Rev Dr Quek Suan Yew

Remaining Questions from

the 2016 CPBPC Family Camp

1) Qn: If a member errs resulting in termination of his job, do we consider the nature of the ‘transgression’ and area of service before determining whether he should be sanctioned from serving? If he is sanctioned, what is the period of sanction? Is it covered in any constitution?

Answer – Day 3 Camp Discussion Qn C:"A member has been serving a long time in a particular ministry but has transgressed seriously in his work place. It was not a crime but was serious enough to get him sacked. Should he remain in the ministry in the church that he has been serving faithfully for the past 20 years?"

The nature of his transgression matters. His transgression has to be ascertained first in order to find out the facts of the case. If he is found to be guilty, then the nature of the transgression and his area of service do matter. The basis is that the member’s life inside and outside of the church is part of his witness and is therefore under the care of God and the leaders of the church. Some Bible verses to support the importance of a holy witness inside and outside of the church include:

1 Corinthians 6:15-20 (KJV), "Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s."

1 Corinthians 10:31-33 (KJV), "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: 33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved."

There are five levels of sanction – admonition, rebuke, suspension, deposition and excommunication. "Suspension is a form of censure by which one is deprived of the privileges of communicant membership in the church, from office, or from both. It may be for a definite or an indefinite time. Suspension of an officer from the communion of the church shall always be accompanied with suspension from office, but the latter does not necessarily involve the former. . . . when, after the passing of a year, a suspended person has failed to repent, it may be the duty . . . to impose further censure and it may proceed to deposition or excommunication or both, . . ." [The Book of Discipline: Chapter VII, 5, 12.]

1) If a brother knows of the transgression (referring to the previous question), should he ‘whistle-blow’ on the transgressor if he cannot manage to counsel the transgressor to ‘confess’?

Answer – We are to be our brother’s keeper. When a brother sins and he refuses to repent, it is incumbent upon you to help him. You have to refer him to others who can help him more effectively like the leaders of the church. This is likened to a home where the siblings cannot help the one who is doing wrong. They must let the parents take over the counselling.

Ezekiel 3:16-21 (KJV), "And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul."

The main purpose is to help him to stop sinning. James 5:19-20 (KJV), "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." You must not see yourself as a whistle blower, for this is a term used by the world. You are to be your brother’s keeper whereby your motive is to help him in his spiritual walk. You know that when your brother is in sin, the image of Christ in his life is badly damaged. The only way to restore him back to the fold is by his genuine and sincere repentance. If he refuses, he needs to receive help from higher authorities and more spiritual and mature believers.

2) If a man is sacked from his job for having an affair with his colleague, and if he has been serving as a church usher, should he be removed from serving as an usher? If yes, why? How is committing a sexual sin related to serving as an usher? Won’t counselling be enough?

Answer – Yes, sadly he has to be removed from his service as an usher. There is no ministry in the believer’s life that is not of a spiritual nature. The duty of an usher might appear simple and to be of no spiritual value to someone who is not born again in Christ. He cannot see the spiritual value in what the usher does because he is dead in sin. However, the child of God knows that he needs to serve God with clean hands and a pure heart. He knows that he is serving his heavenly Father, for His heavenly Father has told him that even by doing something as simple as giving a cup of cold water in Jesus’ Name he will not lose his reward. He will also be suspended from taking the Lord’s Supper as well until fruits of repentance are seen in his life.

The fruits of repentance would include having no further contact with the person whom he had an affair with. If this means leaving his job then he has to do so. He will be counselled, which will include writing papers and reading the Bible and Christian books pertaining to the nature of his transgression. The aim is to help this believer out of his sin for good and to keep him on the path of righteousness and holiness for Christ’s sake and the blessing of God’s people.

The purpose is restoration and not condemnation.

3) Qn: Is a ‘sinful feeling’ the same as a sin?

Answer – Day 4 Camp Discussion Question B:"You are afraid of being fired or being sabotaged by your peers for standing your ground and not telling lies but holding on to righteousness in school/at work place. Is this a sinful feeling? What is the best way to overcome it?"

Even with something as simple as eating, a person could sin against God because he did not eat in faith. All things that the believer does will have to come under this guideline. If it is not done out of faith, then it is a sin. Faith is defined by God as ". . . the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (cf. Hebrews 11:1b) The Bible says that God created the world out of nothing! The believer has not seen it but because God says so, he believes it. He looks as the world and sees the hand of God in it and not evolution. Since God made everything and everyone in it, then all have to answer to Him one day. He has not seen the destruction of the present heaven and earth but because the Bible says so, he believes it. He will not live for the things of this world but will live for Christ. His heart and mind are on things that are eternal. He is not motivated by money and human position and man-centred accolades when he works or studies. The glory of Christ and the testimony he bears for Christ is all important to him because he believes in God and His Word.

In the case of the "sinful feeling, the question the person needs to ask is whether it is because of a lack of faith. If it is because of a lack of faith, then it is a sin since he did not trust in God to provide and care for him. However, if the fear is just a momentary fear, like a man looking down from his 40th floor balcony and he feels afraid and draws back instinctively, then it is not an issue of no faith but a momentary lapse. The fear mentioned above is a sustained well thought out fear whereby he says in his own heart that he is afraid of being fired or being sabotaged by his peers. Therefore the feeling of fear in the above question is a "sinful feeling."

4) Rev 21:8 "Fearful" – refers to?
Answer — Revelation 21:8 (KJV), "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." This cannot refer to the fear that believers sometimes experience. Even though the fear of the believer is a sin he needs to repent of it. He will not lose his salvation because of this sinful fear that he experiences which is probably due to a lack of faith on his part.

When the believer’s faith is weak, he will exercise no faith in that incident and becomes fearful. The example of this fear in the believer is taught in Matthew 8:23-27 (KJV), "And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!" [emphasis added]

A parallel passage from the Bible is Mark 4:37-41 (KJV), "And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" [emphasis added] The faith of the disciples was weak or little and therefore in the trial of the storm they feared the storm and death because they did not exercise any faith and trust in God. It was a sin to be afraid because of no faith. Were they born again? Yes.

However, there is the other kind of fear that is found in professing believers who are actually not truly born again. They are the ones who would deny Christ. They will not obey God’s perfect and holy Word. They will not defend Christ and God’s holy and perfect Word because they are afraid. They will keep quiet when the Word of God is under attack. They have denied Christ! They dare not speak up for Christ. They keep their mouths shut when they should have spoken up. They pretend that they have not heard anything when the name of Christ is maligned or when the enemies of God say that the Bible has mistakes or there are no miracles in the Bible or Christ was not born of the virgin Mary. When they deny Christ without repentance, God’s Word says that Christ will also deny them before the Father! 2 Timothy 2:10-13 (KJV), "Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." [emphasis added]

These are the fearful ones described in Revelation 21:8.

5) Question on "Fear" again. Scenario: Extremists attack Sheraton Imperial, threaten to kill Christians. We would fear, naturally. Is this "fear" sinful?

Answer – If it is because of lack of faith and trust in the LORD, then yes it is sinful.