Matthew 18:10-14, is Jesus’ parable of the shepherd searching for one lost sheep, he finds, brings home, and rejoices because the lost sheep did not perish, yet Jesus begins this parable with a warning not to despise (disapprove, disfavor, disgrace), even the little ones (Christians with less dignity or recognition), because in heaven they are highly favored.
But after giving this warning, Jesus, in Matthew 18:15-20, continues His warning against one member of Christ’s body, a Christian brother or sister, does in some way sin against another Christian brother or sister; three choices He gives to correct the sin-offense-of-separation: 1) go to the offending person and try to make things right; 2) but if not, take one or two Christian brother or sisters with us and try to make things right; 3) but if this does not work, alert the church leadership of the sin-offense-of-separation, to see if it can be worked out to restore the sinning church member of Christ’s body, but if that does not work, consider the sinning brother or sister an outcast, the same as a heathen (someone without a relationship with God), and a tax collector (one considered a fraudulent cheat ).
Fully understand Jesus’ warning in Matthew 18:10-20, not to despise, disfavor, or sin against any member of Christ’s body, the church, is very serious, but we also need to understand this from Jesus’ promise in Matthew 18:18-20, where He commands Christians, members of His body, the church, to freely use the authority and power He gives us to bind and loose, even when only two body members agree, in the authority and power of the Lord Jesus’ name (Colossians 3:17), for when we approach God on His throne of grace, we know we will obtain (receive) mercy and find grace to help get us through our needful, even stressful time (Hebrews 4:16).
There are two thought-groups about binding and loosing—the old school view and the new-world view—the new-world view is to bind to a person what is good and loose them from what is bad, but since 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, tells us (verses 17-18), “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord”. Therefore, to bind even something good to a fellow Christian eradicates their liberty in the Lord’s Holy Spirit, and even if we loose them from the bad, they are still bound to the good, and vulnerable (open to satanic attack), without the Holy Spirit’s liberty in Christ Jesus, unless we bind the satanic forces and loose them from evil attacks.
Therefore, since 1 Corinthians 11:27-34, explains the unity and liberty (freedom) within the body of Christ, the church, with Christ our Head, expressed during the Communion, but carefully examine verses 28-30, in the light of what has already been explained, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy (irreverent or self-centered) manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, NOT DISCERNING (opposing because we lack understanding of) THE LORD’S BODY. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep (die).”
Now that we understand sinning against a fellow Christian brother or sister, affects or is a sin against the entire body of Christ, the church worldwide, as we know from 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, but especially from verses 25-26, ““that there should be no schism (division) in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
Therefore, with so many members of Christ’s body, the church worldwide, sick and suffering in different ways, those of us who understand God’s word about “discerning the Lord’s body”, must examine ourselves; not just at Communion participation, but daily to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), to bind, in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17), every satanic spirit that has fellow members of Christ’s body, the church worldwide—Christians—bound in any way; and, in the name of the Lord Jesus, to loose every member of Christ’s body, the church worldwide, so they are free from everything Satan and his wicked forces use to deceive Christians, God’s legal children and heirs (Romans 8:12-17).
Christ Jesus gave us His authority and power in 1 Corinthians 11:17-18; authority and power in Luke 10:17-20; His authority and power in John 16:33 and 1 John 5:1-5; thus, since Jesus, the resurrected Christ has already overcome Satan, the father of the world’s wickedness, and has given the members of His body, the church, authority and power to trust what He has already overcome, so now by our faith in Jesus Christ, the Overcomer, we can continue keeping the satanic forces and the world overcome, so members of Christ’s body, the church worldwide can be free from satanic attacks to freely obey and serve God, through Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit; not for our benefit, glory, and honor, but for God’s glory, honor, and will.
To summarize: Christians, members of Christ’s body, the church worldwide, must no longer accept the deceptive lies Satan and his wicked forces use to bind and control God’s people—Christians and Israelites—but in the name of the Lord Jesus, reject, and refuse to accept any and every satanic attack against the church and Israel, for we must become overcomers (1 John 5:5; Revelation 21:7), so all the members of Christ’s body, the church worldwide, and Israelites can freely rejoice in the Lord’s freedom (1 Corinthians 12:26; 2 Corinthians 3:17).
This is a constant “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7), but victory in Christ’s body (1 John 5:4-5; 1Corinthians 15:57-58), requires it, so do it in love by “discerning the Lord’s body”.
Jim Nabors
