outlawed – free as a bird

Originally posted on March 11, 2009 – by Andre Piet

From a visitor of the goedbericht site I received the following email:

Hello Andre, I have finally cancelled my church membership. For many months I struggled with their confession of faith concerning an eternal hell. More and more people in the church, including the church council, made it very clear to me that this is the only correct doctrine and that I would certainly be placed under discipline. I have kept my dignity and cancelled my membership.
Well, honestly, it also feels like a kind of liberation…
Greetings X

I responded as follows.

Dear X,
So the die has finally been cast. Quite literally, even…
Well, and with that you have become, as a believer in Christ Jesus, the Saviour of the world, non-church-affiliated. Declared outlaw by the church council—that can hit quite hard. But on the other hand: also as free as a little bird! No longer under the oppressive yoke of a human confession of faith and regulations imposed on you by others, but… free!
“Do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery,” Paul advises.

Because you are disappointed in a church, however, you now run the risk (I speak from experience) of henceforth going through life as a soloist. That danger threatens because mutual fellowship with fellow believers has, by such a measure, become considerably more difficult. But do not let this hold you back! In practice you need fellow believers (and they you!) to encourage one another. Continue to cherish this. I regularly see that believers who have been cast out of the church become loners and neglect mutual fellowship, and as a result weaken and end up in a state of slumber (cf. 1 Cor.11:30). It is the consequence of what Paul calls “not discerning the body” (cf. 1 Cor.11:29), that is, not recognizing the value of belonging together in the Body of Christ.
I suspect you are aware of that.

In any case, X., congratulations on the clarity that has finally come and also on the freedom it brings you.
God’s blessing… “yet be pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who are invoking the Lord out of a clean heart” (2 Tim.2:22).

All the best!
– André –

Delen: