There always seems to be a balance between the pull of open invitations – such as the invitation to hear the word of God out to receive baptism – and commands among the people of the Lord. The church makes no command for those who are outside the covenant and the commands for those in the church are enforced either by the free will of the individual or by removing from membership when necessary for those who have claimed association but refused to live as followers of Christ. The removal is simply to keep a clear line between those who strive to follow Christ and those who make no real attempt to follow.
Leave a Reply