Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Praying Against the Wicked

God’s Justice As Congregational Necessity

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2023-08-11

Synopsis: John Weaver argues that biblical justice is not limited to civil or personal spheres but is a congregational necessity. Because God's nature and commands require righteousness, the church as a body must speak against sin, exercise discipline, and uphold God's standards. Failure to do so dishonors God, encourages sin, and harms both the congregation and the sinner. Using Micah 6:8, Isaiah 45:18-19, 1 Peter 4:17, and 1 Corinthians 5, he shows that judgment begins with God's house, and congregational justice restores the sinner, benefits others, and glorifies God.

[John Weaver] Brother, you may have been green behind the ears at one time, but you've ripened up some. And I'm thankful that is true. I want you to open your Bibles, if you would please, tonight to two passages. First of all, Micah 6 and verse 8, since that's the theme. And then, of course, Isaiah chapter 45, which we'll read just shortly. Isaiah 45, just go ahead and hold that. And then we'll read Micah chapter 6 first. Notice, if you would, Micah chapter 6 and verse 8.

[John Weaver] The Word of God says very plainly, clearly, He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. So tonight, I'm going to be dealing with this subject, biblical justice as a congregational necessity. Normally, when we think about justice, we think about justice in the civil sphere. Sometimes we think about it in the personal sphere, especially if we're the ones that have been wrong. But very seldom do we think about it in the ecclesiastical or the congregational sphere. God's love for justice does not stop at the civil sphere. Neither does it stop at the individual sphere. The truth of the matter is that God's love for justice encompasses all of His dominion. And He demands justice in every sphere and especially in and among His people. Why?

[John Weaver] And the answer is because of His nature and also because of His commands. So if you'll look in Isaiah 45, verses 18 and 19, the Scripture says this,"'For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, God Himself that formed the earth and made it, He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth. I said not into the seat of Jacob, seeking me in vain. I, the Lord, speak righteousness.

[John Weaver] I declare things that are right. Now, note what he said, I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare the things which are right. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5 in verse 1, Be ye therefore followers of God as your children, be ye imitators of God. But if you're going to follow God the Father as His child, you must also learn to speak righteousness, you must also declare those things which are right, and in doing so, you learn to walk worthy of the Lord, and as Colossians 1 and verse 10 says, you learn to walk pleasing unto Him as well. Now, the Apostle Paul, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 10, said this to those Thessalonican Christians. He said, You are our witnesses, and God also, how wholly and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. So Paul is saying this. You are our witnesses. God is our witness that we lived wholly and just lives before you. Now, when the Apostle Paul said that he lived justly, the Greek word is deklaos, which literally means that he lived that which is agreeable to God's law, that which is right, that which is upright, that which fits God's standard.

[John Weaver] You remember it was the Apostle Paul who said concerning the law of God in Romans 7 and verse 12, wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good. So biblical justice, then, is also a congregational necessity. And it is that for a number of reasons. Without biblical justice, the law is slacked. Without biblical justice, justice never really goes forth. And without biblical justice, the wicked then are allowed to triumph, and the wicked are allowed then to dominate the just. I want you to turn over just a few pages to the book of Habakkuk, if you would, right past Micah. If you would go back to Micah, and you can turn over just a few pages, and you're going to find the book of Habakkuk. And notice, if you would, In Habakkuk chapter 1, and let's read there, verses 1-4, and here is exactly what I just told you. Look in Habakkuk 1, verse 1. The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

[John Weaver] Oh Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save? Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me." Think about our situation today. And there are they that raise up strife and contention. What is happening with all the violence, all the contention, all the uproar, all the chaos, all the confusion?

[John Weaver] Verse 4, therefore the law is slacked. And judgment doth never go forth, for the wicked doth compass about the righteous, therefore wrong judgment proceedeth." Anytime the wicked dominate the righteous, anytime the wicked are in control, the wickedness always extends. You must consider the fact, when we're talking about congregational necessity in executing God's justice, congregations are made up of individuals. So we're talking about individual justice as well as congregational justice.

[John Weaver] So let me try to state this another way. You have to understand that there is a personal responsibility and a personal accountability and there's also a corporate responsibility and a corporate accountability. So it is true that the individual must act personally. But it's equally true that the congregation must also act as a body.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to think about this. I'm going to give you some scriptures from the Old Testament, and I'm going to give you some scriptures from the New Testament talking about the congregation as a body. In Psalm 22 and verse 22. The psalmist said, I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation. I will praise thee. So he talks about the brethren. That would be individuals. But then he said in the midst of the congregation. So that would be the corporate body. And then in Psalm 22 and verse 25, my praise shall be of thee in the great congregation.

[John Weaver] I will pay my vows before them that fear him. So we're talking about a corporate body. We're also talking about individuals. And then in Psalm 35 in verse 18, the psalmist said, I will give the thanks of the great congregation. I will praise thee among much people. So individuals and a corporate body as well. So the congregation then, even in the Old Testament, was a body. It was a corporate body.

[John Weaver] It was a group of folks who moved as one. Now, when you think about the New Testament, Hang on. Ephesians 4 and verse 4, for there is one body and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling. And then in Ephesians 4 and verse 12, the Bible says, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. And of course the body of Christ is made up of individuals, but here we're spoken of as a body. And then in Ephesians 4 and verse 16, for whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplied, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part make an increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." So the whole body is to work together, not individually only. Yes, we have individual abilities and responsibilities, but we're also to move together as a group, he said, to the edifying of itself. And then in the book of Colossians, chapter 3, verse 15, the Bible says this, And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, which you are also called in one body, and be ye thankful.

[John Weaver] It's interesting how many times the scripture places the emphasis upon a body. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Romans, chapter 15, because I want you to see what the Apostle Paul is admonishing the Roman Christians in. So if you look in Romans chapter 15, and let's begin reading there with verse 5, and we'll read through verse 9.

[John Weaver] So, just up and think about this. The body moves and acts as one. Everything about your body may be different, but it is one. So when my feet move, my entire body moves, OK? And when one member of my body suffers, so do the others. And if you don't believe that, you just take a hammer and hit yourself on the thumb and you'll find the entire body will kind of groan and you will grasp that thumb and the whole body's in sympathy. Because although it's made up of multitude of members, it's still just one body.

[John Weaver] So I want you to see what the Apostle Paul says. Romans 15. Look at verse five.

[John Weaver] Now, the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus. That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherefore receive you one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." Now, I want you to pay close attention, if you would, to this passage, because Paul is praying that these Roman Christians would be like-minded one toward another.

[John Weaver] And then he makes some astounding statements. He says in verse six that you may with one mind. And one mouth glorify God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So let me point three things out in that verse. He said that you may with one mind. And that you may with one mouth glorify God, that would be one motive. Then if you'll skip down to verse seven. Wherefore, receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. That's one mission. Now watch. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the Father. That is still one mission.

[John Weaver] So let me put it to you very plainly. If you have one mind, it means you think the same way. If you have one mouth, it means you say exactly the same things. If you have one mission, it means, of course, or one motive, it means that you are moved by the same thing. If you have one mission, it means, therefore, that you're acting in the same way and you're seeking the same end. Isn't that amazing? The Apostle Paul is praying that these people will have one mind, one motive, One mouth, one motive and one mission.

[John Weaver] Now, let me mention something to you. He said in verse six, wherefore receive you one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God. I preached on this text many years ago and I titled my message Christian Protocol. Have you ever stopped to think about this, that we are to receive each other the way Christ received us? Even though we have our differences. Even though we have our preferences. Do you realize Jesus Christ received us as we were sinners? He received us when we were in rebellion. Basically, He broke our rebellion.

[John Weaver] He brought us to Himself. And He received us exactly the way we were. And He made us totally different. So when we receive each other as Jesus Christ received us, we're receiving each other with our differences. with our preferences. But we're still receiving each other as Jesus Christ has received us.

[John Weaver] Now, here's the interesting thing. The Word of God is telling us very plainly that we must move then as one body. And to move as one body, you have to have the one mind, you have to have the one mouth, you have to have the one motive, and you have to have the one mission.

[John Weaver] Now, we may not all have the same abilities. And many of us do not have hardly any. Dear friends, one of my dearest friends who is now with the Lord, he was a preacher. But that man, he could build a house. He didn't need an architect. If you just told him what you wanted, he could do it. He built 500 homes just in North Carolina alone. He could build. He could plumb. He could wire. He was a mechanic. He could do anything. And I often told him, I said, I hate you. I just hate you because I can't do any of those things. But yet he could do all of those things. He had all these abilities. I had none of those abilities. Different ones have different abilities. Moreover, we have different understanding. Not everyone is on the same page when it comes to growth.

[John Weaver] That's why the Bible talks about little children, young men and fathers. There are different stages that we go through. All of us are green behind the ears, I can assure you, at one time in our lives. And then all of us become young men, and then all of us become fathers in the faith, so to speak, as well.

[John Weaver] Now, the Word of God tells us that we may not have everything alike, but still, we are one body. Now, think with me. I may not be able to do everything that you can do. You may not be able to do everything that I can do. I may not understand everything that you understand, and you may not understand everything that I understand. But one thing that each of us can do is we can bow to the authority of the Word of God and submit our minds to the teaching of the Word of God. And we can admit that I don't understand. I loved Lester Roloff. I don't know if you ever knew Lester Roloff. That man.

[John Weaver] He would be preaching, he'd just break out singing and he really couldn't sing, you know, he really could. But but he'd break your heart because his singing was just so so blessed. But I remember him on the family altar program. And he was. Reading from Ephesians chapter one, I thought, oh, this is going to be interesting. Because Lester Roloff, as much as I loved him, he was not a theologian. He really was not. But he could bless your heart and he loved the Lord. And so I was eager to see what he was going to say in Ephesians chapter one.

[John Weaver] And he came to that verse that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. And you know what Lester Roloff said? Here's what he said. I don't understand this. I can't explain it. But I believe it and I bow to it because it's in the Word of God. So what I'm trying to tell you is this. All of our fussing and feuding and fighting can be resolved If we have a humble spirit and a mind that's just willing to submit to the Word of God, regardless of our understandings, regardless of our abilities, we can just say, I'm going to bow to the Word of God. So one mind, one mouth, one motive, and one mission. Now, that's why the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 27, now you are the body of Christ and members in particular.

[John Weaver] So in light of this truth, we need to consider a passage that speaks on what you and I would call congregational justice. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of First Peter, chapter four, and look at verse 17. First Peter, chapter four and verse 17. Look at what the word of God says. First Peter four, verse 17. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end of them that obey not the gospel be? So, he said, the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God.

[John Weaver] Now, the Greek word for justice is the word crema, and it refers to a judgment, a condemnation, a condemnation of wrong, a decision, whether right or mild or severe, which one passes upon the conduct of another. It also has reference then to a judicially declared court ruling. In other words, it is a lawsuit, basically, and it involves the sentence of a judge. So now, basically, I want to give you two applications from this verse.

[John Weaver] First of all, we must then understand that as a church, as the body of Christ, we will be judged for our sins more quickly and more readily than will the laws. That's what he said. Judgment must first begin at the house of God. So that means God is going to chasten us first.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something. I had four daughters, and when they were children, when they did wrong, I chastised them. And I would make sure that if I ever told my child that I'm going to whip you for this, that's exactly what I would do, because I would want them to understand that, yes, I'm going to keep my word. Yes, they have done wrong. And yes, they're going to be punished for that.

[John Weaver] You know why I did that? Because they were my children and I wanted them to do that which was right and to be right. I don't remember ever whipping my neighbor's children, you know, but I did with mine now. God wants us to be right.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to show you. I want you to follow me. I want you to hold 1 Peter, if you would. But turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Luke chapter 12. And I'm going to show you why God is going to judge the church first. So look in your Bibles to Luke chapter 12. And let's begin reading there with verse 43. Luke chapter 12. Note, if you would please, beginning with verse 43. Here's what the Word of God says.

[John Weaver] Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But, and if that servant say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men's servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, the Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour of which

[John Weaver] he is not aware, and will cut him asunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according whose will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did not commit things worthy of stripes, he shall be beaten with few stripes. Why? For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required. And to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask them more.

[John Weaver] So let me put this very plainly, the greater the responsibility, the greater the opportunity, the greater the culpability. The more knowledge you have, the more opportunities you have, the more responsibilities you have, the more culpable you are if you fail in those duties and those responsibilities.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you a good illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Lamentations. Jeremiah Lamentations and look in Lamentations chapter four, because here is an absolute astounding truth. Look, if you would, in the book of Lamentations chapter four and look at verse six. Here's what Jeremiah said, and he was eyewitness to the destruction of Jerusalem. And he said this for the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people. That would be Jerusalem. is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown in a moment and no hand stayed on her." Now think about that. He said, and he's watching Jerusalem destroyed, for the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom. that was overthrown as in a moment and no hand stayed on her.

[John Weaver] Now, you're going to have to ask yourself this question. Why in the world was the destruction of Jerusalem greater than the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? Why was it more severe? Well, let's answer that. Jerusalem had the temple. Jerusalem had the law. Jerusalem had the teaching priests. Jerusalem had the worship of God. Jerusalem had everything that Sodom and Gomorrah did not have. Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown as in a moment.

[John Weaver] I mean, fire and brimstone rained down upon them, and that was it. I preached the message recently on cataclysmic judgments. And I read where some were saying that probably the fire and brimstone came from a meteorite that exploded. And oh, I forget how many degrees Fahrenheit it reached, something like seven or eight thousand degrees. The whole earth was scorched. Archaeologists are saying everything was scorched. The earth was even burned.

[John Weaver] It was overthrown in a moment. Not Jerusalem. Jerusalem was under a siege. There was starvation. There was famine. There was killing. Finally, there was captivity. And then once those who got carried into captivity, it was 70 years long. What does he say? The punishment of Jerusalem was greater than the punishment of Sodom. Because Sodom was overthrown in a moment. It was quick. It was innocent. It was over. It was done with. But not with Jerusalem. Because Jerusalem had greater opportunities and greater blessings and greater responsibilities.

[John Weaver] And therefore, they were more culpable. They deserved censure. They deserved punishment more. The second application, I think, on this passage is also obvious. 1 Peter 4 and verse 17. That is, it is the congregation, the church, that is to be speaking truth and condemning sin, exposing wickedness and applying the law of God. Yes, and applying the law of God.

[John Weaver] Now, there are two truths, I believe, that follow right in this vein. First of all, do you realize it's the responsibility of the church, the congregation, the body of Christ, to declare the word of God, to declare the law of God and to uphold his judgments and his standards. Failure in this area not only supports the wicked, it condones the wickedness and gives them energy because it is a compromise with the world.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you. I want you to turn, if you would, to the book of Zephaniah. You'll find Zephaniah before Zachariah. And then Malachi. But look in the book of Zephaniah, chapter 3, beginning there with verse 1. Zephaniah, chapter 3, verse 1. God says, Woe to her that is filthy and polluted to the oppressing city. Now, that's Jerusalem. She obeyed not the voice. She received not correction.

[John Weaver] She trusted not in the Lord. She drew not near to God. Her princes within are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They gnaw not the bones till the morrow. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons. Her priests have polluted the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law. The just Lord is in the midst thereof. He will not do iniquity. Every morning doth he bring his judgment to light.

[John Weaver] He faileth not, but the unjust knoweth no shame." Notice, if you would, how wicked these people are. And notice what he says. The princes are corrupt. The prophets are corrupt. The priests are corrupt. Nobody is doing anything. In other words, when you and I fail to preach and proclaim and to teach the Word of God, what we're doing, we're elevating these individuals and we are condoning exactly what they're doing because we're failing to bring and proclaim God's judgment upon them.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to consider, if you would just momentarily, a statement that was placed into the 1647 revision of the legal code of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Here it is. The execution of the law is the life of the law. In short, no sanctions, no law.

[John Weaver] Now listen to that again. The execution of the law is the life of the law. In short, no sanctions, no law. You look at all the Antifa, Black Lives Matter, all the communist stuff. Look at all of the stores that have been robbed, the people that have been raped, the people that have been murdered. Look at all the property that's been destroyed. And think about this. Nothing happened to most of those people. So where there are no sanctions, basically speaking, there is no law. Because the sanction, or the execution of the law, is the life of the law. And when you do not have an execution of that law, the law then basically is absolutely worthless. Every law must have sanctions. If there is no sanction, then the law is useless. It is worthless. Now, it is true as the body of Christ, we may not be able to execute every law, but we can proclaim God's sanctions against sin and against wickedness.

[John Weaver] How else will the wicked ever know what is wicked and what is wrong if we do not tell them? Fallen man could care less. He believes that his wickedness is right because he's doing his own thing. He's following his feelings. He's following his desires. He's living out what he wants. It's got to be right. I feel good about this. I enjoy this. Yeah. How will he ever know?

[John Weaver] You remember what the old Puritans always used to say, that the sharp needle of the law must precede the scarlet thread of the gospel. If the church does not proclaim, if the church does not preach and teach, how in the world will the wicked know? Biblical justice, you must remember, is based upon the eternal fixed standard of the goodness and righteousness found in the character of God and revealed in His Word. The Church of Jesus Christ as a body must speak out against sin. We must speak out against sodomy. We must speak out against transgenderism. We must speak out against fornication. We must speak out against fraud. We must speak out against tyranny, both political and civil and even spiritual tyranny. We have to.

[John Weaver] Speaking out is absolutely needed and necessary. And if we don't, We're actually compromising with the world. That's exactly what we're doing now. Let me point something else out. Speaking out is needed and necessary, but there are things and there are times that that is all we can do. Because in one sense of the word. There are things over which the church does not have control. I usually tell people I cannot control the President of the United States.

[John Weaver] I wish I could, but I can't. I cannot control Congress. I wish I could, but I can't. I cannot control the court system. I wish I could, but I can't. I do not have any practical control over that. I do have a control in the sense that there are imprecatory prayers in the Bible, and I can certainly pray, and that certainly is true as well. But the point I'm trying to make is there are some things I do not have control over, but those over which the body of Christ does have control, you have to do more than speak out.

[John Weaver] So let me give you the illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. 1 Corinthians chapter 5. And I want us to read the verse 5 verses. 1 Corinthians chapter 5 beginning with verse 1. The Apostle Paul tells these Corinthians, it is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's wife. And you are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he that had done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily is absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath done this deed.

[John Weaver] For in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye were gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such one of the Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Now, here's a case. that not only had to be spoken against, but it also needed to be judged.

[John Weaver] A biblical censure, a biblical judgment must be given in such an instance. This is normally what you and I would call church discipline. Now, before I share with you this case and the outcome, I want to point out at least three reasons for church discipline, three reasons for biblical justice as a congregational necessity. First of all, church discipline must be accomplished, or let me say this another way, congregational justice must be accomplished for the honor and the glory of God. It is demanded in Scripture that we must grasp the fact that God's honor and the honor of His law is at stake in this issue. And we must give forth an honest, true and just judgment.

[John Weaver] We cannot pretend that sin does not exist. That's the way a lot of people handle this. We'll just pretend that this didn't happen. It did happen. It will happen. It has happened. And therefore, it's got to be dealt with. You cannot pretend as if it did not happen. So speaking out is certainly needed and necessary, that is for sure. But here, something has to be done. And so by refusing then to engage in what you and I would call congregational justice, by refusing to do that, we end up praising and justifying the wicked.

[John Weaver] Now, here's an interesting scripture. Proverbs chapter 17, verse 15. Listen carefully. He that justified the wicked and he that condemned the just Even they both are an abomination to the Lord. The word abomination means a stench in the nostrils. So the God says, he that justifies the wicked is a stench in his nostrils, and he that condemns the just is a stench in his nostrils.

[John Weaver] Now, what we have failed to understand is this. When we fail to speak out, And when we fail to execute biblical justice as a congregation, what we are doing in essence is sinning by silence and by consent. So if you look in your Bibles, I will show it to you in Psalm 50. If you would turn to Psalm 50 and notice if you would be getting there with verse 16, Psalm 50 and verse 16.

[John Weaver] I want you to watch this. Because many times we keep our mouths shut when we should speak out. So look at it in Psalm 50, beginning there, verse 16, God says, but into the wicked, God said, what is now to do to declare my statutes without should take my covenant in my mouth? Now, look, seeing thou hadest instruction and cast of my words behind my back, so when we see evil, And we keep our mouths shut and we do nothing according to God. We're hating his instructions. We're casting his word behind our back. Then he said this, When thou sawest the thief, then thou consentest with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Now, wait a minute. Well, thou sawest a thief, and thou consentest with him.

[John Weaver] How did you consent when you saw someone stealing? You never said anything. How did you be a partaker with adulterers? You knew it was happening. You never said anything. You never did anything. You pretended as if it was not happening whatsoever. In other words, we can sin by silence, and when we are silent in condemning sin, and when we're silent in censuring sin and in judging sin, we're actually giving our consent to sin. And we're giving consent to these individuals who are engaged in it, and God calls it wicked because we're casting His word behind our back.

[John Weaver] Now, secondly, church discipline is not only for God's honor and God's glory. But secondly, church discipline is also for the good and the benefit of others. Isn't that amazing?

[John Weaver] Now, there is a phrase that occurs over and over in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. It goes like this. So shall thou put evil away from among you or from the midst of thee. And so shall the people fear the Lord thy God. In fact, that's exactly what God said in Deuteronomy 17 and verse 7, talking about the man who deserved to die. He said the hands of the witnesses must first be upon him to put him to death and afterwards. the hand of all the people, so shalt thou put the evil away from among you." It's the same principle, it's the exact same truth that the Apostle Paul enunciated in 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 20 when he said, them that sin rebuke before all that others may fear.

[John Weaver] So, if here is someone who is in need of biblical justice from the congregation, and there's none given, All that is doing is encouraging everyone else to sin, too, because if he got by with it, I can get by with it. If they're not going to judge him, if they're not going to discipline him, they're not going to discipline me. So it's an encouragement sin. God said this is not only for his honor and his glory, but it's also for the benefit of others that they may fear now. This is a warning from God.

[John Weaver] The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 21, listen to what Paul said to these people. And lest when I come again, my God will humble me among you. And thus shall I bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. Paul said you better deal with this. Because if you don't, it's going to encourage others to sin. So you have to understand that biblical justice in the congregation is not only for God's honor and God's glory, it's not only for the good and for the benefit of others that they may fear.

[John Weaver] But here's the third reason. It's for the benefit of the individual who sinned. If you'll go back in your Bibles to first Corinthians, chapter five, I want you to notice what the Apostle Paul said in verses four and five. First Corinthians chapter five. Look at it in verses four and five. The Apostle said it like this. He said in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, when you were gathered together in my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such in one into Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Here it is. that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. So although someone is disciplined or justice is executed in the congregation, it is not for his destruction. It is for his benefit that the spirit may be saved.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something. Church discipline or biblical justice in the congregation may not be enjoyable to the transgressor, but it is for his benefit.

[John Weaver] Now, when you look at First Corinthians, Chapter five. This sin is so atrocious. There are basically two views I'm going to give you both of them. Here's the first one from one author, and he just simply says this. It was probably a permanent union talking about the man and his stepmother using her as a concubine or mistress. or some kind without formal marriage, like John 4. The woman probably was not the offender's mother. In other words, she was his stepmother.

[John Weaver] And the father may have been dead or divorced. I like what Matthew Poole says better. Here's what Poole said. That one should have his father's wife. By having his father's wife in this place, it is not to be understood the marrying of his father's wife his father being dead, but the using of his father's wife as his wife while his father was yet alive. And some judicious interpreters think this is true, because hardly any nation would have endured a son openly to have married the widow of his father. And in 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 12, there is mention made not only of one that has done, but of another that has suffered the wrong, which latter must be the father himself.

[John Weaver] So there was both incest and whoredom in this act. Wow. So here's a man then in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, that has taken his stepmother from his father, or at least is using her basically as his wife.

[John Weaver] Now, the direction of the Apostle Paul was to execute biblical justice upon him, congregationally speaking, and to deliver him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Now, the Apostle Paul also used that same language in 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 20 When he was talking about Hymenaeus and Alexander, he said, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. So in the case of 1 Corinthians chapter 5, the end of church discipline or biblical justice in the congregation is not to destroy the transgressor, but to restore the transgressor. It is to cast him over and turn him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that is, for the maceration of the flesh, the affliction of the flesh, the grief and sorrow, he said, that the spirit may be saved.

[John Weaver] Now, this is an awful thought in one sense of the word. Do you realize what it might be possibly like to be delivered over to Satan? What that would mean is that God withdraws His protection away from that man and just allows Satan to destroy him any way he wants to destroy him, attack him any way he wants to attack him. I hope you remember that in Luke chapter 22 and verse 31, our Lord looked at Peter and He said, Simon, Simon, He said, Satan hath desired to have thee, that he may sift thee asweet. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.

[John Weaver] Now, the Greek word for sift there is the word senato, and it literally means to sift, to shake in a sieve, and it literally, figuratively refers to someone who is shaken into pieces, basically, just like you would take flour and put it in a sieve and just shake it and shake it and finally grind it out. That's exactly the word here. Our Lord said, Satan has desired to have you that he might run you through the ringer. And here, this man is turned over to the to the devil for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saved.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. Did biblical justice work in this instance? And the answer, of course, is yes. So, if you will turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 2, I want to show you something else. I didn't mention this earlier, but here it is brought out very plainly. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 4.

[John Weaver] The Word of God says, For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you, with many tears. It broke Paul's heart. Not that you should be grieved, but you might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part, that I may not overcharge you all." Now look what he says concerning this man. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many.

[John Weaver] So the whole body executed biblical justice. Now he says in verse 7, evidently there was repentance, so that contrarywise you ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such an one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him. Now watch that. For to this end also did I write that I might know the proof of you Whether you'll be obedient in all things. To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also. For if I forgive anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the persons of Christ. Now go back to verse 9. He said, For to this end also I did write, that I might know the proof of you, whether you were obedient or not. Do you realize? Congregational justice. Evidence is whether or not you are obedient to the Word of God. Church discipline evidences whether or not you are obedient to the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, look if you would, verses 10 and 12. He said, To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also. For if I forgive anything to whom I forgave it, it's for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ. Yes, in the person of Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, let's go to verse 11. "...lest Satan should get an advantage over us. For we are not ignorant of his devices. Furthermore, when I came to Trias to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened in me of the Lord." So he says, look, sufficient to such a man? Yes. Forgiving? Yes. Lest Satan should get an advantage over us. We are not going to allow that to happen.

[John Weaver] Let me try to tie things together for you. I want you to understand that biblical justice requires accountability. It requires accountability not only individually and personally, but it also requires accountability congregationally. Jesus Christ is the head of his church. Jesus Christ is the head of the body. The body is to move in response to the head. Just as it is possible for individuals to sin, it is also possible for congregations to sin. I hope you remember that in the book of Leviticus, when there were all those sacrifices, God mentioned a sacrifice specifically for the people as individuals. Then he mentioned another sacrifice for the prince or the ruler, another sacrifice for the priest, and then there was another sacrifice for the entire congregation. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Revelation chapter 2. the book of Revelation, chapter 2. And notice, if you would please, verse 5, at what our Lord said to the church. Look at it. Revelation, chapter 2 and verse 5.

[John Weaver] Our Lord is writing to the church of Ephesus and he says this, Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." You remember this morning that Brother Grant was talking about the word Ichabod, the glory has departed. This is exactly the same truth. He tells the local church, unless you repent, I will come quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place.

[John Weaver] Now, if you go back to Revelation chapter 1, the seven stars in the right hand of our Lord are the messengers, or the preachers, or the angels, or the pastors of the church. But the candlesticks are the church itself. So our Lord said, unless the church, the individual church, the bodies, unless they repent, I will remove thy candlestick out of his place. Alrighty, good-bye. Would you pause just for a moment and think of all the multitudinous church buildings in this land that are filled with people that never hear the Word of God. Stop and think about that.

[John Weaver] I was down in Tampa, Florida. We went to see my daughter and her family. They were living in Tampa at that time. And a hurricane was coming through. All the stores were cleaned out. But the hurricane had not hit, so my son-in-law was going to take us out to supper. And when we went by this church, a Baptist church, here on the marquee said this, never have forgotten it. Comes our early service.

[John Weaver] In by eight, out by 30. Now, wait a minute, that's a Baptist church. You know. They're going to pray. You know they're going to sing a song. You know for sure they're going to take an offering. And then there's going to be a benediction, which means 10 minutes, a 10 minute sermonette. And all it was designed to do was to salve the consciences of the people on their way to the beach.

[John Weaver] I've got news for you. This is why you can walk into many, many church buildings and never, ever hear the word of God. It's kind of like the story I heard. About the old Western worker. Who was in town working and he was a hard worker. And he came to church in his work clothes dirty. I didn't have time to go change, didn't have time to go get a bath. He just went to worship God and everybody kind of looked at him.

[John Weaver] Hardly anybody spoke to him. But he came back.

[John Weaver] Finally, after about the third time, the pastor came to him and said, well, sir, we think based upon the way you dress, and your uncleanness. It might be best if you found another church to worship in." The old cowboy said, yes, sir, I understand. He said, I already prayed about this. He said, the Lord told me he'd been trying to get in this church for 40 years.

[John Weaver] No reason for me to try now. Do you realize the truth of that? You laugh. But it's true. It is true. When the church does not move as a body. When the church is not interested in congregational justice, what makes you think the church is going to be interested in civil justice? What makes you think it'll be interested in personal justice? God said. Unless you repent, I will remove thy candlestick out of his place. It is necessary and proper for a congregation to repent when the body has sinned or allowed sin in its midst.

[John Weaver] Biblical justice acknowledges our culpability, accepts the consequences of our sins, and attempts to correct things by repenting and turning back in obedience and faith to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word. Without justice, society disintegrates. Without biblical justice, churches also disintegrate. An Ichabod is written over the church. God requires biblical justice in every area. If I could leave you with one thing, I want you to think about this.

[John Weaver] It is your responsibility as individuals to obey Ephesians chapter 4 when the Bible says, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. It's up to you to pursue one mind, one mouth, one motive, and one mission. If you move together as a body, regardless of what it is, You will accomplish great things for God. But if you fight amongst yourself and you start having personal opinions that are contrary to Scripture and things that you don't like, and I just don't fit in, I don't see this. No, no, no. You might not see and you might not understand, but if it's in the Word of God, you can bow to it. And you had better bow to it. God requires justice in the church, just like He does in the judicial system, in the civil system, and in our lives.

[John Weaver] Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we vow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We ask, Lord, that You would indeed help us as a church. When it comes to discipline, when it comes to missions, when it comes to whatever, Lord, To move as a body without fighting, without feigning. Help us, Lord, to have the mind of Jesus Christ that we may say the things that Jesus Christ would have us to say, that we would have as our end His honor and His glory, and that we would look for a successful mission from Him resulting, Lord, again in His honor and His glory. Give us Your grace, we pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and whose name we ask. Amen. Amen.

God’s Justice As Congregational Necessity

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	814231951253019
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Praying Against the Wicked
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-08-11
Dictation Name
Book	Book 137: Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations - Volume 2 — Chapter 26
Source Timed Segments	86

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: Justice Beyond Civil and Personal Spheres

Weaver introduces the theme of biblical justice as a congregational necessity, noting that God's love for justice extends to all spheres, especially among His people.

Brother, you may have been green behind the ears at one time, but you've ripened up some. And I'm thankful that is true. I want you to open your Bibles, if you would please, tonight to two passages. First of all, Micah 6 and verse 8, since that's the theme. And then, of course, Isaiah chapter 45, which we'll read just shortly. Isaiah 45, just go ahead and hold that. And then we'll read Micah chapter 6 first. Notice, if you would, Micah chapter 6 and verse 8.

The Word of God says very plainly, clearly, "He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." So tonight, I'm going to be dealing with this subject, biblical justice as a congregational necessity. Normally, when we think about justice, we think about justice in the civil sphere. Sometimes we think about it in the personal sphere, especially if we're the ones that have been wrong. But very seldom do we think about it in the ecclesiastical or the congregational sphere. God's love for justice does not stop at the civil sphere. Neither does it stop at the individual sphere. The truth of the matter is that God's love for justice encompasses all of His dominion. And He demands justice in every sphere and especially in and among His people. Why?

God's Nature and Commands Demand Righteousness

God speaks righteousness and declares what is right; believers must imitate Him by speaking and doing righteousness.

And the answer is because of His nature and also because of His commands. So if you'll look in Isaiah 45, verses 18 and 19, the Scripture says this,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 45:18-19

"For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, God Himself that formed the earth and made it, He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. I, the Lord, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right."

Now, note what he said,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 45:18-19

"I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare the things which are right."

The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5 and verse 1, "Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children, be ye imitators of God." But if you're going to follow God the Father as His child, you must also learn to speak righteousness, you must also declare those things which are right, and in doing so, you learn to walk worthy of the Lord, and as Colossians 1 and verse 10 says, you learn to walk pleasing unto Him as well. Now, the Apostle Paul, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 10, said this to those Thessalonian Christians. He said, "You are our witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe." So Paul is saying this. You are our witnesses. God is our witness that we lived holy and just lives before you. Now, when the Apostle Paul said that he lived justly, the Greek word is dikaios, which literally means that he lived that which is agreeable to God's law, that which is right, that which is upright, that which fits God's standard.

The Consequences of Neglecting Justice

Without biblical justice, the law is slacked, the wicked triumph, and the righteous are dominated, as seen in Habakkuk 1:1-4.

You remember it was the Apostle Paul who said concerning the law of God in Romans 7 and verse 12, "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." So biblical justice, then, is also a congregational necessity. And it is that for a number of reasons. Without biblical justice, the law is slacked. Without biblical justice, justice never really goes forth. And without biblical justice, the wicked then are allowed to triumph, and the wicked are allowed then to dominate the just. I want you to turn over just a few pages to the book of Habakkuk, if you would, right past Micah. If you would go back to Micah, and you can turn over just a few pages, and you're going to find the book of Habakkuk. And notice, if you would, in Habakkuk chapter 1, and let's read there, verses 1-4, and here is exactly what I just told you. Look in Habakkuk 1, verse 1. "The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save? Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me." Think about our situation today. "And there are they that raise up strife and contention." What is happening with all the violence, all the contention, all the uproar, all the chaos, all the confusion? Verse 4, "Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth, for the wicked doth compass about the righteous, therefore wrong judgment proceedeth." Anytime the wicked dominate the righteous, anytime the wicked are in control, the wickedness always extends. You must consider the fact, when we're talking about congregational necessity in executing God's justice, congregations are made up of individuals. So we're talking about individual justice as well as congregational justice.

The Church as One Body with One Mind, Mouth, Motive, and Mission

Using Romans 15:5-9, Weaver emphasizes that the congregation must move as one body, thinking, speaking, and acting in unity under Christ.

So let me try to state this another way. You have to understand that there is a personal responsibility and a personal accountability and there's also a corporate responsibility and a corporate accountability. So it is true that the individual must act personally. But it's equally true that the congregation must also act as a body.

Now, I want you to think about this. I'm going to give you some scriptures from the Old Testament, and I'm going to give you some scriptures from the New Testament talking about the congregation as a body. In Psalm 22 and verse 22, the psalmist said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 22:22, 25

"I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation. I will praise thee."

So he talks about the brethren. That would be individuals. But then he said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 22:22, 25

"in the midst of the congregation."

So that would be the corporate body. And then in Psalm 22 and verse 25, "My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation.

I will pay my vows before them that fear him." So we're talking about a corporate body. We're also talking about individuals. And then in Psalm 35 in verse 18, the psalmist said, "I will give thee thanks in the great congregation. I will praise thee among much people." So individuals and a corporate body as well. So the congregation then, even in the Old Testament, was a body. It was a corporate body. It was a group of folks who moved as one. Now, when you think about the New Testament, hang on. Ephesians 4 and verse 4, "For

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:4, 12, 16

there is one body and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling."

And then in Ephesians 4 and verse 12, the Bible says, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." And of course the body of Christ is made up of individuals, but here we're spoken of as a body. And then in Ephesians 4 and verse 16, "From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." So the whole body is to work together, not individually only. Yes, we have individual abilities and responsibilities, but we're also to move together as a group, he said, to the edifying of itself. And then in the book of Colossians, chapter 3, verse 15, the Bible says this, "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful."

It's interesting how many times the scripture places the emphasis upon a body. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Romans, chapter 15, because I want you to see what the Apostle Paul is admonishing the Roman Christians in. So if you look in Romans chapter 15, and let's begin reading there with verse 5, and we'll read through verse 9. So, just up and think about this. The body moves and acts as one. Everything about your body may be different, but it is one. So when my feet move, my entire body moves, OK? And when one member of my body suffers, so do the others. And if you don't believe that, you just take a hammer and hit yourself on the thumb and you'll find the entire body will kind of groan and you will grasp that thumb and the whole body's in sympathy. Because although it's made up of multitude of members, it's still just one body.

So I want you to see what the Apostle Paul says. Romans 15. Look at verse five.

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"Now, the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus. That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers."

Now, I want you to pay close attention, if you would, to this passage, because Paul is praying that these Roman Christians would be like-minded one toward another. And then he makes some astounding statements. He says in verse six,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

So let me point three things out in that verse. He said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"that you may with one mind."

And

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"that you may with one mouth glorify God,"

that would be one motive. Then if you'll skip down to verse seven,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"Wherefore, receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God."

That's one mission. Now watch.

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the Father."

That is still one mission.

So let me put it to you very plainly. If you have one mind, it means you think the same way. If you have one mouth, it means you say exactly the same things. If you have one mission, it means, of course, or one motive, it means that you are moved by the same thing. If you have one mission, it means, therefore, that you're acting in the same way and you're seeking the same end. Isn't that amazing? The Apostle Paul is praying that these people will have one mind, one motive, one mouth, one motive and one mission.

Now, let me mention something to you. He said in verse six, "Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God." I preached on this text many years ago and I titled my message "Christian Protocol." Have you ever stopped to think about this, that we are to receive each other the way Christ received us? Even though we have our differences. Even though we have our preferences. Do you realize Jesus Christ received us as we were sinners? He received us when we were in rebellion. Basically, He broke our rebellion.

He brought us to Himself. And He received us exactly the way we were. And He made us totally different. So when we receive each other as Jesus Christ received us, we're receiving each other with our differences, with our preferences. But we're still receiving each other as Jesus Christ has received us.

Now, here's the interesting thing. The Word of God is telling us very plainly that we must move then as one body. And to move as one body, you have to have the one mind, you have to have the one mouth, you have to have the one motive, and you have to have the one mission. Now, we may not all have the same abilities. And many of us do not have hardly any. Dear friends, one of my dearest friends who is now with the Lord, he was a preacher. But that man, he could build a house. He didn't need an architect. If you just told him what you wanted, he could do it. He built 500 homes just in North Carolina alone. He could build. He could plumb. He could wire. He was a mechanic. He could do anything. And I often told him, I said, "I hate you. I just hate you because I can't do any of those things." But yet he could do all of those things. He had all these abilities. I had none of those abilities. Different ones have different abilities. Moreover, we have different understanding. Not everyone is on the same page when it comes to growth.

Judgment Begins at the House of God

1 Peter 4:17 teaches that God judges the church first because of greater responsibility and knowledge, as illustrated by Jerusalem's punishment compared to Sodom's.

So in light of this truth, we need to consider a passage that speaks on what you and I would call congregational justice. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of First Peter, chapter four, and look at verse 17. First Peter, chapter four and verse 17. Look at what the word of God says. First Peter four, verse 17. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end of them that obey not the gospel be?" So, he said, the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God.

Now, the Greek word for justice is the word krima, and it refers to a judgment, a condemnation, a condemnation of wrong, a decision, whether right or mild or severe, which one passes upon the conduct of another. It also has reference then to a judicially declared court ruling. In other words, it is a lawsuit, basically, and it involves the sentence of a judge. So now, basically, I want to give you two applications from this verse. First of all, we must then understand that as a church, as the body of Christ, we will be judged for our sins more quickly and more readily than will the lost. That's what he said. Judgment must first begin at the house of God. So that means God is going to chasten us first.

Now, let me tell you something. I had four daughters, and when they were children, when they did wrong, I chastised them. And I would make sure that if I ever told my child that I'm going to whip you for this, that's exactly what I would do, because I would want them to understand that, yes, I'm going to keep my word. Yes, they have done wrong. And yes, they're going to be punished for that. You know why I did that? Because they were my children and I wanted them to do that which was right and to be right. I don't remember ever whipping my neighbor's children, you know, but I did with mine now. God wants us to be right.

Now, I want to show you. I want you to follow me. I want you to hold 1 Peter, if you would. But turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Luke chapter 12. And I'm going to show you why God is going to judge the church first. So look in your Bibles to Luke chapter 12. And let's begin reading there with verse 43. Luke chapter 12. Note, if you would please, beginning with verse 43. Here's what the Word of God says.

"Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But, and if that servant say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men's servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, the Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour of which he is not aware, and will cut him asunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did not commit things worthy of stripes, he shall be beaten with few stripes. Why? For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required. And to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

So let me put this very plainly, the greater the responsibility, the greater the opportunity, the greater the culpability. The more knowledge you have, the more opportunities you have, the more responsibilities you have, the more culpable you are if you fail in those duties and those responsibilities. Now, let me show you a good illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Lamentations. Jeremiah, Lamentations, and look in Lamentations chapter four, because here is an absolute astounding truth. Look, if you would, in the book of Lamentations chapter four and look at verse six. Here's what Jeremiah said, and he was eyewitness to the destruction of Jerusalem. And he said this:

Scripture Reading — Lamentations 4:6

"For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people"

—that would be Jerusalem—

Scripture Reading — Lamentations 4:6

"is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown in a moment and no hand stayed on her."

Now think about that. He said, and he's watching Jerusalem destroyed,

Scripture Reading — Lamentations 4:6

"for the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment and no hand stayed on her."

Now, you're going to have to ask yourself this question. Why in the world was the destruction of Jerusalem greater than the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? Why was it more severe? Well, let's answer that. Jerusalem had the temple. Jerusalem had the law. Jerusalem had the teaching priests. Jerusalem had the worship of God. Jerusalem had everything that Sodom and Gomorrah did not have. Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown as in a moment.

I mean, fire and brimstone rained down upon them, and that was it. I preached the message recently on cataclysmic judgments. And I read where some were saying that probably the fire and brimstone came from a meteorite that exploded. And oh, I forget how many degrees Fahrenheit it reached, something like seven or eight thousand degrees. The whole earth was scorched. Archaeologists are saying everything was scorched. The earth was even burned.

It was overthrown in a moment. Not Jerusalem. Jerusalem was under a siege. There was starvation. There was famine. There was killing. Finally, there was captivity. And then once those who got carried into captivity, it was 70 years long. What does he say? The punishment of Jerusalem was greater than the punishment of Sodom. Because Sodom was overthrown in a moment. It was quick. It was instant. It was over. It was done with. But not with Jerusalem. Because Jerusalem had greater opportunities and greater blessings and greater responsibilities.

And therefore, they were more culpable. They deserved censure. They deserved punishment more. The second application, I think, on this passage is also obvious. 1 Peter 4 and verse 17. That is, it is the congregation, the church, that is to be speaking truth and condemning sin, exposing wickedness and applying the law of God. Yes, and applying the law of God.

The Church's Duty to Proclaim and Execute Justice

The church must declare God's law and uphold His standards; silence condones sin. The execution of the law is its life, and the church must speak against sin and, where possible, act.

Now, there are two truths, I believe, that follow right in this vein. First of all, do you realize it's the responsibility of the church, the congregation, the body of Christ, to declare the word of God, to declare the law of God and to uphold his judgments and his standards. Failure in this area not only supports the wicked, it condones the wickedness and gives them energy because it is a compromise with the world. Now, let me show you. I want you to turn, if you would, to the book of Zephaniah. You'll find Zephaniah before Zechariah. And then Malachi. But look in the book of Zephaniah, chapter 3, beginning there with verse 1. Zephaniah, chapter 3, verse 1. God says, "Woe to her that is filthy and polluted to the oppressing city." Now, that's Jerusalem. "She obeyed not the voice. She received not correction.

She trusted not in the Lord. She drew not near to God. Her princes within are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They gnaw not the bones till the morrow. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons. Her priests have polluted the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law. The just Lord is in the midst thereof. He will not do iniquity. Every morning doth he bring his judgment to light.

He faileth not, but the unjust knoweth no shame." Notice, if you would, how wicked these people are. And notice what he says. The princes are corrupt. The prophets are corrupt. The priests are corrupt. Nobody is doing anything. In other words, when you and I fail to preach and proclaim and to teach the Word of God, what we're doing, we're elevating these individuals and we are condoning exactly what they're doing because we're failing to bring and proclaim God's judgment upon them.

Now, I want you to consider, if you would just momentarily, a statement that was placed into the 1647 revision of the legal code of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Here it is. "The execution of the law is the life of the law." In short, no sanctions, no law. Now listen to that again. "The execution of the law is the life of the law." In short, no sanctions, no law. You look at all the Antifa, Black Lives Matter, all the communist stuff. Look at all of the stores that have been robbed, the people that have been raped, the people that have been murdered. Look at all the property that's been destroyed. And think about this. Nothing happened to most of those people. So where there are no sanctions, basically speaking, there is no law. Because the sanction, or the execution of the law, is the life of the law. And when you do not have an execution of that law, the law then basically is absolutely worthless. Every law must have sanctions. If there is no sanction, then the law is useless. It is worthless. Now, it is true as the body of Christ, we may not be able to execute every law, but we can proclaim God's sanctions against sin and against wickedness.

How else will the wicked ever know what is wicked and what is wrong if we do not tell them? Fallen man could care less. He believes that his wickedness is right because he's doing his own thing. He's following his feelings. He's following his desires. He's living out what he wants. It's got to be right. I feel good about this. I enjoy this. Yeah. How will he ever know?

You remember what the old Puritans always used to say, that the sharp needle of the law must precede the scarlet thread of the gospel. If the church does not proclaim, if the church does not preach and teach, how in the world will the wicked know? Biblical justice, you must remember, is based upon the eternal fixed standard of the goodness and righteousness found in the character of God and revealed in His Word. The Church of Jesus Christ as a body must speak out against sin. We must speak out against sodomy. We must speak out against transgenderism. We must speak out against fornication. We must speak out against fraud. We must speak out against tyranny, both political and civil and even spiritual tyranny. We have to.

Speaking out is absolutely needed and necessary. And if we don't, we're actually compromising with the world. That's exactly what we're doing now. Let me point something else out. Speaking out is needed and necessary, but there are things and there are times that that is all we can do. Because in one sense of the word, there are things over which the church does not have control. I usually tell people I cannot control the President of the United States.

Church Discipline: A Case Study from 1 Corinthians 5

Paul commands the Corinthians to judge a case of incest, delivering the man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that his spirit may be saved. Church discipline honors God, benefits others, and restores the sinner.

I wish I could, but I can't. I cannot control Congress. I wish I could, but I can't. I cannot control the court system. I wish I could, but I can't. I do not have any practical control over that. I do have a control in the sense that there are imprecatory prayers in the Bible, and I can certainly pray, and that certainly is true as well. But the point I'm trying to make is there are some things I do not have control over, but those over which the body of Christ does have control, you have to do more than speak out.

So let me give you the illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. 1 Corinthians chapter 5. And I want us to read the first 5 verses. 1 Corinthians chapter 5 beginning with verse 1. The Apostle Paul tells these Corinthians, "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's wife. And you are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he that had done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath done this deed.

For in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye were gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Now, here's a case that not only had to be spoken against, but it also needed to be judged. A biblical censure, a biblical judgment must be given in such an instance. This is normally what you and I would call church discipline. Now, before I share with you this case and the outcome, I want to point out at least three reasons for church discipline, three reasons for biblical justice as a congregational necessity. First of all, church discipline must be accomplished, or let me say this another way, congregational justice must be accomplished for the honor and the glory of God. It is demanded in Scripture that we must grasp the fact that God's honor and the honor of His law is at stake in this issue. And we must give forth an honest, true and just judgment.

We cannot pretend that sin does not exist. That's the way a lot of people handle this. We'll just pretend that this didn't happen. It did happen. It will happen. It has happened. And therefore, it's got to be dealt with. You cannot pretend as if it did not happen. So speaking out is certainly needed and necessary, that is for sure. But here, something has to be done. And so by refusing then to engage in what you and I would call congregational justice, by refusing to do that, we end up praising and justifying the wicked.

Now, here's an interesting scripture. Proverbs chapter 17, verse 15. Listen carefully.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 17:15

"He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord."

The word abomination means a stench in the nostrils. So the God says, he that justifies the wicked is a stench in his nostrils, and he that condemns the just is a stench in his nostrils.

Now, what we have failed to understand is this. When we fail to speak out, and when we fail to execute biblical justice as a congregation, what we are doing in essence is sinning by silence and by consent. So if you look in your Bibles, I will show it to you in Psalm 50. If you would turn to Psalm 50 and notice if you would be getting there with verse 16, Psalm 50 and verse 16. I want you to watch this. Because many times we keep our mouths shut when we should speak out. So look at it in Psalm 50, beginning there, verse 16, God says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 50:16-18

"But unto the wicked, God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Now, look, seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thy back."

So when we see evil, and we keep our mouths shut and we do nothing according to God, we're hating his instructions. We're casting his word behind our back. Then he said this,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 50:16-18

"When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers."

Now, wait a minute.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 50:16-18

"When thou sawest a thief, and thou consentest with him."

How did you consent when you saw someone stealing? You never said anything. How did you be a partaker with adulterers? You knew it was happening. You never said anything. You never did anything. You pretended as if it was not happening whatsoever. In other words, we can sin by silence, and when we are silent in condemning sin, and when we're silent in censuring sin and in judging sin, we're actually giving our consent to sin. And we're giving consent to these individuals who are engaged in it, and God calls it wicked because we're casting His word behind our back.

Now, secondly, church discipline is not only for God's honor and God's glory. But secondly, church discipline is also for the good and the benefit of others. Isn't that amazing? Now, there is a phrase that occurs over and over in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. It goes like this.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:7

"So shall thou put evil away from among you"

or "from the midst of thee." And "so shall the people fear the Lord thy God." In fact, that's exactly what God said in Deuteronomy 17 and verse 7, talking about the man who deserved to die. He said the hands of the witnesses must first be upon him to put him to death and afterwards the hand of all the people,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:7

"so shalt thou put the evil away from among you."

It's the same principle, it's the exact same truth that the Apostle Paul enunciated in 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 20 when he said, "them that sin rebuke before all that others may fear."

So, if here is someone who is in need of biblical justice from the congregation, and there's none given, all that is doing is encouraging everyone else to sin, too, because if he got by with it, I can get by with it. If they're not going to judge him, if they're not going to discipline him, they're not going to discipline me. So it's an encouragement to sin. God said this is not only for his honor and his glory, but it's also for the benefit of others that they may fear. Now, this is a warning from God. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 21, listen to what Paul said to these people. "And lest when I come again, my God will humble me among you. And thus shall I bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed." Paul said you better deal with this. Because if you don't, it's going to encourage others to sin. So you have to understand that biblical justice in the congregation is not only for God's honor and God's glory, it's not only for the good and for the benefit of others that they may fear.

But here's the third reason. It's for the benefit of the individual who sinned. If you'll go back in your Bibles to first Corinthians, chapter five, I want you to notice what the Apostle Paul said in verses four and five. First Corinthians chapter five. Look at it in verses four and five. The Apostle said it like this. He said, "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, when you were gathered together in my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh." Here it is. "that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." So although someone is disciplined or justice is executed in the congregation, it is not for his destruction. It is for his benefit that the spirit may be saved.

Now, let me tell you something. Church discipline or biblical justice in the congregation may not be enjoyable to the transgressor, but it is for his benefit. Now, when you look at First Corinthians, Chapter five. This sin is so atrocious. There are basically two views I'm going to give you both of them. Here's the first one from one author, and he just simply says this. It was probably a permanent union talking about the man and his stepmother using her as a concubine or mistress, or some kind without formal marriage, like John 4. The woman probably was not the offender's mother. In other words, she was his stepmother.

And the father may have been dead or divorced. I like what Matthew Poole says better. Here's what Poole said. "That one should have his father's wife." By having his father's wife in this place, it is not to be understood the marrying of his father's wife his father being dead, but the using of his father's wife as his wife while his father was yet alive. And some judicious interpreters think this is true, because hardly any nation would have endured a son openly to have married the widow of his father. And in 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 12, there is mention made not only of one that has done, but of another that has suffered the wrong, which latter must be the father himself.

So there was both incest and whoredom in this act. Wow. So here's a man then in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, that has taken his stepmother from his father, or at least is using her basically as his wife. Now, the direction of the Apostle Paul was to execute biblical justice upon him, congregationally speaking, and to deliver him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Now, the Apostle Paul also used that same language in 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 20 when he was talking about Hymenaeus and Alexander, he said, "whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." So in the case of 1 Corinthians chapter 5, the end of church discipline or biblical justice in the congregation is not to destroy the transgressor, but to restore the transgressor. It is to cast him over and turn him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that is, for the maceration of the flesh, the affliction of the flesh, the grief and sorrow, he said, that the spirit may be saved.

Now, this is an awful thought in one sense of the word. Do you realize what it might be possibly like to be delivered over to Satan? What that would mean is that God withdraws His protection away from that man and just allows Satan to destroy him any way he wants to destroy him, attack him any way he wants to attack him. I hope you remember that in Luke chapter 22 and verse 31, our Lord looked at Peter and He said, "Simon, Simon," He said, "Satan hath desired to have thee, that he may sift thee as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not."

The Outcome of Biblical Justice: Restoration and Forgiveness

In 2 Corinthians 2, the disciplined man repented, and Paul urges forgiveness and comfort, showing that congregational justice leads to restoration and proves obedience.

Now, the Greek word for sift there is the word siniazo, and it literally means to sift, to shake in a sieve, and it literally, figuratively refers to someone who is shaken into pieces, basically, just like you would take flour and put it in a sieve and just shake it and shake it and finally grind it out. That's exactly the word here. Our Lord said, Satan has desired to have you that he might run you through the ringer. And here, this man is turned over to the devil for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saved.

Now, let me ask you a question. Did biblical justice work in this instance? And the answer, of course, is yes. So, if you will turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 2, I want to show you something else. I didn't mention this earlier, but here it is brought out very plainly. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 4.

The Word of God says, "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you, with many tears." It broke Paul's heart. "Not that you should be grieved, but you might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part, that I may not overcharge you all." Now look what he says concerning this man. "Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many."

So the whole body executed biblical justice. Now he says in verse 7, evidently there was repentance, "so that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such an one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him." Now watch that. "For to this end also did I write that I might know the proof of you, whether you'll be obedient in all things. To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also. For if I forgive anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ." Now go back to verse 9. He said, "For to this end also I did write, that I might know the proof of you, whether you were obedient or not." Do you realize? Congregational justice evidences whether or not you are obedient to the Word of God. Church discipline evidences whether or not you are obedient to the Word of God.

Now, look if you would, verses 10 and 12. He said, "To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also. For if I forgive anything to whom I forgave it, it's for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ." Yes, in the person of Christ. Now, let's go to verse 11. "...lest Satan should get an advantage over us. For we are not ignorant of his devices. Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened in me of the Lord." So he says, look, sufficient to such a man? Yes. Forgiving? Yes. Lest Satan should get an advantage over us. We are not going to allow that to happen.

Corporate Accountability and the Threat of Ichabod

Congregations can sin and face God's judgment; Revelation 2:5 warns that Christ will remove a church's candlestick unless it repents. Churches that neglect justice risk losing God's presence.

Let me try to tie things together for you. I want you to understand that biblical justice requires accountability. It requires accountability not only individually and personally, but it also requires accountability congregationally. Jesus Christ is the head of his church. Jesus Christ is the head of the body. The body is to move in response to the head. Just as it is possible for individuals to sin, it is also possible for congregations to sin. I hope you remember that in the book of Leviticus, when there were all those sacrifices, God mentioned a sacrifice specifically for the people as individuals. Then he mentioned another sacrifice for the prince or the ruler, another sacrifice for the priest, and then there was another sacrifice for the entire congregation. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Revelation chapter 2. the book of Revelation, chapter 2. And notice, if you would please, verse 5, at what our Lord said to the church. Look at it. Revelation, chapter 2 and verse 5.

Our Lord is writing to the church of Ephesus and he says this, "Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." You remember this morning that Brother Grant was talking about the word Ichabod, the glory has departed. This is exactly the same truth. He tells the local church, unless you repent, I will come quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place. Now, if you go back to Revelation chapter 1, the seven stars in the right hand of our Lord are the messengers, or the preachers, or the angels, or the pastors of the church. But the candlesticks are the church itself. So our Lord said, unless the church, the individual church, the bodies, unless they repent, I will remove thy candlestick out of his place. Alrighty, good-bye. Would you pause just for a moment and think of all the multitudinous church buildings in this land that are filled with people that never hear the Word of God. Stop and think about that.

I was down in Tampa, Florida. We went to see my daughter and her family. They were living in Tampa at that time. And a hurricane was coming through. All the stores were cleaned out. But the hurricane had not hit, so my son-in-law was going to take us out to supper. And when we went by this church, a Baptist church, here on the marquee said this, never have forgotten it. "Come as our early service.

In by eight, out by 30." Now, wait a minute, that's a Baptist church. You know. They're going to pray. You know they're going to sing a song. You know for sure they're going to take an offering. And then there's going to be a benediction, which means 10 minutes, a 10 minute sermonette. And all it was designed to do was to salve the consciences of the people on their way to the beach.

I've got news for you. This is why you can walk into many, many church buildings and never, ever hear the word of God. It's kind of like the story I heard. About the old Western worker. Who was in town working and he was a hard worker. And he came to church in his work clothes dirty. I didn't have time to go change, didn't have time to go get a bath. He just went to worship God and everybody kind of looked at him.

Hardly anybody spoke to him. But he came back. Finally, after about the third time, the pastor came to him and said, "Well, sir, we think based upon the way you dress, and your uncleanness, it might be best if you found another church to worship in." The old cowboy said, "Yes, sir, I understand." He said, "I already prayed about this." He said, "The Lord told me he'd been trying to get in this church for 40 years. No reason for me to try now." Do you realize the truth of that? You laugh. But it's true. It is true. When the church does not move as a body. When the church is not interested in congregational justice, what makes you think the church is going to be interested in civil justice? What makes you think it'll be interested in personal justice? God said. Unless you repent, I will remove thy candlestick out of his place. It is necessary and proper for a congregation to repent when the body has sinned or allowed sin in its midst.

Conclusion: Pursue Unity and Obedience

Weaver calls believers to pursue one mind, mouth, motive, and mission, bowing to Scripture even when they don't understand, and to uphold justice in the church as God requires.

Biblical justice acknowledges our culpability, accepts the consequences of our sins, and attempts to correct things by repenting and turning back in obedience and faith to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word. Without justice, society disintegrates. Without biblical justice, churches also disintegrate. An Ichabod is written over the church. God requires biblical justice in every area. If I could leave you with one thing, I want you to think about this. It is your responsibility as individuals to obey Ephesians chapter 4 when the Bible says, "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." It's up to you to pursue one mind, one mouth, one motive, and one mission. If you move together as a body, regardless of what it is, you will accomplish great things for God. But if you fight amongst yourself and you start having personal opinions that are contrary to Scripture and things that you don't like, and "I just don't fit in, I don't see this." No, no, no. You might not see and you might not understand, but if it's in the Word of God, you can bow to it. And you had better bow to it. God requires justice in the church, just like He does in the judicial system, in the civil system, and in our lives.

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We ask, Lord, that You would indeed help us as a church. When it comes to discipline, when it comes to missions, when it comes to whatever, Lord, to move as a body without fighting, without feigning. Help us, Lord, to have the mind of Jesus Christ that we may say the things that Jesus Christ would have us to say, that we would have as our end His honor and His glory, and that we would look for a successful mission from Him resulting, Lord, again in His honor and His glory. Give us Your grace, we pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and whose name we ask. Amen. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Biblical Justice as a Congregational Necessity

Summary: Justice is required not only in civil and personal realms but also within the church, as God's nature and commands demand righteousness among His people.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'God's love for justice does not stop at the civil sphere. Neither does it stop at the individual sphere. The truth of the matter is that God's love for justice encompasses all of His dominion. And He demands justice in every sphere and especially in and among His people.'

The Church as One Body

Summary: The congregation must function as a unified body with one mind, one mouth, one motive, and one mission, as taught in Romans 15:5-9.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'If you have one mind, it means you think the same way. If you have one mouth, it means you say exactly the same things. If you have one mission, it means, of course, or one motive, it means that you are moved by the same thing.'

Judgment Begins with God's House

Summary: God judges the church first because of its greater knowledge and responsibility, as seen in 1 Peter 4:17 and the example of Jerusalem's punishment.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The greater the responsibility, the greater the opportunity, the greater the culpability. The more knowledge you have, the more opportunities you have, the more responsibilities you have, the more culpable you are if you fail in those duties and those responsibilities.'

The Necessity of Church Discipline

Summary: Church discipline honors God, deters others from sin, and aims to restore the sinner, as demonstrated in 1 Corinthians 5 and 2 Corinthians 2.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Church discipline or biblical justice in the congregation may not be enjoyable to the transgressor, but it is for his benefit.'

Corporate Accountability and Repentance

Summary: Congregations can sin corporately and must repent to avoid God's judgment, as warned in Revelation 2:5.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It is necessary and proper for a congregation to repent when the body has sinned or allowed sin in its midst.'

Key Arguments

God's nature demands justice in the church

Summary: Because God speaks righteousness and declares what is right, His people must imitate Him by upholding justice within the congregation.

Evidence: Weaver cites Isaiah 45:18-19 and Ephesians 5:1, saying, 'If you're going to follow God the Father as His child, you must also learn to speak righteousness, you must also declare those things which are right.'

Neglecting justice allows wickedness to prevail

Summary: When the church fails to execute justice, the law is slacked, the wicked dominate, and wrong judgment proceeds, as Habakkuk lamented.

Evidence: Weaver reads Habakkuk 1:4: 'Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth, for the wicked doth compass about the righteous, therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.'

The church must move as one body in justice

Summary: Romans 15:5-9 calls for like-mindedness, one mouth, and one mission, which is essential for executing congregational justice.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The Word of God is telling us very plainly that we must move then as one body. And to move as one body, you have to have the one mind, you have to have the one mouth, you have to have the one motive, and you have to have the one mission.'

Greater knowledge brings greater accountability

Summary: The church, having God's revelation, is more culpable than the world and will be judged first, as illustrated by Jerusalem's punishment exceeding Sodom's.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'Jerusalem had the temple. Jerusalem had the law. Jerusalem had the teaching priests. Jerusalem had the worship of God. Jerusalem had everything that Sodom and Gomorrah did not have.'

Silence in the face of sin is consent

Summary: Psalm 50:16-18 teaches that failing to speak against sin makes one a partaker with evildoers, so the church must proclaim God's sanctions.

Evidence: Weaver reads Psalm 50:18: 'When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.'

Church discipline aims at restoration

Summary: The purpose of delivering a sinner to Satan in 1 Corinthians 5 is the destruction of the flesh so that the spirit may be saved, not final condemnation.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The end of church discipline or biblical justice in the congregation is not to destroy the transgressor, but to restore the transgressor.'

Congregational justice proves obedience

Summary: Paul's instruction in 2 Corinthians 2:9 shows that executing discipline tests whether the church is obedient to God's Word.

Evidence: Weaver reads, 'For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether you'll be obedient in all things.'

Churches that neglect justice face removal

Summary: Revelation 2:5 warns that Christ will remove a church's candlestick unless it repents, indicating the loss of God's presence and effectiveness.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Our Lord said, unless the church, the individual church, the bodies, unless they repent, I will remove thy candlestick out of his place.'

Scripture References

Micah 6:8

Context: Theme verse for the sermon, stating God's requirement to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

Isaiah 45:18-19

Context: God declares He speaks righteousness and declares things that are right, forming the basis for believers to imitate Him.

Ephesians 5:1

Context: Believers are to be imitators of God, which includes speaking righteousness.

Colossians 1:10

Context: Walking worthy of the Lord and pleasing Him involves living justly.

1 Thessalonians 2:10

Context: Paul lived holily and justly among believers, exemplifying congregational justice.

Romans 7:12

Context: The law is holy, just, and good, undergirding the standard of biblical justice.

Habakkuk 1:1-4

Context: The prophet laments that the law is slacked and judgment never goes forth because the wicked surround the righteous.

Psalm 22:22, 25

Context: References to the congregation as a corporate body where God is praised.

Psalm 35:18

Context: Praising God in the great congregation, emphasizing corporate worship.

Ephesians 4:4, 12, 16

Context: The church is one body, built up together, moving as a unified whole.

Colossians 3:15

Context: Believers are called in one body, reinforcing corporate identity.

Romans 15:5-9

Context: Paul prays for like-mindedness, one mouth, and one mission, receiving one another as Christ received us.

1 Corinthians 12:27

Context: Believers are the body of Christ and members individually, supporting corporate responsibility.

1 Peter 4:17

Context: Judgment begins at the house of God, indicating the church is judged first.

Luke 12:43-48

Context: Greater knowledge and responsibility lead to greater punishment, applied to the church's accountability.

Lamentations 4:6

Context: Jerusalem's punishment was greater than Sodom's because of its greater privileges, illustrating the principle of greater culpability.

Zephaniah 3:1-5

Context: Corrupt leaders and failure to proclaim judgment lead to pollution and violence; God's justice is unfailing.

Proverbs 17:15

Context: Justifying the wicked or condemning the just is an abomination to the Lord.

Psalm 50:16-18

Context: Silence in the face of sin is consent; those who see theft or adultery and say nothing are partakers.

Deuteronomy 17:7

Context: Putting away evil from among the people so that others may fear, a principle of corporate justice.

Historical References

1647 revision of the legal code of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Context: Weaver quotes the statement 'The execution of the law is the life of the law' to emphasize that without sanctions, law is worthless.

Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Context: Compared to Jerusalem's destruction to illustrate that greater privilege brings greater judgment.

Destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon

Context: Used as an example of severe judgment due to greater knowledge and responsibility.

Lester Roloff

Context: Mentioned as an example of humble submission to Scripture despite lack of theological understanding.

Puritans

Context: Weaver references the Puritan saying, 'the sharp needle of the law must precede the scarlet thread of the gospel.'

Important Quotes

He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

Significance: This is the theme verse of the sermon, establishing God's requirement for justice as a fundamental duty.

I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare the things which are right.

Significance: Weaver uses this to show that God's nature is to speak righteousness, and believers must imitate Him.

The execution of the law is the life of the law.

Significance: This historical quote underscores the necessity of enforcing justice; without sanctions, law is meaningless.

When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

Significance: Weaver uses this to argue that silence in the face of sin is equivalent to consent and participation.

Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many.

Significance: This shows that the congregational discipline was effective and led to repentance, proving the value of biblical justice.

Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Significance: Weaver uses this warning to emphasize that churches neglecting justice risk losing God's presence.

Discussion Questions

Why is biblical justice often overlooked in the congregational sphere, and how can we change that mindset?

Context: Weaver notes that we seldom think about justice in the ecclesiastical sphere, though God demands it.

What does it practically mean for a congregation to have 'one mind, one mouth, one motive, and one mission'?

Context: Based on Romans 15:5-9, Weaver emphasizes unity in thought, speech, and purpose.

How does the principle that 'judgment begins at the house of God' affect our view of church discipline?

Context: Weaver explains that God judges the church first because of greater knowledge and responsibility.

In what ways can a church sin by silence, and what are the consequences?

Context: Psalm 50:16-18 shows that failing to speak against sin is consenting with evildoers.

How does church discipline serve the three purposes of honoring God, benefiting others, and restoring the sinner?

Context: Weaver outlines these three reasons for congregational justice.

What does it mean to 'deliver someone to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,' and how can that be restorative?

Context: From 1 Corinthians 5:5, Weaver discusses the severe but redemptive purpose of discipline.

How should a congregation balance justice and forgiveness when a disciplined member repents?

Context: 2 Corinthians 2:6-11 shows the need to forgive and comfort the repentant to prevent excessive sorrow.

What are the dangers of a church losing its 'candlestick,' and how can we avoid that?

Context: Revelation 2:5 warns of removal for lack of repentance; Weaver applies this to neglecting justice.

Applications

Pursue Unity in the Body

Summary: Believers must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit by having one mind, mouth, motive, and mission, submitting to Scripture even when they don't fully understand.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It's up to you to pursue one mind, one mouth, one motive, and one mission. If you move together as a body, regardless of what it is, you will accomplish great things for God.'

Speak Out Against Sin

Summary: The church must proclaim God's sanctions against sin, including sodomy, transgenderism, fornication, fraud, and tyranny, to avoid compromising with the world.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'The Church of Jesus Christ as a body must speak out against sin. We must speak out against sodomy. We must speak out against transgenderism. We must speak out against fornication. We must speak out against fraud. We must speak out against tyranny.'

Execute Congregational Discipline When Necessary

Summary: When sin occurs within the church, the body must act to judge and discipline, following the biblical pattern to restore the sinner and maintain purity.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'A biblical censure, a biblical judgment must be given in such an instance. This is normally what you and I would call church discipline.'

Repent Corporately for Congregational Sins

Summary: When a church has allowed sin or failed in its duties, it must repent as a body to avoid God's judgment and the removal of His presence.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It is necessary and proper for a congregation to repent when the body has sinned or allowed sin in its midst.'

Submit to Scripture Despite Personal Understanding

Summary: Believers should bow to the authority of God's Word even when they don't fully comprehend it, fostering humility and unity.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'All of our fussing and feuding and fighting can be resolved if we have a humble spirit and a mind that's just willing to submit to the Word of God.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:21:25Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:52:21Z

Clean Transcript

God’s Justice As Congregational Necessity

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Brother, you may have been green behind the ears at one time, but you've ripened up some. And I'm thankful that is true. I want you to open your Bibles, if you would please, tonight to two passages. First of all, Micah 6 and verse 8, since that's the theme. And then, of course, Isaiah chapter 45, which we'll read just shortly. Isaiah 45, just go ahead and hold that. And then we'll read Micah chapter 6 first. Notice, if you would, Micah chapter 6 and verse 8.
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The Word of God says very plainly, clearly, "He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." So tonight, I'm going to be dealing with this subject, biblical justice as a congregational necessity. Normally, when we think about justice, we think about justice in the civil sphere. Sometimes we think about it in the personal sphere, especially if we're the ones that have been wrong. But very seldom do we think about it in the ecclesiastical or the congregational sphere. God's love for justice does not stop at the civil sphere. Neither does it stop at the individual sphere. The truth of the matter is that God's love for justice encompasses all of His dominion. And He demands justice in every sphere and especially in and among His people. Why?
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And the answer is because of His nature and also because of His commands. So if you'll look in Isaiah 45, verses 18 and 19, the Scripture says this, "For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, God Himself that formed the earth and made it, He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. I, the Lord, speak righteousness.
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I declare things that are right." Now, note what he said, "I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare the things which are right." The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5 and verse 1, "Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children, be ye imitators of God." But if you're going to follow God the Father as His child, you must also learn to speak righteousness, you must also declare those things which are right, and in doing so, you learn to walk worthy of the Lord, and as Colossians 1 and verse 10 says, you learn to walk pleasing unto Him as well. Now, the Apostle Paul, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 10, said this to those Thessalonian Christians. He said, "You are our witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe." So Paul is saying this. You are our witnesses. God is our witness that we lived holy and just lives before you. Now, when the Apostle Paul said that he lived justly, the Greek word is dikaios, which literally means that he lived that which is agreeable to God's law, that which is right, that which is upright, that which fits God's standard.
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You remember it was the Apostle Paul who said concerning the law of God in Romans 7 and verse 12, "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." So biblical justice, then, is also a congregational necessity. And it is that for a number of reasons. Without biblical justice, the law is slacked. Without biblical justice, justice never really goes forth. And without biblical justice, the wicked then are allowed to triumph, and the wicked are allowed then to dominate the just. I want you to turn over just a few pages to the book of Habakkuk, if you would, right past Micah. If you would go back to Micah, and you can turn over just a few pages, and you're going to find the book of Habakkuk. And notice, if you would, in Habakkuk chapter 1, and let's read there, verses 1-4, and here is exactly what I just told you. Look in Habakkuk 1, verse 1. "The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
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O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save? Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me." Think about our situation today. "And there are they that raise up strife and contention." What is happening with all the violence, all the contention, all the uproar, all the chaos, all the confusion?
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Verse 4, "Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth, for the wicked doth compass about the righteous, therefore wrong judgment proceedeth." Anytime the wicked dominate the righteous, anytime the wicked are in control, the wickedness always extends. You must consider the fact, when we're talking about congregational necessity in executing God's justice, congregations are made up of individuals. So we're talking about individual justice as well as congregational justice.
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So let me try to state this another way. You have to understand that there is a personal responsibility and a personal accountability and there's also a corporate responsibility and a corporate accountability. So it is true that the individual must act personally. But it's equally true that the congregation must also act as a body.
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Now, I want you to think about this. I'm going to give you some scriptures from the Old Testament, and I'm going to give you some scriptures from the New Testament talking about the congregation as a body. In Psalm 22 and verse 22, the psalmist said, "I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation. I will praise thee." So he talks about the brethren. That would be individuals. But then he said, "in the midst of the congregation." So that would be the corporate body. And then in Psalm 22 and verse 25, "My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation.
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I will pay my vows before them that fear him." So we're talking about a corporate body. We're also talking about individuals. And then in Psalm 35 in verse 18, the psalmist said, "I will give thee thanks in the great congregation. I will praise thee among much people." So individuals and a corporate body as well. So the congregation then, even in the Old Testament, was a body. It was a corporate body.
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It was a group of folks who moved as one. Now, when you think about the New Testament, hang on. Ephesians 4 and verse 4, "For there is one body and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling." And then in Ephesians 4 and verse 12, the Bible says, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." And of course the body of Christ is made up of individuals, but here we're spoken of as a body. And then in Ephesians 4 and verse 16, "From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." So the whole body is to work together, not individually only. Yes, we have individual abilities and responsibilities, but we're also to move together as a group, he said, to the edifying of itself. And then in the book of Colossians, chapter 3, verse 15, the Bible says this, "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful."
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It's interesting how many times the scripture places the emphasis upon a body. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Romans, chapter 15, because I want you to see what the Apostle Paul is admonishing the Roman Christians in. So if you look in Romans chapter 15, and let's begin reading there with verse 5, and we'll read through verse 9.
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So, just up and think about this. The body moves and acts as one. Everything about your body may be different, but it is one. So when my feet move, my entire body moves, OK? And when one member of my body suffers, so do the others. And if you don't believe that, you just take a hammer and hit yourself on the thumb and you'll find the entire body will kind of groan and you will grasp that thumb and the whole body's in sympathy. Because although it's made up of multitude of members, it's still just one body.
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So I want you to see what the Apostle Paul says. Romans 15. Look at verse five.
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"Now, the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus. That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." Now, I want you to pay close attention, if you would, to this passage, because Paul is praying that these Roman Christians would be like-minded one toward another.
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And then he makes some astounding statements. He says in verse six, "that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ." So let me point three things out in that verse. He said, "that you may with one mind." And "that you may with one mouth glorify God," that would be one motive. Then if you'll skip down to verse seven, "Wherefore, receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God." That's one mission. Now watch. "Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the Father." That is still one mission.
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So let me put it to you very plainly. If you have one mind, it means you think the same way. If you have one mouth, it means you say exactly the same things. If you have one mission, it means, of course, or one motive, it means that you are moved by the same thing. If you have one mission, it means, therefore, that you're acting in the same way and you're seeking the same end. Isn't that amazing? The Apostle Paul is praying that these people will have one mind, one motive, one mouth, one motive and one mission.
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Now, let me mention something to you. He said in verse six, "Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God." I preached on this text many years ago and I titled my message "Christian Protocol." Have you ever stopped to think about this, that we are to receive each other the way Christ received us? Even though we have our differences. Even though we have our preferences. Do you realize Jesus Christ received us as we were sinners? He received us when we were in rebellion. Basically, He broke our rebellion.
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He brought us to Himself. And He received us exactly the way we were. And He made us totally different. So when we receive each other as Jesus Christ received us, we're receiving each other with our differences, with our preferences. But we're still receiving each other as Jesus Christ has received us.
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Now, here's the interesting thing. The Word of God is telling us very plainly that we must move then as one body. And to move as one body, you have to have the one mind, you have to have the one mouth, you have to have the one motive, and you have to have the one mission.
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Now, we may not all have the same abilities. And many of us do not have hardly any. Dear friends, one of my dearest friends who is now with the Lord, he was a preacher. But that man, he could build a house. He didn't need an architect. If you just told him what you wanted, he could do it. He built 500 homes just in North Carolina alone. He could build. He could plumb. He could wire. He was a mechanic. He could do anything. And I often told him, I said, "I hate you. I just hate you because I can't do any of those things." But yet he could do all of those things. He had all these abilities. I had none of those abilities. Different ones have different abilities. Moreover, we have different understanding. Not everyone is on the same page when it comes to growth.
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That's why the Bible talks about little children, young men and fathers. There are different stages that we go through. All of us are green behind the ears, I can assure you, at one time in our lives. And then all of us become young men, and then all of us become fathers in the faith, so to speak, as well.
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Now, the Word of God tells us that we may not have everything alike, but still, we are one body. Now, think with me. I may not be able to do everything that you can do. You may not be able to do everything that I can do. I may not understand everything that you understand, and you may not understand everything that I understand. But one thing that each of us can do is we can bow to the authority of the Word of God and submit our minds to the teaching of the Word of God. And we can admit that I don't understand. I loved Lester Roloff. I don't know if you ever knew Lester Roloff. That man.
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He would be preaching, he'd just break out singing and he really couldn't sing, you know, he really could. But but he'd break your heart because his singing was just so so blessed. But I remember him on the family altar program. And he was reading from Ephesians chapter one, I thought, oh, this is going to be interesting. Because Lester Roloff, as much as I loved him, he was not a theologian. He really was not. But he could bless your heart and he loved the Lord. And so I was eager to see what he was going to say in Ephesians chapter one.
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And he came to that verse that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. And you know what Lester Roloff said? Here's what he said. "I don't understand this. I can't explain it. But I believe it and I bow to it because it's in the Word of God." So what I'm trying to tell you is this. All of our fussing and feuding and fighting can be resolved if we have a humble spirit and a mind that's just willing to submit to the Word of God, regardless of our understandings, regardless of our abilities, we can just say, "I'm going to bow to the Word of God." So one mind, one mouth, one motive, and one mission. Now, that's why the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 27, "Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular."
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So in light of this truth, we need to consider a passage that speaks on what you and I would call congregational justice. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of First Peter, chapter four, and look at verse 17. First Peter, chapter four and verse 17. Look at what the word of God says. First Peter four, verse 17. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall the end of them that obey not the gospel be?" So, he said, the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God.
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Now, the Greek word for justice is the word krima, and it refers to a judgment, a condemnation, a condemnation of wrong, a decision, whether right or mild or severe, which one passes upon the conduct of another. It also has reference then to a judicially declared court ruling. In other words, it is a lawsuit, basically, and it involves the sentence of a judge. So now, basically, I want to give you two applications from this verse.
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First of all, we must then understand that as a church, as the body of Christ, we will be judged for our sins more quickly and more readily than will the lost. That's what he said. Judgment must first begin at the house of God. So that means God is going to chasten us first.
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Now, let me tell you something. I had four daughters, and when they were children, when they did wrong, I chastised them. And I would make sure that if I ever told my child that I'm going to whip you for this, that's exactly what I would do, because I would want them to understand that, yes, I'm going to keep my word. Yes, they have done wrong. And yes, they're going to be punished for that.
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You know why I did that? Because they were my children and I wanted them to do that which was right and to be right. I don't remember ever whipping my neighbor's children, you know, but I did with mine now. God wants us to be right.
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Now, I want to show you. I want you to follow me. I want you to hold 1 Peter, if you would. But turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Luke chapter 12. And I'm going to show you why God is going to judge the church first. So look in your Bibles to Luke chapter 12. And let's begin reading there with verse 43. Luke chapter 12. Note, if you would please, beginning with verse 43. Here's what the Word of God says.
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"Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But, and if that servant say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the men's servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, the Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour of which
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he is not aware, and will cut him asunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did not commit things worthy of stripes, he shall be beaten with few stripes. Why? For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required. And to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."
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So let me put this very plainly, the greater the responsibility, the greater the opportunity, the greater the culpability. The more knowledge you have, the more opportunities you have, the more responsibilities you have, the more culpable you are if you fail in those duties and those responsibilities.
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Now, let me show you a good illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Lamentations. Jeremiah, Lamentations, and look in Lamentations chapter four, because here is an absolute astounding truth. Look, if you would, in the book of Lamentations chapter four and look at verse six. Here's what Jeremiah said, and he was eyewitness to the destruction of Jerusalem. And he said this: "For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people"—that would be Jerusalem—"is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown in a moment and no hand stayed on her." Now think about that. He said, and he's watching Jerusalem destroyed, "for the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment and no hand stayed on her."
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Now, you're going to have to ask yourself this question. Why in the world was the destruction of Jerusalem greater than the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? Why was it more severe? Well, let's answer that. Jerusalem had the temple. Jerusalem had the law. Jerusalem had the teaching priests. Jerusalem had the worship of God. Jerusalem had everything that Sodom and Gomorrah did not have. Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown as in a moment.
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I mean, fire and brimstone rained down upon them, and that was it. I preached the message recently on cataclysmic judgments. And I read where some were saying that probably the fire and brimstone came from a meteorite that exploded. And oh, I forget how many degrees Fahrenheit it reached, something like seven or eight thousand degrees. The whole earth was scorched. Archaeologists are saying everything was scorched. The earth was even burned.
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It was overthrown in a moment. Not Jerusalem. Jerusalem was under a siege. There was starvation. There was famine. There was killing. Finally, there was captivity. And then once those who got carried into captivity, it was 70 years long. What does he say? The punishment of Jerusalem was greater than the punishment of Sodom. Because Sodom was overthrown in a moment. It was quick. It was instant. It was over. It was done with. But not with Jerusalem. Because Jerusalem had greater opportunities and greater blessings and greater responsibilities.
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And therefore, they were more culpable. They deserved censure. They deserved punishment more. The second application, I think, on this passage is also obvious. 1 Peter 4 and verse 17. That is, it is the congregation, the church, that is to be speaking truth and condemning sin, exposing wickedness and applying the law of God. Yes, and applying the law of God.
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Now, there are two truths, I believe, that follow right in this vein. First of all, do you realize it's the responsibility of the church, the congregation, the body of Christ, to declare the word of God, to declare the law of God and to uphold his judgments and his standards. Failure in this area not only supports the wicked, it condones the wickedness and gives them energy because it is a compromise with the world.
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Now, let me show you. I want you to turn, if you would, to the book of Zephaniah. You'll find Zephaniah before Zechariah. And then Malachi. But look in the book of Zephaniah, chapter 3, beginning there with verse 1. Zephaniah, chapter 3, verse 1. God says, "Woe to her that is filthy and polluted to the oppressing city." Now, that's Jerusalem. "She obeyed not the voice. She received not correction.
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She trusted not in the Lord. She drew not near to God. Her princes within are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They gnaw not the bones till the morrow. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons. Her priests have polluted the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law. The just Lord is in the midst thereof. He will not do iniquity. Every morning doth he bring his judgment to light.
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He faileth not, but the unjust knoweth no shame." Notice, if you would, how wicked these people are. And notice what he says. The princes are corrupt. The prophets are corrupt. The priests are corrupt. Nobody is doing anything. In other words, when you and I fail to preach and proclaim and to teach the Word of God, what we're doing, we're elevating these individuals and we are condoning exactly what they're doing because we're failing to bring and proclaim God's judgment upon them.
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Now, I want you to consider, if you would just momentarily, a statement that was placed into the 1647 revision of the legal code of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Here it is. "The execution of the law is the life of the law." In short, no sanctions, no law.
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Now listen to that again. "The execution of the law is the life of the law." In short, no sanctions, no law. You look at all the Antifa, Black Lives Matter, all the communist stuff. Look at all of the stores that have been robbed, the people that have been raped, the people that have been murdered. Look at all the property that's been destroyed. And think about this. Nothing happened to most of those people. So where there are no sanctions, basically speaking, there is no law. Because the sanction, or the execution of the law, is the life of the law. And when you do not have an execution of that law, the law then basically is absolutely worthless. Every law must have sanctions. If there is no sanction, then the law is useless. It is worthless. Now, it is true as the body of Christ, we may not be able to execute every law, but we can proclaim God's sanctions against sin and against wickedness.
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How else will the wicked ever know what is wicked and what is wrong if we do not tell them? Fallen man could care less. He believes that his wickedness is right because he's doing his own thing. He's following his feelings. He's following his desires. He's living out what he wants. It's got to be right. I feel good about this. I enjoy this. Yeah. How will he ever know?
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You remember what the old Puritans always used to say, that the sharp needle of the law must precede the scarlet thread of the gospel. If the church does not proclaim, if the church does not preach and teach, how in the world will the wicked know? Biblical justice, you must remember, is based upon the eternal fixed standard of the goodness and righteousness found in the character of God and revealed in His Word. The Church of Jesus Christ as a body must speak out against sin. We must speak out against sodomy. We must speak out against transgenderism. We must speak out against fornication. We must speak out against fraud. We must speak out against tyranny, both political and civil and even spiritual tyranny. We have to.
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Speaking out is absolutely needed and necessary. And if we don't, we're actually compromising with the world. That's exactly what we're doing now. Let me point something else out. Speaking out is needed and necessary, but there are things and there are times that that is all we can do. Because in one sense of the word, there are things over which the church does not have control. I usually tell people I cannot control the President of the United States.
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I wish I could, but I can't. I cannot control Congress. I wish I could, but I can't. I cannot control the court system. I wish I could, but I can't. I do not have any practical control over that. I do have a control in the sense that there are imprecatory prayers in the Bible, and I can certainly pray, and that certainly is true as well. But the point I'm trying to make is there are some things I do not have control over, but those over which the body of Christ does have control, you have to do more than speak out.
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So let me give you the illustration. I want you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. 1 Corinthians chapter 5. And I want us to read the first 5 verses. 1 Corinthians chapter 5 beginning with verse 1. The Apostle Paul tells these Corinthians, "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and such fornication is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's wife. And you are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he that had done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath done this deed.
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For in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye were gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Now, here's a case that not only had to be spoken against, but it also needed to be judged.
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A biblical censure, a biblical judgment must be given in such an instance. This is normally what you and I would call church discipline. Now, before I share with you this case and the outcome, I want to point out at least three reasons for church discipline, three reasons for biblical justice as a congregational necessity. First of all, church discipline must be accomplished, or let me say this another way, congregational justice must be accomplished for the honor and the glory of God. It is demanded in Scripture that we must grasp the fact that God's honor and the honor of His law is at stake in this issue. And we must give forth an honest, true and just judgment.
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We cannot pretend that sin does not exist. That's the way a lot of people handle this. We'll just pretend that this didn't happen. It did happen. It will happen. It has happened. And therefore, it's got to be dealt with. You cannot pretend as if it did not happen. So speaking out is certainly needed and necessary, that is for sure. But here, something has to be done. And so by refusing then to engage in what you and I would call congregational justice, by refusing to do that, we end up praising and justifying the wicked.
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Now, here's an interesting scripture. Proverbs chapter 17, verse 15. Listen carefully. "He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord." The word abomination means a stench in the nostrils. So the God says, he that justifies the wicked is a stench in his nostrils, and he that condemns the just is a stench in his nostrils.
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Now, what we have failed to understand is this. When we fail to speak out, and when we fail to execute biblical justice as a congregation, what we are doing in essence is sinning by silence and by consent. So if you look in your Bibles, I will show it to you in Psalm 50. If you would turn to Psalm 50 and notice if you would be getting there with verse 16, Psalm 50 and verse 16.
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I want you to watch this. Because many times we keep our mouths shut when we should speak out. So look at it in Psalm 50, beginning there, verse 16, God says, "But unto the wicked, God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Now, look, seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thy back." So when we see evil, and we keep our mouths shut and we do nothing according to God, we're hating his instructions. We're casting his word behind our back. Then he said this, "When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers." Now, wait a minute. "When thou sawest a thief, and thou consentest with him."
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How did you consent when you saw someone stealing? You never said anything. How did you be a partaker with adulterers? You knew it was happening. You never said anything. You never did anything. You pretended as if it was not happening whatsoever. In other words, we can sin by silence, and when we are silent in condemning sin, and when we're silent in censuring sin and in judging sin, we're actually giving our consent to sin. And we're giving consent to these individuals who are engaged in it, and God calls it wicked because we're casting His word behind our back.
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Now, secondly, church discipline is not only for God's honor and God's glory. But secondly, church discipline is also for the good and the benefit of others. Isn't that amazing?
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Now, there is a phrase that occurs over and over in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. It goes like this. "So shall thou put evil away from among you" or "from the midst of thee." And "so shall the people fear the Lord thy God." In fact, that's exactly what God said in Deuteronomy 17 and verse 7, talking about the man who deserved to die. He said the hands of the witnesses must first be upon him to put him to death and afterwards the hand of all the people, "so shalt thou put the evil away from among you." It's the same principle, it's the exact same truth that the Apostle Paul enunciated in 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 20 when he said, "them that sin rebuke before all that others may fear."
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So, if here is someone who is in need of biblical justice from the congregation, and there's none given, all that is doing is encouraging everyone else to sin, too, because if he got by with it, I can get by with it. If they're not going to judge him, if they're not going to discipline him, they're not going to discipline me. So it's an encouragement to sin. God said this is not only for his honor and his glory, but it's also for the benefit of others that they may fear. Now, this is a warning from God.
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The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 21, listen to what Paul said to these people. "And lest when I come again, my God will humble me among you. And thus shall I bewail many which have sinned already and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed." Paul said you better deal with this. Because if you don't, it's going to encourage others to sin. So you have to understand that biblical justice in the congregation is not only for God's honor and God's glory, it's not only for the good and for the benefit of others that they may fear.
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But here's the third reason. It's for the benefit of the individual who sinned. If you'll go back in your Bibles to first Corinthians, chapter five, I want you to notice what the Apostle Paul said in verses four and five. First Corinthians chapter five. Look at it in verses four and five. The Apostle said it like this. He said, "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, when you were gathered together in my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh." Here it is. "that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." So although someone is disciplined or justice is executed in the congregation, it is not for his destruction. It is for his benefit that the spirit may be saved.
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Now, let me tell you something. Church discipline or biblical justice in the congregation may not be enjoyable to the transgressor, but it is for his benefit.
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Now, when you look at First Corinthians, Chapter five. This sin is so atrocious. There are basically two views I'm going to give you both of them. Here's the first one from one author, and he just simply says this. It was probably a permanent union talking about the man and his stepmother using her as a concubine or mistress, or some kind without formal marriage, like John 4. The woman probably was not the offender's mother. In other words, she was his stepmother.
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And the father may have been dead or divorced. I like what Matthew Poole says better. Here's what Poole said. "That one should have his father's wife." By having his father's wife in this place, it is not to be understood the marrying of his father's wife his father being dead, but the using of his father's wife as his wife while his father was yet alive. And some judicious interpreters think this is true, because hardly any nation would have endured a son openly to have married the widow of his father. And in 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 12, there is mention made not only of one that has done, but of another that has suffered the wrong, which latter must be the father himself.
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So there was both incest and whoredom in this act. Wow. So here's a man then in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, that has taken his stepmother from his father, or at least is using her basically as his wife.
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Now, the direction of the Apostle Paul was to execute biblical justice upon him, congregationally speaking, and to deliver him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh. Now, the Apostle Paul also used that same language in 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 20 when he was talking about Hymenaeus and Alexander, he said, "whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." So in the case of 1 Corinthians chapter 5, the end of church discipline or biblical justice in the congregation is not to destroy the transgressor, but to restore the transgressor. It is to cast him over and turn him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that is, for the maceration of the flesh, the affliction of the flesh, the grief and sorrow, he said, that the spirit may be saved.
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Now, this is an awful thought in one sense of the word. Do you realize what it might be possibly like to be delivered over to Satan? What that would mean is that God withdraws His protection away from that man and just allows Satan to destroy him any way he wants to destroy him, attack him any way he wants to attack him. I hope you remember that in Luke chapter 22 and verse 31, our Lord looked at Peter and He said, "Simon, Simon," He said, "Satan hath desired to have thee, that he may sift thee as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not."
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Now, the Greek word for sift there is the word siniazo, and it literally means to sift, to shake in a sieve, and it literally, figuratively refers to someone who is shaken into pieces, basically, just like you would take flour and put it in a sieve and just shake it and shake it and finally grind it out. That's exactly the word here. Our Lord said, Satan has desired to have you that he might run you through the ringer. And here, this man is turned over to the devil for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit might be saved.
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Now, let me ask you a question. Did biblical justice work in this instance? And the answer, of course, is yes. So, if you will turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 2, I want to show you something else. I didn't mention this earlier, but here it is brought out very plainly. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 4.
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The Word of God says, "For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you, with many tears." It broke Paul's heart. "Not that you should be grieved, but you might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part, that I may not overcharge you all." Now look what he says concerning this man. "Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many."
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So the whole body executed biblical justice. Now he says in verse 7, evidently there was repentance, "so that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such an one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him." Now watch that. "For to this end also did I write that I might know the proof of you, whether you'll be obedient in all things. To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also. For if I forgive anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ." Now go back to verse 9. He said, "For to this end also I did write, that I might know the proof of you, whether you were obedient or not." Do you realize? Congregational justice evidences whether or not you are obedient to the Word of God. Church discipline evidences whether or not you are obedient to the Word of God.
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Now, look if you would, verses 10 and 12. He said, "To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also. For if I forgive anything to whom I forgave it, it's for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ." Yes, in the person of Christ.
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Now, let's go to verse 11. "...lest Satan should get an advantage over us. For we are not ignorant of his devices. Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened in me of the Lord." So he says, look, sufficient to such a man? Yes. Forgiving? Yes. Lest Satan should get an advantage over us. We are not going to allow that to happen.
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Let me try to tie things together for you. I want you to understand that biblical justice requires accountability. It requires accountability not only individually and personally, but it also requires accountability congregationally. Jesus Christ is the head of his church. Jesus Christ is the head of the body. The body is to move in response to the head. Just as it is possible for individuals to sin, it is also possible for congregations to sin. I hope you remember that in the book of Leviticus, when there were all those sacrifices, God mentioned a sacrifice specifically for the people as individuals. Then he mentioned another sacrifice for the prince or the ruler, another sacrifice for the priest, and then there was another sacrifice for the entire congregation. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Revelation chapter 2. the book of Revelation, chapter 2. And notice, if you would please, verse 5, at what our Lord said to the church. Look at it. Revelation, chapter 2 and verse 5.
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Our Lord is writing to the church of Ephesus and he says this, "Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." You remember this morning that Brother Grant was talking about the word Ichabod, the glory has departed. This is exactly the same truth. He tells the local church, unless you repent, I will come quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place.
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Now, if you go back to Revelation chapter 1, the seven stars in the right hand of our Lord are the messengers, or the preachers, or the angels, or the pastors of the church. But the candlesticks are the church itself. So our Lord said, unless the church, the individual church, the bodies, unless they repent, I will remove thy candlestick out of his place. Alrighty, good-bye. Would you pause just for a moment and think of all the multitudinous church buildings in this land that are filled with people that never hear the Word of God. Stop and think about that.
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I was down in Tampa, Florida. We went to see my daughter and her family. They were living in Tampa at that time. And a hurricane was coming through. All the stores were cleaned out. But the hurricane had not hit, so my son-in-law was going to take us out to supper. And when we went by this church, a Baptist church, here on the marquee said this, never have forgotten it. "Come as our early service.
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In by eight, out by 30." Now, wait a minute, that's a Baptist church. You know. They're going to pray. You know they're going to sing a song. You know for sure they're going to take an offering. And then there's going to be a benediction, which means 10 minutes, a 10 minute sermonette. And all it was designed to do was to salve the consciences of the people on their way to the beach.
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I've got news for you. This is why you can walk into many, many church buildings and never, ever hear the word of God. It's kind of like the story I heard. About the old Western worker. Who was in town working and he was a hard worker. And he came to church in his work clothes dirty. I didn't have time to go change, didn't have time to go get a bath. He just went to worship God and everybody kind of looked at him.
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Hardly anybody spoke to him. But he came back.
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Finally, after about the third time, the pastor came to him and said, "Well, sir, we think based upon the way you dress, and your uncleanness, it might be best if you found another church to worship in." The old cowboy said, "Yes, sir, I understand." He said, "I already prayed about this." He said, "The Lord told me he'd been trying to get in this church for 40 years.
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No reason for me to try now." Do you realize the truth of that? You laugh. But it's true. It is true. When the church does not move as a body. When the church is not interested in congregational justice, what makes you think the church is going to be interested in civil justice? What makes you think it'll be interested in personal justice? God said. Unless you repent, I will remove thy candlestick out of his place. It is necessary and proper for a congregation to repent when the body has sinned or allowed sin in its midst.
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Biblical justice acknowledges our culpability, accepts the consequences of our sins, and attempts to correct things by repenting and turning back in obedience and faith to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Word. Without justice, society disintegrates. Without biblical justice, churches also disintegrate. An Ichabod is written over the church. God requires biblical justice in every area. If I could leave you with one thing, I want you to think about this.
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It is your responsibility as individuals to obey Ephesians chapter 4 when the Bible says, "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." It's up to you to pursue one mind, one mouth, one motive, and one mission. If you move together as a body, regardless of what it is, you will accomplish great things for God. But if you fight amongst yourself and you start having personal opinions that are contrary to Scripture and things that you don't like, and "I just don't fit in, I don't see this." No, no, no. You might not see and you might not understand, but if it's in the Word of God, you can bow to it. And you had better bow to it. God requires justice in the church, just like He does in the judicial system, in the civil system, and in our lives.
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Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. We ask, Lord, that You would indeed help us as a church. When it comes to discipline, when it comes to missions, when it comes to whatever, Lord, to move as a body without fighting, without feigning. Help us, Lord, to have the mind of Jesus Christ that we may say the things that Jesus Christ would have us to say, that we would have as our end His honor and His glory, and that we would look for a successful mission from Him resulting, Lord, again in His honor and His glory. Give us Your grace, we pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and whose name we ask. Amen. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:21:25Z

God’s Justice As Congregational Necessity

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver argues that biblical justice is not limited to civil or personal spheres but is a congregational necessity. Because God's nature and commands require righteousness, the church as a body must speak against sin, exercise discipline, and uphold God's standards. Failure to do so dishonors God, encourages sin, and harms both the congregation and the sinner. Using Micah 6:8, Isaiah 45:18-19, 1 Peter 4:17, and 1 Corinthians 5, he shows that judgment begins with God's house, and congregational justice restores the sinner, benefits others, and glorifies God.

Introduction: Justice Beyond Civil and Personal Spheres

Weaver introduces the theme of biblical justice as a congregational necessity, noting that God's love for justice extends to all spheres, especially among His people.

God's Nature and Commands Demand Righteousness

God speaks righteousness and declares what is right; believers must imitate Him by speaking and doing righteousness.

And the answer is because of His nature and also because of His commands. So if you'll look in Isaiah 45, verses 18 and 19, the Scripture says this,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 45:18-19

"For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, God Himself that formed the earth and made it, He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. I, the Lord, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right."

Now, note what he said,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 45:18-19

"I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare the things which are right."

The Consequences of Neglecting Justice

Without biblical justice, the law is slacked, the wicked triumph, and the righteous are dominated, as seen in Habakkuk 1:1-4.

The Church as One Body with One Mind, Mouth, Motive, and Mission

Using Romans 15:5-9, Weaver emphasizes that the congregation must move as one body, thinking, speaking, and acting in unity under Christ.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 22:22, 25

"I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation. I will praise thee."

So he talks about the brethren. That would be individuals. But then he said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 22:22, 25

"in the midst of the congregation."

So that would be the corporate body. And then in Psalm 22 and verse 25, "My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:4, 12, 16

there is one body and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling."

So I want you to see what the Apostle Paul says. Romans 15. Look at verse five.

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"Now, the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus. That you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers."

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

So let me point three things out in that verse. He said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"that you may with one mind."

And

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"that you may with one mouth glorify God,"

that would be one motive. Then if you'll skip down to verse seven,

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"Wherefore, receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God."

That's one mission. Now watch.

Scripture Reading — Romans 15:5-9

"Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the Father."

That is still one mission.

Judgment Begins at the House of God

1 Peter 4:17 teaches that God judges the church first because of greater responsibility and knowledge, as illustrated by Jerusalem's punishment compared to Sodom's.

Scripture Reading — Lamentations 4:6

"For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people"

—that would be Jerusalem—

Scripture Reading — Lamentations 4:6

"is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown in a moment and no hand stayed on her."

Now think about that. He said, and he's watching Jerusalem destroyed,

Scripture Reading — Lamentations 4:6

"for the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment and no hand stayed on her."

The Church's Duty to Proclaim and Execute Justice

The church must declare God's law and uphold His standards; silence condones sin. The execution of the law is its life, and the church must speak against sin and, where possible, act.

Church Discipline: A Case Study from 1 Corinthians 5

Now, here's an interesting scripture. Proverbs chapter 17, verse 15. Listen carefully.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 17:15

"He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord."

The word abomination means a stench in the nostrils. So the God says, he that justifies the wicked is a stench in his nostrils, and he that condemns the just is a stench in his nostrils.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 50:16-18

"But unto the wicked, God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Now, look, seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thy back."

So when we see evil, and we keep our mouths shut and we do nothing according to God, we're hating his instructions. We're casting his word behind our back. Then he said this,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 50:16-18

"When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers."

Now, wait a minute.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 50:16-18

"When thou sawest a thief, and thou consentest with him."

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:7

"So shall thou put evil away from among you"

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 17:7

"so shalt thou put the evil away from among you."

It's the same principle, it's the exact same truth that the Apostle Paul enunciated in 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 20 when he said, "them that sin rebuke before all that others may fear."

The Outcome of Biblical Justice: Restoration and Forgiveness

In 2 Corinthians 2, the disciplined man repented, and Paul urges forgiveness and comfort, showing that congregational justice leads to restoration and proves obedience.

Corporate Accountability and the Threat of Ichabod

Congregations can sin and face God's judgment; Revelation 2:5 warns that Christ will remove a church's candlestick unless it repents. Churches that neglect justice risk losing God's presence.

Conclusion: Pursue Unity and Obedience

Weaver calls believers to pursue one mind, mouth, motive, and mission, bowing to Scripture even when they don't understand, and to uphold justice in the church as God requires.

God’s Justice As Congregational Necessity

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	814231951253019
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Praying Against the Wicked
Genre	Sermon
Date	2023-08-11
Dictation Name
Book	Book 137: Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations - Volume 2 — Chapter 26
Source Timed Segments	86

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: Justice Beyond Civil and Personal Spheres: Weaver introduces the theme of biblical justice as a congregational necessity, noting that God's love for justice extends to all spheres, especially among His people.
God's Nature and Commands Demand Righteousness: God speaks righteousness and declares what is right; believers must imitate Him by speaking and doing righteousness.
The Consequences of Neglecting Justice: Without biblical justice, the law is slacked, the wicked triumph, and the righteous are dominated, as seen in Habakkuk 1:1-4.
The Church as One Body with One Mind, Mouth, Motive, and Mission: Using Romans 15:5-9, Weaver emphasizes that the congregation must move as one body, thinking, speaking, and acting in unity under Christ.
Judgment Begins at the House of God: 1 Peter 4:17 teaches that God judges the church first because of greater responsibility and knowledge, as illustrated by Jerusalem's punishment compared to Sodom's.
The Church's Duty to Proclaim and Execute Justice: The church must declare God's law and uphold His standards; silence condones sin. The execution of the law is its life, and the church must speak against sin and, where possible, act.
Church Discipline: A Case Study from 1 Corinthians 5: Paul commands the Corinthians to judge a case of incest, delivering the man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that his spirit may be saved. Church discipline honors God, benefits others, and restores the sinner.
The Outcome of Biblical Justice: Restoration and Forgiveness: In 2 Corinthians 2, the disciplined man repented, and Paul urges forgiveness and comfort, showing that congregational justice leads to restoration and proves obedience.
Corporate Accountability and the Threat of Ichabod: Congregations can sin and face God's judgment; Revelation 2:5 warns that Christ will remove a church's candlestick unless it repents. Churches that neglect justice risk losing God's presence.
Conclusion: Pursue Unity and Obedience: Weaver calls believers to pursue one mind, mouth, motive, and mission, bowing to Scripture even when they don't understand, and to uphold justice in the church as God requires.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

God's nature demands justice in the church

Because God speaks righteousness and declares what is right, His people must imitate Him by upholding justice within the congregation.

Weaver cites Isaiah 45:18-19 and Ephesians 5:1, saying, 'If you're going to follow God the Father as His child, you must also learn to speak righteousness, you must also declare those things which are right.'

Neglecting justice allows wickedness to prevail

When the church fails to execute justice, the law is slacked, the wicked dominate, and wrong judgment proceeds, as Habakkuk lamented.

Weaver reads Habakkuk 1:4: 'Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth, for the wicked doth compass about the righteous, therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.'

The church must move as one body in justice

Romans 15:5-9 calls for like-mindedness, one mouth, and one mission, which is essential for executing congregational justice.

Weaver says, 'The Word of God is telling us very plainly that we must move then as one body. And to move as one body, you have to have the one mind, you have to have the one mouth, you have to have the one motive, and you have to have the one mission.'

Greater knowledge brings greater accountability

The church, having God's revelation, is more culpable than the world and will be judged first, as illustrated by Jerusalem's punishment exceeding Sodom's.

Weaver explains, 'Jerusalem had the temple. Jerusalem had the law. Jerusalem had the teaching priests. Jerusalem had the worship of God. Jerusalem had everything that Sodom and Gomorrah did not have.'

Silence in the face of sin is consent

Psalm 50:16-18 teaches that failing to speak against sin makes one a partaker with evildoers, so the church must proclaim God's sanctions.

Weaver reads Psalm 50:18: 'When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.'

Church discipline aims at restoration

The purpose of delivering a sinner to Satan in 1 Corinthians 5 is the destruction of the flesh so that the spirit may be saved, not final condemnation.

Weaver says, 'The end of church discipline or biblical justice in the congregation is not to destroy the transgressor, but to restore the transgressor.'

Congregational justice proves obedience

Paul's instruction in 2 Corinthians 2:9 shows that executing discipline tests whether the church is obedient to God's Word.

Weaver reads, 'For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether you'll be obedient in all things.'

Churches that neglect justice face removal

Revelation 2:5 warns that Christ will remove a church's candlestick unless it repents, indicating the loss of God's presence and effectiveness.

Weaver says, 'Our Lord said, unless the church, the individual church, the bodies, unless they repent, I will remove thy candlestick out of his place.'

Scripture References

Micah 6:8: Theme verse for the sermon, stating God's requirement to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.
Isaiah 45:18-19: God declares He speaks righteousness and declares things that are right, forming the basis for believers to imitate Him.
Ephesians 5:1: Believers are to be imitators of God, which includes speaking righteousness.
Colossians 1:10: Walking worthy of the Lord and pleasing Him involves living justly.
1 Thessalonians 2:10: Paul lived holily and justly among believers, exemplifying congregational justice.
Romans 7:12: The law is holy, just, and good, undergirding the standard of biblical justice.
Habakkuk 1:1-4: The prophet laments that the law is slacked and judgment never goes forth because the wicked surround the righteous.
Psalm 22:22, 25: References to the congregation as a corporate body where God is praised.
Psalm 35:18: Praising God in the great congregation, emphasizing corporate worship.
Ephesians 4:4, 12, 16: The church is one body, built up together, moving as a unified whole.
Colossians 3:15: Believers are called in one body, reinforcing corporate identity.
Romans 15:5-9: Paul prays for like-mindedness, one mouth, and one mission, receiving one another as Christ received us.
1 Corinthians 12:27: Believers are the body of Christ and members individually, supporting corporate responsibility.
1 Peter 4:17: Judgment begins at the house of God, indicating the church is judged first.
Luke 12:43-48: Greater knowledge and responsibility lead to greater punishment, applied to the church's accountability.
Lamentations 4:6: Jerusalem's punishment was greater than Sodom's because of its greater privileges, illustrating the principle of greater culpability.
Zephaniah 3:1-5: Corrupt leaders and failure to proclaim judgment lead to pollution and violence; God's justice is unfailing.
Proverbs 17:15: Justifying the wicked or condemning the just is an abomination to the Lord.
Psalm 50:16-18: Silence in the face of sin is consent; those who see theft or adultery and say nothing are partakers.
Deuteronomy 17:7: Putting away evil from among the people so that others may fear, a principle of corporate justice.

Historical References

1647 revision of the legal code of the Massachusetts Bay Colony: Weaver quotes the statement 'The execution of the law is the life of the law' to emphasize that without sanctions, law is worthless.
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: Compared to Jerusalem's destruction to illustrate that greater privilege brings greater judgment.
Destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon: Used as an example of severe judgment due to greater knowledge and responsibility.
Lester Roloff: Mentioned as an example of humble submission to Scripture despite lack of theological understanding.
Puritans: Weaver references the Puritan saying, 'the sharp needle of the law must precede the scarlet thread of the gospel.'

Important Quotes

He has showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

This is the theme verse of the sermon, establishing God's requirement for justice as a fundamental duty.

I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare the things which are right.

Weaver uses this to show that God's nature is to speak righteousness, and believers must imitate Him.

The execution of the law is the life of the law.

This historical quote underscores the necessity of enforcing justice; without sanctions, law is meaningless.

When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

Weaver uses this to argue that silence in the face of sin is equivalent to consent and participation.

Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many.

This shows that the congregational discipline was effective and led to repentance, proving the value of biblical justice.

Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Weaver uses this warning to emphasize that churches neglecting justice risk losing God's presence.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why is biblical justice often overlooked in the congregational sphere, and how can we change that mindset?

[Context]

Weaver notes that we seldom think about justice in the ecclesiastical sphere, though God demands it.

[Question]

What does it practically mean for a congregation to have 'one mind, one mouth, one motive, and one mission'?

[Context]

Based on Romans 15:5-9, Weaver emphasizes unity in thought, speech, and purpose.

[Question]

How does the principle that 'judgment begins at the house of God' affect our view of church discipline?

[Context]

Weaver explains that God judges the church first because of greater knowledge and responsibility.

[Question]

In what ways can a church sin by silence, and what are the consequences?

[Context]

Psalm 50:16-18 shows that failing to speak against sin is consenting with evildoers.

[Question]

How does church discipline serve the three purposes of honoring God, benefiting others, and restoring the sinner?

[Context]

Weaver outlines these three reasons for congregational justice.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'deliver someone to Satan for the destruction of the flesh,' and how can that be restorative?

[Context]

From 1 Corinthians 5:5, Weaver discusses the severe but redemptive purpose of discipline.

[Question]

How should a congregation balance justice and forgiveness when a disciplined member repents?

[Context]

2 Corinthians 2:6-11 shows the need to forgive and comfort the repentant to prevent excessive sorrow.

[Question]

What are the dangers of a church losing its 'candlestick,' and how can we avoid that?

[Context]

Revelation 2:5 warns of removal for lack of repentance; Weaver applies this to neglecting justice.

Applications

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