[ACuriousFellow]

It is often difficult for a person to accept correction without at least a bit of embarrassment or apprehension. How much more a leader? How much more an entire denomination? John Ingalls did not seek to condemn Lee or even blame him for his son’s actions, but he sought accountability and restoration of order. Steve Isitt did not seek to crucify the leaders of The Lord’s Recovery, but rather sought to have reconciliation with those who were wronged with the hope of bringing them back into that denomination. These things, however, required an open and candid conversation of what was not done correctly. However, how can one dare to claim that something has been done incorrectly within this Ministry of the Age? To speak so negatively is to speak death, and to speak death is to attack the body. Rather than admit to one’s mistakes, they are instead ignored or covered up, which allows for the mistakes to accumulate and damage the assemblies of God more and more. Should you be so bold as to use the scriptures to exhort your brothers and sisters and to appeal for adjustments to this great ministry, you are simply one who is in their mind too much and is making use of a “dead letter.” After all, it is not about “being right,” but “eating life.” It is not about an earnest desire to become better, but rather about blindly and obediently following the leading of those who came before you who are beholden to no one but themselves. Christianity needs to be corrected by The Lord’s Recovery, but The Lord’s Recovery cannot be corrected. The leading ones need to correct others when they do not abide by the “New Way,” but they cannot be corrected by those they lead. When one strays from the doctrines of Lee, they must be told of their error, but when the doctrines of Lee stray from the word of God, one must be silent and not divisive.

But even if they refuse to be beholden to the written word, they will still answer to the one who spoke them.

Useful For Correction

Galatians 5:1-12
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand, firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again, I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. 7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Paul did not end in rebuke. Every rebuke, if done properly, should include a redirection towards what is right, especially when dealing with your own spiritual children. Paul’s rebuke of the Galatians begins to turn into correction and teaching so that they may be built up once more. He destroyed what the enemy was creating and is rebuilding with proper, sound doctrine so that the church may have healthy growth.

Galatians 5:13-26
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

What a beautiful thing it is to be called to freedom. The Jews themselves were called to be free from the constraints of the Mosaic Law and live by the Spirit. Our command is to love one another, and in order to do this properly Paul teaches them what it means to live by the Spirit and what it means to live by the flesh. If you are living against the will of the Spirit, this will manifest with petty quarrels, sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and other such things. This is not love. Those who refuse to abandon these things are not abiding in the love of God. However, to live by the Spirit means to put these things to death. We have the great counselor abiding in us and giving us guidance. When we seek the Lord, learn from him, and build our relationship with him through prayer, petition, and praise, we should, bit by bit, be showing the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In correcting the believers, Paul is simultaneously training them in righteousness, showing them the things they must pursue and hold on to. What, then, shall happen to those who stumble along the way? Paul addresses this immediately.

Galatians 6:1-10
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, form the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.

Those who stumble must be restored gently. It is one thing to rebuke someone for willful wickedness or false teachings, but there are times where in our weakness we stumble without seeing it coming. It is a difficult thing to go through, and what we need in such times is to be lifted up. We must carry the burdens of our brothers and sisters who struggle with sin, but we ourselves must also be careful so as not to fall into the same sin. We should especially test our own actions and live according to what is right without comparing ourselves to others. We must do what we know to be good, and we must continue in our endeavor to learn what is good. There are so many situations, circumstances, and relationships that make it difficult to discern between good and evil, and so doing good can become difficult. Still, the evil things we do are harmful, and the good things we do are beneficial. God shall not be mocked: we will not get away with doing that which we know to be evil, and we are not excused when we are capable of learning what is good but refuse to do so. This is not an easy thing. Following the Son of God is not an easy life, but it is a life that is fulfilling and amazing when we live it through. As difficult as it is to sort through all the things of life, the good and the evil and that which we cannot yet discern, we must not grow weary. We must persevere in the faith apportioned to us and build ourselves up along with our brothers and sisters. This is good. This pleases the Spirit, just as it pleases a Father to see his child growing and learning and doing what is righteous rather than what is wicked and selfish.

2 Timothy 2:22-26
22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Correction is something that must be done patiently in the hope that God would grant our opponents repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth and so that they would come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. This is the hope of correction, as is, ultimately, the hope of rebuke. Rebuke is a hard stop to prevent danger, and correction is rebuilding in order to fortify the believers with proper doctrine and instruction. This is indeed a wonderful thing to do for the Body of Christ. “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the payer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5:13-20). When we sin against each other, it is good to confront one another and confess to one another to reestablish peace and fellowship and live righteously. The prayers of the righteous are powerful, and to bring a person back from their wandering saves them from death and covers a multitude of sins. To correct has two effects from what I see in these scriptures: we save our brother or sister from death, and now that they are returning to the righteous way, their own prayers will become more effective because they will be better able to discern the will of God. These are the things we must seek when correcting and rebuking our brothers and sisters. This extends to our own children as well. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise — ‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:1-4). It is a grand responsibility that we have as God’s people to learn and grow and help each other to learn and grow.