Bound By Mercy and Grace

When reading and interpreting verses of the Bible, it is important to consider the immediate context.  Many erroneous doctrines and practices have resulted when verses are made to stand alone that are supported by preceding and following verses.  This would be like demolishing the walls on a two-storey building without consideration of how it would eventually reduce a habitable dwelling to rubble--with unsuspecting people inside!

On the subject of offences in the church, in Matthew 18 Jesus taught how believers were to go to the party who trespassed against them (for instance, by deceit and theft) and seek reconciliation.  If the offender was unwilling to humble himself to admit fault, another believer was to go along to confirm the truth as a witness.  Should the offender still stubbornly justify himself, their sinful case was to be told to the believers in the church.  If the person refused to submit to the judgment of the church, then the guilty party was to be viewed as a heathen with whom they did not share faith in Christ or the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Believers are bound to follow Jesus Christ and abide in humility, love, grace and unity with the brethren.  Should they refuse to do so, they are loosed from the bonds of fellowship.

It is in this context Jesus said in Matthew 18:18-20:  "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."  Jesus taught that where His people were He was in their midst, and as they walked in submission to Him and one another there would be common ground and agreement.  They could hold people accountable or release them from their responsibilities as part as the Body of Christ, the church.  What follows is very important, for Matthew related an answer Jesus gave on the subject of forgiveness.  The point is not so much how much a transgressor owed, but the obligation of believers to forgive one another.  Very important!

The picture of loosing and binding is employed in this parable where a master loosed his servant of the burden of a massive debt he was unable to pay.  The servant's response was to grab a fellow servant by the neck and demand payment of a small sum, and when the man did not pay he had him bound in prison.  Needless to say when the master received word of the ungrateful conduct of the servant he loosed from the debt, he was very angry.  Jesus explained what followed in Matthew 18:32-35:  "Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' ³⁴ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. ³⁵ So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."  The graceless conduct of the sinning servant was reported to the master by fellow servants, and he was held to account.  After being loosed for his debt he remained bound with greed and selfishness, and thus he was bound by the master and delivered to the torturers.  Knowing Jesus Christ has forgiven us quickens us to forgive others in light of His grace.

Now "binding" and "loosing" has taken on a whole different meaning to some Christians who teach due to their authority as those anointed by God they have power to bind or loose whatever they want, whether it be loosing from physical infirmities or binding demons.  We must realise it is Jesus Christ alone who has the power to bind and loose because all power and authority is His.  When Simon the sorcerer offered money to receive power that all he laid hand on would receive the Holy Spirit, Peter offered a strong rebuke in Acts 8:20-23:  "...Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! ²¹ You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. ²² Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."  Peter sensed Simon was bound by iniquity, and Peter did not loose him from it, nor could he:  Simon was required to humble himself in repentance before God and it was Jesus who would forgive and loose him.  Simon asked Peter to pray for him, and it does not seem he did.  Why should he if the man would not repent of sin and pray himself, unwilling to confess his bitterness and iniquity before God?

In Luke 13 Jesus loosed a woman who had a spirit of infirmity 18 years who could not stand up straight.  Without fanfare Luke 13:12-13 says, "But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." ¹³ And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God."  After being loosed from her infirmity by Jesus, the woman glorified God.  The ruler of the synagogue complained that Jesus healed the woman on the Sabbath day.  Luke 13:15-17 reads, "The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? ¹⁶ So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound--think of it--for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" ¹⁷ And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him."  Jesus, the LORD of all and of the Sabbath, put all His adversaries to shame (Satan included!) by His wisdom, power and glorious things He did.

Jesus is the One who blinds and loosens, and as we have been freely forgiven we ought to forgive.  According to God's grace and wisdom He has placed the Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth, to help and teach us to know Jesus Christ.  Those in the church have not been given authority to bind and loose as we please but to humbly approach Him in prayer together, united in His love.  We are the ones who needed to repent and be set straight (and still do!); we are the ones who ought to rejoice and glorify God.  In Christ we are no longer at the mercy of the devil or those who have wronged us, for in the presence of Jesus today we always find mercy and grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).