Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who
are spiritual (who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit) should set
him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and
with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be
tempted also.
~ Galatians 6:1 (amplified bible)
Christians are called to be the light of the world, and each of us is a living
example of the power of God to everyone we meet. We are called to live by a
higher standard than the world, and how we live our lives is a witness to the
unsaved. When we see a brother or sister in Christ who is sinning, our
response to that is very important. It's really easy to want to ignore it,
but there are times we may need to go to our brother or sister, and lovingly
rebuke them, then help to restore and reinstate them, without being superior
or arrogant about it. We also need to keep an eye on ourselves, because we
could so easily fall into that sin as well. None of us is immune to sin,
although pride and false humility often blind us to our weaknesses.
How do we go to our brother or sister? First, we pray and seek God, asking
for His wisdom. Secondly, we examine ourselves to be sure of our motives -
it's very easy to feel superior to someone when you see them stumbling, and
you're sure you'd NEVER have that problem. Be sure that you are acting out of
love, and not pride or anger. A genuinely loving attitude will be evident,
and a false attitude of love is easily seen through. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
gives a wonderful example of the kind of love we need to act in, including,
'love endures long and is patient and kind; it is not arrogant, it is not rude
and does not act unbecomingly. Love is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or
fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it. It is ever
ready to believe the best of every person.'
Thirdly, we need to follow the biblical formula of going to a brother or
sister who are in sin, as stated in Matthew 18:15-17 "If your brother wrongs
you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens
to you, you have won back your brother. But if he does not listen, take along
with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by
the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he pays no attention to them
(refusing to listen and obey), tell it to the church, and if he refuses to
listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector."
Show your brother or sister love, and go to them privately with your
concerns...public rebuke is extremely likely to cause people to react
defensively and with pride, and may drive that person further from God. There
is a time for public rebuke, but it's not the first move to make. Proverbs
27:5-6 say, 'Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful
are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.' Allow
God to show you how to be a faithful friend today, and how to love your fellow
believers as He loves you.
Lord, help us to love our fellow believers as You have loved us, with grace,
mercy and forgiveness. Keep us from fault-finding and nitpicking, teach us to
be encouragers and show us how to walk in Your love at all times. If we do
see a brother or sister who has fallen into sin, give us Your wisdom, Lord.
Help us to be gentle as we go to them in love, forsaking a superior attitude.
Continually examine our hearts as we open them to You, and reveal anything
that is not of You. Cleanse our hearts, and turn them towards You today. And
Lord, let our words always be seasoned with grace and love, in everything we
do.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
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