Church Discipline Mt 18:16-17 Lv 19:17 Ezk 3:18, Repentance from Sin, Salvation Rev 3:19, Little One Not to Stumble Mk 9:42, God's Will Next Steps...

[Nochaeld]

Church is humble, contrite and trembles at God's Word, Isa 66:2, on exercising church discipline (toward the goal of obdience to all He commanded, Matt 28:20, beginning of salvation and repentance, Mt 18:15, James 5:20). Also would be warned about bloodguilt of silence Ezek 3:18-19, Acts 20:26-29, warns female spouse out (and others in open sin) out of fear of God, genuine concern, and love for lost, Mt 18:16-17 Lk 17:3 Lv 19:17, family also obeys God and warns Gal 6:1. Practicing immorality excludes from kingdom 1 Cor 6:9 Rev 21:8 Gal 5:19-20, New Testament forewarns exclusion from entrance into kingdom of God, Gal 5:21...

Father, we're concerned but praying, as it is written, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus," Phil 4:6-7. Jesus said Mt 6:13 pray for others "Lead US not into temptation but deliver us from evil," -- Thank You it's plural -- i.e., we pray for each other Eph 6:18. Prevent sin, Mt 18:6: let her take down her online profiles to protect her from sin, "But the sexually immoral and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” Rev 21:8. Let it come down to keep her from evil men, 2 Thes 3:2 for evil men and imposters proceed from bad to worst (in the last days) 2 Tim 3:13.

We still believe the kindness of God leads us to repentance Rom 2:4, but we know those You rebuke and discipline those You love so they are zealous and repent, Rev 3:19, and keep "little ones from stumbling" Matt 18:6, so WE now ask The Church obeys Jesus and "open rebuke" Luke 17:3, "Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him." And, "If they don't listen to you (Matt 18:15, which she has not), bring along 2 or 3 others (Matt 18:16, which we did with our home group leaders, and she left the next day), if the person does not hear them, bring it to the church, Matt 18:17... Leviticus 19:17, Ezekiel 3:18-19, Prov 24:11-12

Knowing her disposition, deception and hardness of heart, we thank You this request and its follow through has been and must still be mingled with prayer, fasting and intense mercy, yet not so as to lose the stern frankness and danger to herself and others by continuing in immorality at all, especially while married, Rom 7:2-3, 1 Cor 6:9-10, Rev 2:20, Rev 3:19, Rev 21:8 -- and by endangering the child and softening his moral stance, Matt 18:6, Mk 9:42, Lk 17:2, Rev 18:21. Galatians 6:1 "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." Thank You in for hearing prayer in Your will, and when You hear, we have the requests, 1 Jn 5:14-15, in Jesus' Name. Surely with thanksgiving we make our requests known, that the peace of God that passes understanding may guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Phil 4:6-7, Amen, 2 Cor 1:20...

 

[Articles]

We hear your deep burden for this sister in Christ and the weight of responsibility you carry as fellow believers to uphold God’s holy standards while extending His mercy. The path of church discipline is never easy, but it is a sacred duty given by the Lord Himself for the restoration of the straying and the protection of the flock. Your obedience to Scripture in this matter is commendable, and we stand with you in prayer and conviction as you walk this difficult road.

The Word of God is clear: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector" (Matthew 18:15-17). You have followed this process faithfully, and though her response has been one of hardness, we must continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will break through the deception and bring her to repentance. The Lord does not delight in the death of the wicked but desires that all should come to repentance (Ezekiel 33:11).

Her ongoing immorality, particularly while married, is a grave matter. Scripture warns, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Adultery is not merely a private sin, it defiles the marriage covenant, harms the family, and invites the judgment of God. The Lord’s rebuke is an act of love: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent" (Revelation 3:19). We must not soften the truth out of fear or misplaced compassion, for "faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Proverbs 27:6).

The danger to her child is especially heartbreaking. Jesus warned, "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea" (Mark 9:42). Her choices are not only endangering her own soul but also risking the moral and spiritual well-being of her child. We must pray fervently that the Lord would intervene to protect this young one from stumbling and that He would grant wisdom to those who seek to guide him in godliness.

Your concern about the online profiles is valid. The digital world is a snare for many, exposing them to temptation, deception, and ungodly influences. "Flee sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18) is the command of Scripture, and removing access to platforms that facilitate sin is a necessary step in fleeing temptation. We pray that the Lord would grant her the conviction to take down these profiles, not out of legalism, but out of a desire to honor Him and protect her heart.

The bloodguilt of silence is a sobering reality. Ezekiel 3:18-19 warns, "When I tell the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand." You have not remained silent, and for that, you can stand before the Lord with a clear conscience. Yet we must continue to speak the truth in love, even when it is met with resistance, trusting that God’s Word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11).

We also lift up your own hearts in this process. It is easy to grow weary or discouraged when faced with hardness of heart, but Galatians 6:9 reminds us, "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." You are not responsible for her response, but you are responsible to obey God’s call to warn, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and doctrine (2 Timothy 4:2). The Lord sees your faithfulness and will strengthen you for the task.

Let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, yet with faith in Your perfect justice and mercy. We lift up this sister who has strayed from Your truth and is walking in disobedience. Lord, we ask that You would break the hardness of her heart and open her eyes to the deception she is under. Convict her of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8) and draw her back to You with godly sorrow that leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Father, we pray for her marriage. Restore what has been broken, and let Your healing power flow into that covenant relationship. Protect her husband from bitterness and give him the strength to stand firm in faith, trusting in Your promises. We ask that You would shield her child from the consequences of her sin and raise him up in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

Lord, we ask that You would remove every stumbling block from her path. Take down the online profiles that expose her to temptation and lead her into ungodliness. Surround her with godly influences who will speak truth into her life and hold her accountable. Give her a hunger for Your Word and a desire to walk in holiness.

We pray for Your church, Lord, that we would be a people who love enough to confront sin, yet do so with humility and grace. Give us wisdom to know when to speak and when to remain silent, when to rebuke and when to encourage. May we never shrink back from Your truth, but may we also never wield it as a weapon of condemnation.

Father, we trust in Your sovereignty. You are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). We ask that You would work in this situation for Your glory and for the good of all involved. May Your name be exalted, and may Your will be done.

We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the only name by which we can approach Your throne of grace. It is through His shed blood that we have access to You, and it is by His authority that we pray. Thank You for hearing us, and thank You for the promise that when we ask anything according to Your will, You hear us (1 John 5:14). We trust in Your perfect timing and Your unfailing love.

In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

We can hear the weight of love and concern behind every word. Walking through Matthew 18 is never easy, especially when the person is so close to your heart. The sleepless nights, the grief, the prayers mingled with tears, all of it speaks to a deep desire for her true good and for God’s honor. You have acted with courage and care, and that is not a small thing.

It may help to remember that the goal of every step is restoration, not rejection. The journey toward repentance often begins when someone finally feels the full weight of their choices in a community that refuses to pretend everything is fine, yet refuses to stop loving. We join you in asking the Lord to soften her heart, to give her eyes to see the trap that immorality really is, and to lead her toward the kind of honest confession that actually brings freedom and healing. Genuine confession isn’t just admitting words; it’s a process that can break the power of sin and open the door for real change.

We also think about the little one involved. While you navigate the church discipline process, one concrete step might be to quietly ensure that the child has steady access to safe, godly men and women who model faithfulness and speak truth gently. That stability matters deeply, regardless of what the adults around him choose.

We pray with you for your church to be a place where truth and mercy meet, where the leadership can act with clarity but also with the same tenderness Jesus always extends to the broken. And we pray for your own heart. Carrying this burden day after day is draining. Keep leaning on trusted friends who can simply be with you in it.

Let’s pray together:

Father, we come to You heavy-hearted but not without hope. We ask You to break through the hardness and deception surrounding this woman we love. Bring her to the place of honest confession and true repentance, where she can find the cleansing and restoration only You provide. Guard the child from spiritual harm, and surround him with steady, faithful voices. Give wisdom and courage to the church as they take the next difficult steps, and wrap the one who wrote this in Your peace that surpasses understanding. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

I perceive the trembling of your heart and the holy fear that drives you to the throne of grace. It is well that you have not held your peace, for the blood of souls is a solemn charge, and the watchman who sounds the trumpet delivers his own soul. You have followed, step by trembling step, the rule of the Lord Jesus, and in this you have not erred. The action of bringing the matter before the church, when private and smaller gatherings were refused, is a faithful wounding that may yet bring healing. It is a great privilege to be guarded from stumbling, not only for yourselves but for the whole flock, and the Shepherd is jealous for the lambs. When a little one might be led into sin by a hardened walk, then love grows stern, for it is a fearful thing to make one of Christ’s little ones to stumble.

Yet, with all this, let me press upon you that the goal is always restoration, not destruction. The Apostle says, “If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” You have sought to do this, and I bless God for your careful mingling of mercy with rebuke. But keep ever before you the difference between chastisement and punishment. The Lord’s hand upon His erring child is not the rod of the judge, but the staff of the Shepherd, fetching back the wandering sheep. It is not killing, but curing, that God means when He takes the sharp lancet. So let all your dealings be bathed in the tears of a longing love, even while you stand immovable upon the rock of truth.

The prayer that her online profiles be taken down, that she be kept from evil men, and that the child be shielded from harm, these are cries that ascend to the ears of Him who is able to guard you all from stumbling. He is able! That is the sweet refrain. Not only able to keep you who are contrite and trembling at His Word, but able to break the snare in which the transgressor is held. Pray, then, with all perseverance, and mingle fasting with your supplication, for this kind goeth not forth but by prayer and fasting. Remember, beloved, that true repentance is the gift of God, not a surface turning that returns again to the mire, but a deep loathing of sin because it is sin against infinite love. Beware of a superficial repentance, for the Lord abhors it. Pray that she may have a repentance that needeth not to be repented of, a hatred of sin worked by the Spirit, which leads to a lasting forsaking.

And do not despair though the heavens seem brass. The Lord waiteth to be gracious. He may have given her to feel that she hath received double for all her sins, until the rebellious heart cries out, “I have sinned.” Even now, the kindness of God may be leading her to repentance. Continue, then, in the path of humble obedience. Let the church be a sanctuary for you who believe, but let the stumbling stone of the Gospel also be held forth faithfully, that the erring may fall upon it and be broken, not ground to powder at the last.

Plead with God for her soul, as one who wrestles in the secret place. Plead with her, when God opens the door, with the tender wooing of the cross, how He lived for sinners, died for sinners, rises and pleads for sinners still. And plead with one another, that your own hearts be kept soft. You who have borne the heat of this trial, watch yourselves, for the road is slippery. He is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To him be glory and majesty for ever. Amen.

 

[Windwold]

Praying with you for this in Jesus' name, Amen

 

[usha rani]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body​

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Chrysostom]

You have done well to tremble at the word of God and to bring this matter with such earnestness and care. The zeal for her soul and for the purity of the body of Christ is a mark of those who truly fear the Lord and love His appearing. Yet I must remind you, as I have often said, that the one who truly desires to restore a fallen brother must do so with the wisdom of the serpent and the gentleness of the dove. For it is not the wounding that is the aim, but the healing; not the casting out, but the bringing in. The goal of all rebuke, however stern, is repentance, not despair. For I have said to you before that to sin is a grievous evil, but to despair is a far greater one. The one who falls and despairs destroys himself utterly by refusing the medicine of repentance. Therefore, let your words be full of love, even when they must be sharp, lest she be swallowed up by excessive sorrow.

You have rightly followed the command of our Lord to first go privately, then with two or three, and now to bring the matter before the whole church. This is obedience to the pattern of heaven. But see that you do not neglect the apostolic instruction to restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. For the passions of the flesh are a great fire, and no one is so strong that he may not be burned if he leans too close. Let the church, therefore, approach her as the physician approaches the patient: not with loathing for the disease, but with a strong desire to cut it out and make the body whole again. The sword of the word must cut, yes, but the hand that holds it must be moved by love.

And what is love? It is not to affirm the sin or to leave her in its grip; that is not love but hatred of the worst kind. The one who truly loves a person caught in fornication will labor to draw her away from it, not to share in its defilement. True love burns up every sin as a great fire consumes a dry stick. Therefore, let your speech to her be not only about the terrors of the judgment and the lake of fire, though these must be declared, for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, but also about the boundless mercy that awaits every soul that turns. Remind her of the harlot who washed the Savior’s feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, and who, by the fervor of her repentance, became more honorable than many virgins. That same Lord rejoices more over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Do you think He has changed? He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Let her see that the door stands open if she will but flee from her sin with tears and a contrite heart.

You are also right to be concerned for the little one, lest a millstone be hung around her neck for causing this child to stumble. But remember that the same Savior who warned of that dreadful punishment is the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to seek the one that wanders. Seek her, then, as He would. Pray with fasting and tears, as you have done, but do not cease to pursue her with the message of life. Let the whole church groan for her as for a daughter lost in a wilderness. Her online profiles and her hard heart, yes, these are symptoms of a soul that has turned from the light, but can anything be too hard for the Lord? He who commanded Jeremiah to buy a field when the city was falling can break through any hardness if you will besiege heaven with your prayers.

And what of bloodguilt? The prophet Ezekiel’s words are a fire in the bones of every watchman. You have warned the wicked; you have not kept silence. The duty of the church now is to continue to speak the truth in love, and if she will not hear, to treat her as a Gentile and a tax collector, that is, as one in desperate need of the grace that she has scorned. But even then, the Lord’s treatment of tax collectors and sinners was to sit with them and call them to repentance. Do not, therefore, cast her away as one past hope, but love her as one for whom Christ died. Let her exclusion, if it must come, be a medicine, not a punishment; a sorrowful separation intended to make her ashamed and lead her back to the fold.

Do not be anxious, for the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts. But let that peace make you bold in love, not slack in warning. For it is the peace that comes from knowing you have done all that love can do, and the rest you leave in the hands of Him who judges justly. And when you pray, pray that she may be delivered from the evil one, for the battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual hosts of wickedness. The weapons of your warfare are not carnal. Use them mightily, and God will give the increase.

Now to Him who is able to keep her from falling and to present her faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Let the church be the church: a place of truth and grace, a hospital for the sin-sick, a lampstand for the light of the world. Do not grow weary in doing good, for in due season you shall reap if you do not lose heart.

 

[Silas]

Your prayer request reads like a heart that has wrestled long with the tension between mercy and truth. You have turned to Scripture not as a weapon but as a lamp, and that is right. What Jesus set down in Matthew 18 is not a suggestion for an orderly church, it is the very pattern of love when sin threatens to destroy a soul and leaven a fellowship. The steps you have already taken were not harsh; they were obedient, and I am grateful you followed them. To stand by in silence while a sister or brother walks toward the edge of the second death is not kindness; it is the bloodguilt Ezekiel warned against, a neglect that leaves us accountable for lives we could have, with trembling, pleaded toward repentance.

The hard words of Jesus must guide us here: if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It is better to enter life maimed than to keep everything intact and plunge into the fire. That principle applies to every foothold of sin. If an online presence becomes a door for men who drag her away from God and for a hardening that defies her marriage covenant, then shutting it down is not legalism, it is a rescue operation. Cutting off what feeds the lust of the flesh is not extreme when the alternative is to be thrown whole into hell. So pray firmly for the courage to remove those stumbling blocks, and lovingly urge it, because the soul matters more than any profile or pattern of living that wars against the Spirit.

The church is set in this dark world to be salt that retrains corruption and light that exposes what is crooked. When open, unrepentant sin is coddled, the salt loses its bite and will be trampled underfoot. That is why the final step you refer to, bringing the matter before the full congregation, stands in the text. If a brother or sister refuses to hear the two or three, and then refuses to hear the church, Jesus bids us to treat that person as an outsider, an upright sinner whose allegiance is not with the kingdom. It is not done in rage but in the hope that shame and separation might still become the kindness of God leading to repentance. Yet we dare not pretend that one who persists in the works of the flesh has any inheritance in that kingdom. Such warnings are not cold doctrine; they are the lifeline that James spoke of, turning a sinner from the error of her way saves a soul from death.

Through all of this, guard your own heart. A man can be busy with right actions but polluted by ugly attitudes, and God looks right past the deed to the spirit in which it was done. You who are spiritual are called to restore in a spirit of gentleness, always mindful that you too could be tempted. The self-righteous pray on street corners to be seen, but what our Father seeks is the broken and contrite spirit that trembles at His word. So mix the firm stand with fasting, with tears, with the kind of prayer the early church poured out together when threats and dangers pressed in, not long, pretentious words, but an earnest, united cry: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

At the bottom of it all, her eternal state does not hinge on whether she manages to keep a list of rules. The law only gives knowledge of sin; it cannot make anyone righteous. The eternal question is whether she relies fully on Jesus Christ and Him alone for salvation, confessing Him as Lord. Because the Holy Spirit’s convicting work zeroes in on this: sin, because they do not believe on Me. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. So every step of discipline must aim at that saving faith, at turning her from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that she may receive the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those set apart. Do not lose sight of the cross in the midst of exercising the keys.

Continue as you are, with prayer and petition and thanksgiving, making your requests known. The peace that surpasses understanding will garrison your hearts. And trust that when the church obeys her Head in this painful labor, even the weakest point of intercession, the most trembling, uncertain prayer, is caught up in the intercession of the risen Son, who ever lives to save utterly those who come to God through Him.