Order and Anarchy

In civil society there is a rule of law, those guiding the interpretation of the law and those who enforce that law. It is very clear and concise. Those who break the law are stopped, judged according to the law and penalized for being lawbreakers.

In the Christian world it gets much more complicated. Even in Jesus' day there was not a little confusion over his so called crimes because civil authorities said that he had done nothing against their law. It was the religious world that prosecuted him and put him to death. Today, there are many things that are governed in our Christian circles, not by the world, because the world says no violation of the law has occurred, but by the Church. There is then, a rule of law within the Church(the Scripture), those who interpret that law but should we have those who enforce the law? Again, another struggle with which we often deal.

We are told by the Apostle Paul in Scripture that we should choose elders in every church. Those elders are the governing fathers in each local assembly. These fathers, like the fathers in a home must set the parameters for the house or else rather than order, chaos will result. These elders have to begin with the Scripture and look at every situation within the light of this Truth. If a person is found in violation of God's order of things, the offender will hopefully hear the restorative, correcting words of his elders. But what if he won't? What if he chooses to go his own way and take others with him? What is the church to do then? Unfortunately, I have had to deal with this dilemma many times and at great price. It is a dangerous time. The one rejecting the counsel of the plurality of elders is setting himself up as right and all others are wrong. Then he usually recruits others to his point of view, his perspective of his unjust treatment and points them toward his vision for a better world or church.

I have come to the place where I no longer am willing to try to "stop them". (Of course the local church has the responsibility according to the Bible to follow the guidelines written there. ) All I can do is to speak truth to them as best I know it at the moment. Then, if they choose a different way, I move on to another task. I have done my part. But, what about the offender? How will he be corrected so that others may see his error and people see that there is a penalty for breaking the law? He is now placed under a different order of things. He now falls under the powerful truth of "sowing and reaping". What about the poor people who follow him? Of course there are innocent people who may follow such a person and they are the true victims of lawlessness. However, often the spirit of the offender bears witness with the spirit of lawlessness in his potential followers, thus an unholy alliance is formed. In the beginning it usually looks like the group is getting away with it because no one is calling them to account. However, history proves that in time, the very laws that have been broken, the standard protocols of integrity, covenant and accountability that have been discarded serve as the judge, jury and the one passing sentence. Do I find pleasure in this fact? I am heartbroken every time it occurs. However, I no longer feel that I must be the defender of the order of the Lord. The Lord God Himself has already set that process in place. Don't allow yourself to take on false responsibility for that which the Lord will handle in His time.