Whenever I hear of not accepting a repentant sinner as if they had never sinned, I think of the prodigal son story.Josh wrote:Many of the more strict churches have very slow membership for outsiders. Many of the more strict churches also seem to have an abuse problem.
Myself, when I was joining a moderately conservative church (which took 2 years), I ended up pulling out at the last minute when it was clear an abuser would never be excommunicated - all he had to was apologise (or not even that) and it was business as usual.
Perhaps Wade and myself should recognise God’s grace and mercy for pulling us out of those situations. I chose to be consumed by anger and resentment instead. Praise the Lord for his mercy in delivering me from those feelings and sins, and for eventually providing me a wonderful church home.
Did the father say -
I'll forgive you and you can come back and join the family but first you will have to put up with not being treated like your elder brother. You will have to earn our trust that you won't do this again. You embarrassed our family and you hurt us and our reputation. There will be some positions now in the family that you can never have. What you did will be forgiven but never forgotten. Just stay in the background as we don't consider you a member of our family yet. Maybe at some later date. You should have known better. Your mom and I are very disappointed in you.
or did the father -
But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said unto him, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
A few questions to consider - Could the prodigal son have come home and again not do what was the expected norm of that community ? Could he have embarrassed the family once again ? Did he deserve to be thrown a welcome home party ? Was the father not loving his son without some kind of punishment ?
And who was more inclined to disagree with the father ? The elder son who didn't even want to recognize him as a brother 'this son of yours'. He was an angry, faithfully obedient son that thought this treatment was unfair. This prodigal had not earned the right to be fully installed back into the family. I never got a party thrown for me.
Something to think about. I was one of these prodigal sons and so glad I was lead to Christians who reflected this father's welcome back. Jesus is tenderly calling - come home, come home. I will receive you just come home.