10 Steps to Restoring a Brother

“Moreover if thy brother (not a lost soul or wolf) shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” Matthew 18:15-17

This passage is often misapplied. DOES Matthew 18:15-17 apply to wolves? No. Notice how He begins – “Moreover if thy brother (not a lost soul or wolf) shall trespass against thee…” What Jesus was teaching us in Matthew 18:15-17 is for the members of His body exclusively. Wolves are Satan’s plants to deceive His body and not members His body but rather ministers of Satan (2 Corinthians 11:12-15).

Restoring those in sin is the duty of the members of Christ’s body and “shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”

“Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20

BROTHERS in Christ …. If you have an issue with another brother, below are the biblical steps to correction. … Please open your Bible to read and learn passages well in order to incorporate them into your daily body life….

1. Go directly to him in private Matthew 18:15-17. Do not start a public campaign against him directly or indirectly. Now, if he is publicly teaching a heresy, he should be addressed either or both publicly and privately. If he refuses to repent after the first or second admonition, “reject” him. Read Titus 3:10-11 closely and obey God in this His instruction.

2. When you are led by the Holy Spirit to help a brother grow or correct something in his life (doctrine or practice), go meekly, realizing that you also are frail, imperfect, and subject to temptation. Get very familiar with Galatians 6:1-2. Verse 2 tells us we are going to bear the burden of a brother and not with the goal of ostracizing or condemning him. Memorize Ephesians 4:3, 32.

3. Approach: Go to God and them with the prayer-filled goal to restore and no condemn (Galatians 6:1-2).

4. Remain humble and teachable and understand beforehand that something you don’t understand about the brother you are approaching, or something he is teaching, may be due to your own need to learn something more of the revelation of Christ through the full counsel of His Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

5. Oh, if you are not a mature, seasoned believer who is amply supplied with the knowledge of God’s Word, the LORD is not sending you to correct anyone, be sure of that because to do so would be to contradict His own Word (Galatians 6:1).

6. Do not attempt to correct a brother based on a non-essential. Read and become intimately familiar with what the Holy Spirit is communicating to us about this in Romans 14. Galatians 5:19-21 lists 17 soul damning sins.

7. If you don’t have a life of prayer and deep study of God’s Word daily, you are not a mature Christian and unfit to correct anyone else since you have not even corrected your own life (Matthew 7:1-5; Galatians 6:1-2).

8. If the brother is simply walking “disorderly” (out of step with what is right but not a soul-damning sin), just have no company with him – avoid him – so he will become convicted and ashamed. Admonish him. Pray for him from a sincere heart that knows its own great, desperate, present, and utter need for the grace of God. Read 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15 closely.

9. Ultimately, it’s the divine Person of the Holy Spirit who quickens each of our hearts to change and leads us into all truth which always brings the magnification of Jesus Christ and not mere man (John 14:26; 16:13-14).

10. Spend time praying for that brother you sense an impression to approach. Bathe the whole thing in prayer and ask the LORD to convict and stop you if you are being led of self. Admit aloud to the LORD that no one needs Jesus more than you! Announce aloud to Him that “the root of the matter” is in you (Job 19:28).

Also, we should not rebuke an elder but rather entreat him as a father figure. Rebuking those older than us should be left up to the LORD and other older men.

“Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;” 1 Timothy 5:1

Blessed ladies, the LORD didn’t not call you to overtly correct other men, not even, and especially not your husband. Read 1 Peter 3:1-6 closely and prayerfully. Also, there is not one New Testament example of a woman correcting a man. The LORD has made His creation with order and we should observe such. Women of God

Read this: The Root of the Matter

Church Discipline | Discipline and Restoration | What Sins Does the Bible List as Soul Damning?

WHEN you witness a brother or sister becoming weak, having a fault, or committing sin, GOD’s call for you is to help them be restored to Him and not to run them through with the rusty sword of your own self-righteous judgment (Galatians 6:1-2; James 1:20; Romans 8:33-34).

Jesus teaches that if we presently have any sin at all in our own lives, we are 100% disqualified from pointing out or condemning anyone else for any sin they have in their own life.

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” John 8:7

Any questions?

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  ²Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:1-2

“For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” James 1:20

WHEN we deal with someone in error, the key to remember is whether or not the person in error is teachable or prideful. “God resisteth (sets Himself against) the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” (James 4:6) Watch what David prayed in Psalms 141:5:

“Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.” Psalms 141:5

Memory Truth:

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual (mature in Christ), restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:1-2

HAVE YOU noticed this phenomenon, this scenario? …..

It seems that some people come around, they lurk around, only to pounce on you when they get that open they’re looking for…. You stand back and scratch your head and remember how that person never once agreed with the truth or edified anyone… yet jumped down hard on you or someone else their demons targeted to rebuke or correct them?

FLASH POINT: If you aren’t edifying the members of the body of Christ, you have NO business correcting anyone but yourself (Galatians 6:1-2). Repent now and consider, realize that no one on the planet or in history needs Jesus more than you. Time to get a Gospel clue saints (Romans 7:18, 24; 1 Thess 5:11, etc.).

Church Discipline and Restoration

“The Root of the Matter” Job 19:28 [podcast]

The LORD Desires to Completely CLEAR You!

Aren’t You Glad God is the Judge and Not Man? [podcast]

The God Who Is Ready To Forgive [podcast]

Biblical Protocol for Correction

Restoration When A Brother Stumbles

Church Discipline: Six Steps