Judgement Must Begin At The House Of God

 

"Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." (I Samuel 2:22)

When Eli's sons were practicing vice, theft, and fornication, Eli mildly rebuked his sons but he did not oust them from office or otherwise hold them accountable, and through such negligence Eli shared the sins of his sons and was guilty of honouring his sons above God. (I Samuel 2: 27-30) The Eli Syndrome has infected many churches and is destroying Christian influence and soul winning power. Often people in church leadership and teaching positions who set a bad example or teach damnable heresies are not held accountable. Vice, sexual immorality, fraudulent business practices, and rebellious youths often go on unaddressed and unrebuked. Ministers and counselors often make a point of befriending and rewarding the unruly, the rebels, and the infidels while neglecting the dedicated believers. The rebellious, unruly, and incorrigible are often rewarded with activities and recreation in order to keep them, hoping that pacifying and pampering them will save them and expecting that we can somehow win competing against the world when it comes to fun and thrills while assuming that a little leaven will have no negative affect.

A censorious spirit is wrong and must be avoided. (Isaiah 29:20-21; Matthew 7:4) We must avoid being against so much that we are not for anything or become guilty of putting pet theories and preferences above God’s Word. (Romans 14:1,7-12; II Timothy 2:14-15) In dealing with the sins of others it is important to recognize one’s own humanness. (Galatians 6:1; Isaiah 42:19) God always wants to forgive more than we want to be forgiven, and we should reflect that attitude. (Psalm 103:8-14; Romans 5:8) For example, note in II Corinthians 12:21 that the main concern is not whether any church members have sinned but whether those who sinned have repented. But we must be careful to maintain a balance between compassion in reconciling people to the fold and that of overlooking unrepentant sin, and we must promote and reward the faithful. (I Corinthians 5:12; II Corinthians 13:2; I Timothy 5:20; I Peter 4:17)

When Christians Sin 

12 Reasons Churches Don't Practice Church Discipline, by Chuck Lawless

Dealing With Sinning Christians: An Overview of Church Discipline