“If the man who is unclean does not cleanse himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, since he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. Because the water for impurity has not been thrown on him, he is unclean.” (Numbers 19:20, ESV)
The Lord instituted a process for person who became unclean to become clean through the sprinkling of a solution of water, mixed with the ashes of a heifer. However, if the unclean person would not participate in this cleansing from his defilement, the assembly was to cast him out. The reason for casting out the unclean person was that his unclean condition defiled the Sanctuary, an offense to the holiness of God.
Doesn’t this seem a bit drastic? Why cast a man out of the assembly? How is he going to become clean if he does not stay in the assembly? These seem to be ridiculous questions, yet countless believers say the very same things when it comes to discipline in the church. The Lord gave the disciples a plan for dealing with sin in the church (Matthew 18:15-20). The Lord designed this procedure, like the procedure for Israel, in order to restore a person in the assembly of believers rather than cast him out. The goal of church discipline is not punishment but restoration. Unfortunately, it often happens that a person will refuse to confess and turn from his sin. Thus, the person is refusing to accept the cleansing provided by the Lord and restoration to fellowship. In these cases, the prescription mandates that the church remove the professing Christian from the privileges of fellowship (see also 1 Corinthians 5:2, 11, 13).
Why did the Lord prescribe such a drastic measure? Wouldn’t it be better not to take the person through the embarrassment of this action? Wouldn’t it be better to have him retain the privilege of fellowship? There are several reasons for removing the person from the privilege of fellowship. First, sin is an offense to God’s holiness. Second, unrepentant sin in the body hinders worship, which is to be in Spirit and in truth. Third, unrepentant sin hinders fellowship with God and fellow man (1 John 1:5-7). Fourth, unrepentant sin by church members defiles the church and its testimony, which is Christ’s righteousness. Fifth, unrepentant sin by a church member sets a bad precedent for others in the church, especially those young in age and in spiritual maturity. Sixth, unrepentant sin by church members can lead to a general laxity concerning holiness, leading to erosion in morality. Last, the church is the body of Christ and unrighteousness is inconsistent with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Regarding “Church Discipline,” I believe it would be better to use the title “Restoring Fellowship and Purity to the Lord’s Church.” I guess we continue to use the phrase “Church Discipline” due to the brevity of the title, even though our modern understanding of the term misses the point. Please remember that the final step in this process, removal from the privilege of fellowship, is for those who call themselves Christians but do not respond like Christians. This final step will be a cause for sorrow for any true servant of God who like our Lord desires all men to come to repentance (Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9).
Renewing the Heart 