Have you ever wanted to make a sinner -really- uncomfortable? The best way to do this is to gather about ten to fifteen other believers around and start talking about God’s goodness, His salvation and how wonderful a life holiness will bring. Talk about being on edge like a cat in a roomful of rocking chairs! But this example only goes to illustrate that the sinners have no place of standing in the congregation of the righteous.
Think about it for a minute! There is coming a grand day in which the world will no longer be ruled by “might makes right” or “he who has the gold makes the rules.” Instead, the rule of law will be the Word of God. The nations will be under the authority of Jesus Christ, and He will smite them with a rod of iron. You will never have to worry about a corrupt judge, an untrustworthy president, senator, king or prime minister. The sinner will have no place of importance, no position of leadership or any place of standing at all.
And while we are thinking about the future, let’s focus on the present and the way we should conduct our lives in the church. After all, the church is the congregation of the righteous in this world already. If you are in a position of authority within the church, it is essential that you require those who aspire to leadership to be persons with a servant heart, righteous and devout. As another psalm says, “My eyes will be upon the faithful in the land.” Don’t keep the sinners out of the church. They need to hear the Gospel. Just keep them out of having a place of standing in the congregation of the righteous.
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