the need for reconciliation.

 

The Passover is central to the Faith. Those who are estranged and seek reconciliation are to do it so that there is peace and harmony and love in the brethren at the Passover in all aspects of the Feast, and for all the Feasts.

 

 

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