Binding and Loosing

Author: Joseph

Date: October 29, 2023

When done as Yeshua instructed, confronting a believer regarding their sin has significant consequences for the person being corrected. How they react and are subsequently disciplined is not to be taken lightly by either the one correcting or the one being corrected.

When we have exhausted all attempts to win our fellow believer back to God by seeking their repentance from sin, they are outcast from the community. At this moment, they have become “bound” and until they repent, and they cannot be “loosened.” This authority is given to God’s people and whatever they have “bound” or “loosened” is also recognized in heaven as such (Matthew 18:18). Two witnesses are required to confirm a matter and it is also said that if the two agree and ask God anything, including to discipline the unrepentant believer, He will. For by these two witnesses gathering in the name of God, He is in their midst, confirming the matter and any decisions made righteously. There is real authority in the decision that is made. Peter understands this severity, so he asks Yeshua, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21). Yeshua shares a parable with him regarding a servant who is forgiven after pleading with the king, but then goes to beat his own slave whom he doesn’t want to forgive. The king then hands the servant over to the torturers as punishment (Matthew 18:23-34). The main lesson Yeshua teaches then is “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35).

Do the passages seem to contradict? Of course not. Rather, Yeshua is explaining that we must always forgive when someone repents and seeks forgiveness. The slave of the servant pleaded with him, but instead of showing the same mercy he received, the servant treated him harshly and so abused the forgiveness he was given. He did not offer the same forgiveness to others as he received. Just as we are also forgiven from our sin by God, so too we should forgive others, no matter how awful their sin may appear.

"...we should forgive others, no matter how awful their sin may appear."

If we do not have the same kind of heart to forgive the believer who repents, then we not only pass judgment wrongly, but then we also receive judgment upon ourselves. And since we abused our own forgiveness, God is not going to support our attempt to “bind” the one who sinned since they have repented and we are now wrongly condemning them.

Binding and loosing someone is not to be taken lightly by any means. If they repent, they are to be forgiven. No exceptions. If they are unrepentant and we have mercifully given them every opportunity to repent and they still refuse, they are to be forgiven, but must be disciplined by separation so that there is no room for sin to take root in the community. They are bound to God’s discipline until they are won back again, against the stubbornness of their sin. Have you ever “bound” someone you shouldn’t have because you did not offer the same forgiveness to them that Yeshua has given to you? Repent from this now, reach out to that person and reconcile.

Have you ever “loosened” someone from discipline even though they never repented from their sin? How has that affected the people around them? Discipline is a loving decision and has a proper role in keeping the community living righteously for God. If you have noticed a decline into sin within your community, find out what has been “loosened” that should not have been and make the correction that is needed.

We are given authority through Yeshua to bind and loose. Do not take it lightly and make sure you are doing so in mercy, with a heart of forgiveness, but also not allowing any sin to take root and cause a decline within your community.

Matthew 18:18-35

Binding and Loosing

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