Creating a Secure CHURCH
PART 4 : When Things Go Wrong
Chapter 13 : Secure in Correction – Theory
“He who hates correction is stupid” (Prov 12:1)
In a previous Chapter we considered how creating a secure church should enable people to more freely confess their sins and failures. Now we are considering the secure church from the point of view of the service or work that the church does, and we need, therefore, to consider the corrective role of the church. I need to warn you in advance that you are going to need to really think in this chapter. This area of correction is potentially THE most difficult area in church life and the more positive in direction is the church, the more difficult it becomes. It is an area that has the potential for thoroughly upsetting what might otherwise be a really secure church.
In this chapter we will focus on theory and in the next one the practice of correction. Why a theory chapter? Well, over the years as I have watched the life and movement of the church and as I have considered this particular role of the church, I’ve concluded that it is one of the most difficult, and also one which doesn’t seem to be spoken about much. Therefore we need to give quite a lot of thought to it.
13.1 Why Consider Correction
Why include chapters on correction and why in a book on creating a secure church? There are a number of reasons:
1. Scripture says so
The writer of Proverbs clearly believed that wisdom involves correction as we see from the verse at the beginning of the Chapter. The apostle Paul writing to the Galatians said “If someone is caught in sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.” (Gal 6:1). Similarly Jesus gave a strategy for correction (Mt 18:15 -17) and emphasised the need to correct and be prepared to forgive again and again (Lk 17:3,4). Paul also spoke of admonishing one another (Col 1:28, 3:16). The Bible thus clearly indicates that when we see a brother or sister sinning we are to do something about it.
2. Correction brings security
Correction breeds security for two reasons: first, when the church knows correction is brought, it knows there are boundaries that cannot be crossed, and knowing there are boundaries to behaviour creates a sense of security. Small children know this. Take away the boundaries and allow a child to do what it will, and it soon starts showing signs of great insecurity. As soon as boundaries are set and maintained, the child knows where it is and knowing where it is means it feels safe.
The second reason is that when correction is brought the rest of the church know that justice prevails, and the absence of justice makes people feel unsafe. When justice prevails people feel safe.
3. Correction restores peace and harmony
Again Proverbs says, “An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.” (Prov 18:19). Where there is offence or dispute there is upset, disharmony, dissension, and division. All these things are expressly against Jesus’ desire for peace, harmony and unity (see Jn 17). When we bring correction we restore these things to the body and the body is better off.
4. Imperfect Lives Need Correcting
The reality is that our lives are imperfect and therefore need changing and change comes by correction. We covered this in the previous chapter under the heading of Mentoring.
