Corrective re-alignment is a blessing of grace. The New Covenant declares believers in Jesus are holy and pure in God’s sight. Col. 2:21, 22 says ‘Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation.’ Wow! Your spiritual position in Christ is holy and free from any blemish or accusation that could diminish who you are in Christ. It is our perfectly aligned spiritual position in grace, halleluiah!
Before you accepted Christ, you believed you were an enemy of God because of your behavior. Your behavior did not line up with God’s perfect standard of righteousness. Therefore you were not holy and had numerous blemishes on your record. You were not aligned with standard of the law (10 commandments and its regulations). You were vulnerable to accusation from the enemy, the devil. He would say ‘you are not good enough’ and he would be correct. You were not good enough to stand before the Father based upon the law. But now, because you have been reconciled back to the Father through your faith and belief in Jesus, you are aligned, (i.e. your spirit-man is reconciled) as holy, blemish free and resistant to any accusation from the devil about your righteousness, holiness and purity before the Father. What an awesome testimony of grace and goodness through Jesus to position us in good stead with the Father!
From this sure foundation leaders often ask ‘so what do we do about overt evil behavior or patterns of resisting Godly authority in the church? Are we to ignore it?’ How should leaders handle this issue in light of this (and many similar scriptures) that gives a clear picture of our righteous relationship with God? The answer is ‘We handle it the same way Paul did’. He offered an individual corrective re-alignment, when necessary, to maintain the integrity and protection of the church body. The flesh nature and the demonic will cooperate with each other in the church. This will require occasional corrective re-alignment for the common good. It is a blessing of grace. Church leaders, as delegated overseers of the people entrusted to them, carry responsibility for the overall well-being of those people (1 Peter 5:2, 3). Paul told Timothy, the pastor of the church in Ephesus, he should ‘correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction’ (2 Tim. 4:2). Correcting a believer does not in any way accuse, blemish, or threaten that person’s righteous alignment with the Father. It brings into alignment that which will wear and cause deterioration in the body unless corrected. It is a blessing of grace….they don’t deserve the blessing, but they get to participate. Leaders who are well grounded in grace will do so with great patience and care. The Father instituted Godly authority in the church to maintain alignment and authority within His kingdom. Therefore you do so as responsible leaders in that kingdom.
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