God's Discipline
Lovingkindness and Mercy
Do Not Preclude Discipline
While the kindness of God to His congregation was past telling yet His discipline, to maintain the testimony in holiness, was very strict. Transgressors were to be put out of the congregation for eating leaven (Ex. 12:15-19); for eating blood (Lev. 7:27) ; for eating the peace offering while defiled, or after the second day (Lev. 7:20); for seeing a brother’s or sister’s nakedness (Lev. 20:13); for touching holy things while unclean (Lev. 22:3); for compounding holy oil (Ex. 30:33); for neglecting the Passover (Num. 9:13); for neglecting the water of purification (Num. 19:13); and for neglecting circumcision, etc.
They were to put to death the idolater (Deut. 13:9); the blasphemer; the false prophet (Deut. 13:5-11); the presumptuous sinner (Deut. 17:12); the Sabbath breaker (Ex. 31:14); the wizard (Lev. 20:27); the stranger who came nigh as a priest (Num. 18:7); murderers (Num. 35:31); smiters, or cursers of fathers or mothers (Ex. 21:15-17); stubborn and rebellious sons (Deut. 21:20-21); adulterers, etc. (Lev. 20:10); and other such like persons.
No doubt the liberal minded would consider such laws very harsh and unnecessary; but those with spiritual intelligence would see that the testimony would be ruined, and Israel would be a false witness for God, if such things were tolerated. To be liberal minded in spiritual things is to rob God of His authority, to annul His discipline and to treat him as if he were a mere softling. His love and pity must not be used to offset His justice and authority. When Jesus ceases to be owned as Lord and is looked upon as one whose chief business is to forgive, there is something radically wrong. To extend a feverish handed love to the lawless and self-willed; to frown upon those who yield a sinewy obedience to the faith; or to substitute “bread-breaking” with every chance acquaintance professor, for the fellowship of saints in an Assembly of God, is as debilitating a form of Laodiceanism as has ever been– an exalting of the will of man and a denying of the Lordship of Christ. God is not less careful in the Church than He was in the Congregation of Israel, (see 1 Cor. 5; 2 Pet. 2:10; 1 Tim. 1:9; 1 Cor. 6:9; Heb. 7:10; Heb. 10:26; Matt. 18:15-18; 2 Thess. 3: 6-14; 1 Tim. 1:9-20; 6:3-5; 2 Tim. 2:16-21; 3:1-5; Rom. 16:17; Acts 20:29; Rev. 2:2; 2 Cor. 11:13; Tit. 3:10-11;1 Tim. 1:20; Eph. 5:5; 2 Cor. 11:1-13; Gal. 1:8; 1 Cor. 10:20; Jn. 8:8; 1 Cor. 11:27-32).
They were to put to death the idolater (Deut. 13:9); the blasphemer; the false prophet (Deut. 13:5-11); the presumptuous sinner (Deut. 17:12); the Sabbath breaker (Ex. 31:14); the wizard (Lev. 20:27); the stranger who came nigh as a priest (Num. 18:7); murderers (Num. 35:31); smiters, or cursers of fathers or mothers (Ex. 21:15-17); stubborn and rebellious sons (Deut. 21:20-21); adulterers, etc. (Lev. 20:10); and other such like persons.
No doubt the liberal minded would consider such laws very harsh and unnecessary; but those with spiritual intelligence would see that the testimony would be ruined, and Israel would be a false witness for God, if such things were tolerated. To be liberal minded in spiritual things is to rob God of His authority, to annul His discipline and to treat him as if he were a mere softling. His love and pity must not be used to offset His justice and authority. When Jesus ceases to be owned as Lord and is looked upon as one whose chief business is to forgive, there is something radically wrong. To extend a feverish handed love to the lawless and self-willed; to frown upon those who yield a sinewy obedience to the faith; or to substitute “bread-breaking” with every chance acquaintance professor, for the fellowship of saints in an Assembly of God, is as debilitating a form of Laodiceanism as has ever been– an exalting of the will of man and a denying of the Lordship of Christ. God is not less careful in the Church than He was in the Congregation of Israel, (see 1 Cor. 5; 2 Pet. 2:10; 1 Tim. 1:9; 1 Cor. 6:9; Heb. 7:10; Heb. 10:26; Matt. 18:15-18; 2 Thess. 3: 6-14; 1 Tim. 1:9-20; 6:3-5; 2 Tim. 2:16-21; 3:1-5; Rom. 16:17; Acts 20:29; Rev. 2:2; 2 Cor. 11:13; Tit. 3:10-11;1 Tim. 1:20; Eph. 5:5; 2 Cor. 11:1-13; Gal. 1:8; 1 Cor. 10:20; Jn. 8:8; 1 Cor. 11:27-32).
Excerpted from the book "The Pattern Assembly" by Dr. E. A. Martin
