Christ entrusted the church with the gift of church discipline, commissioning it to confront and overcome sin and to declare forgiveness in his name to the repentant: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

To be a disciple involves discipline – training and correction – through Christ and his church: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline.” We continue to need this gift throughout our lives. None of us is without sin, and there is no shame in admitting this.

That is why Christ gave the church the power to forgive all sins in his name. Forgiveness is at the heart of his gospel, for those who are forgiven much love much. Christ teaches: “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

The New Testament instructs us to “confess your sins to one another.” Such confession is a fruit of repentance and must be entirely voluntary. It is necessary before baptism, and just as important afterward. If we do this with a contrite heart, in the determination not to sin again, the power of sin is broken.1

As the New Testament teaches, certain sinful actions are particularly serious. They affect not only the person responsible but also the whole church, harming its life and witness as the consecrated body of Christ. Those who commit such sins depart from the church’s peace and unity; in fact, Scripture warns that they place themselves outside the kingdom of God. To be restored to fellowship, such brothers or sisters need to give an account to the church for their actions and then reenter it through the same door by which they entered at baptism – that is, through repentance, confession, and forgiveness. This is possible through the gift of church discipline.

Church discipline is available to an adult baptized believer who wishes to undertake a time of repentance in order to be reconciled to God and the church. It is a time of silent reflection when the person concerned steps back from full participation in the common life. Through silence, one gains freedom from everyday concerns so that the heart can become quiet. It is a chance to cleanse one’s conscience of all that burdens it and to stand before God. Throughout such a time, the church community shows its redoubled love to those in discipline, caring for their practical needs with special consideration and keeping them constantly in its prayers. We each stand with them in our need of God’s judgment and forgiveness.

Understood rightly, church discipline is a grace, a sign of God’s mercy, and an act of hope. In our church community, the gift of discipline is granted only to those who desire and request it. It is not a punishment and has nothing in common with shunning, expulsion, or any kind of coercion; to abuse it for any such purpose is a sin. Rather, members who undertake a time of discipline remain our brothers and sisters and continue to be members in good standing.2 In seeking repentance, they do a service for Christ and his kingdom.

When a person in discipline has gained the assurance of a cleansed heart and God’s peace, he or she may ask to be reaccepted into the fellowship of the church community. The church then declares the forgiveness of sins, receiving the person back with joy and unreserved love.

* This online version of Foundations is for reference only. For the authoritative version, see the print edition.