Helping Each Other Deal With Sin - Matthew 18:15-20

God doesn’t stop working in our lives when we first trust Jesus. He puts His Spirit inside believers at the moment of their conversion, helping them grow in Christ. And He also puts believers in local churches so we can help each other grow and be faithful and fruitful followers of Christ.

Having dealt with the vertical realm of our sin before God, and having left the sin of non-Christians for God Himself to judge, Jesus now turns to the horizontal realm of relational sins between fellow Christians.

Christians follow 3 steps in dealing with sin in the local church:

Step 1: One person talks to another, face to face - V. 15

“For whoever does the will of My Father in Heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” - Matthew 12:50

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. - Matthew 5:23-24

Discipleship and discipline are 2 sides of a coin, both meant to help believers. Note from verse 15 the purpose is to help our brother or sister in their walk with Christ – “If he listens to you, you have won your brother.”

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. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:1-2

The rebukes of the righteous should always be a precious ointment, sweet and gentle; never should they break the head. - Charles Spurgeon

Step 2: The two talk with the help of another one or two - V. 16

I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers? - 1 Cor. 6:5

I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. - Philippians 4:2-3

Many of the trials of our spiritual life are preventable; if we indulge a sin we invite a sorrow. - Charles Spurgeon

Step 3: When sin is not repented of, go to the church and/or its leaders - V. 17

‘Heathen…’ represents those who rebel against God and therefore exclude themselves from Christian fellowship.’ - David Jeremiah

“You should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.” - 2 Corinthians 2:5-8

Can step 3 be fulfilled by a congregation delegating to its spiritual leaders step 3? Yes, and our church does in its bylaws.

As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is delf-condemned. -Titus 3:10-11

Do some things go straight to step number 3 – yes, and sometimes even skip that one.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. - Romans 13:1-2

Jesus delegates authority to local churches (and their leaders) to act - V. 18-20

Relationships in the church are governed by 3 submissions:

Submission to God and His will as stated in His word (1 John 1:5-9)

Mutual Submission to one another as each of us is committed to walking in the truth of God’s word (Ephesians 5:21 )

Submission to our leaders as they lead us in biblically faithful ways (Hebrews 13:17 ).

Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power in its working. - James 5:16