Lord's Day 31

The preaching of the holy gospel and church discipline. By these two the kingdom of heaven is opened to believers and closed to unbelievers.

According to the command of Christ, the kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to every believer that God has really forgiven all their sins for the sake of Christ's merits. It is closed by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all unbelievers and hypocrites that the wrath of God and eternal condemnation rest on them as long as they do not repent.

According to the command of Christ, those who though called Christians, profess unchristian teachings or live unchristian lives, after repeated brotherly admonition refuse to abandon their errors and wickedness, and after being reported to the church, that is, to the elders, fail to respond also to their admonition — such persons the elders exclude from the Christian congregation by withholding the sacraments from them, and God himself excludes them from the kingdom of Christ. They are again received as members of Christ and of the church when they promise and show real amendment.