Lovingly Help the Church by Properly Interacting about Each Other's Sin

 

Here's a conversation I had with a Christian about helping each other with sin. It's important to know each other well enough to be able to talk about it. Maybe sharing your own sin first is helpful. Knowing that we should, according to our God's Bible, is necessary. This can really help parents with their young children who have accepted Christ. It might even be adapted for the child who hasn't, but usually we shouldn't do this with Worldlings - it would be impolite, after all, and they can't help it just like we couldn't without this new Life in our Master.

I masked the source of this conversation, not because we should hide, but because the Church is very ill and many cannot stand in the full light. Jesus didn't break the bruised reed or crush the smoking flax.

[Posted at https://[masked].com/threads/lovingly-help-the-church-by-properly-interacting-about-each-others-sin.23930/ on May 24, 2023]

When we at church can all see someone fighting sin, is leaving them alone really the Christ-like response of long-suffering and gentle kindness? Doesn't that lack of correction keep a needful answer from them, and isn't that more like hate than loving?

I think we've been ensourcled en masse to believe the falsehood that bearing in on someone is evil! But when seen right, it's obviously loving. It's been practiced poorly in the past, but that's no reason to throw away all attempts to rebuke, reprove, correct, and instruct in righteousness according to God's teaching that they are good things to do to each other.

~~~~~~~ Further Messages ~~~~~~~~~~


I'm a little confused about this approach. If I see someone in my church who is fighting sin, I cannot walk up to them and tell them to turn away from it. That person would not listen to me. I do not know him/her. Why would they care what I have to say? And it would more than likely turn them away from what I have to say. It's also improper. I cannot go around judging others. And how would I know what they're doing unless they are obviously doing it outright? If I've heard they are sinning in some way, that would be hearsay or gossip. This is none of my business. And no, that isn't hate. It's called common courtesy. My best option is to pray for them.
 
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GiLGiJ

    17 minutes ago

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    [christian] said:
    I cannot walk up to them and tell them to turn away from it. That person would not listen to me.

If they're listening to Christ, they might reject *you* out of hand in the moment, but the part of their conscience that isn't weakened by the sin will consider it. Or, the part of that Christian that is not their sinful body can use the lesson to internally struggle against the sin. Since spiritual things have so much to do with beliefs rather than the momentary persuasion that characteristic of debate, their immediate reaction isn't the most important part.

    [christian] said:
    I do not know him/her.


The context with this is in your own church. It's very sad if we haven't connected with every last Christian there (up to a symbolic 70, or however many is practical). We are siblings who will live forever together. There's no one closer, even before we meet, because we are each deeply connected to our Head and Master YHSHWH. We can tell each other things outside the normal conventions that, to be frank, we were taught by God's enemies in this satanic society of theirs (but that's only a passing topic here).

    [christian] said:
    It's also improper. I cannot go around judging others.


That's a simple factual error. It's nice that it's so simple; it can be remedied straightforwardly like this: Are you aware that Christ commanded us to judge? John 7:24b has Him saying, "Practice righteous judgment." So, there you have it. "Judge not, lest ye be judged" is pervasive in our awareness, yet we don't often hear its whole context when we hear that phrase. It's context is the same as the context in John 7:24a, so this contrast is easy to see: The Pharisees judged based on surface matters. We are to practice our judging with righteousness.

Oh, how freeing ..and startling ..and motivating toward a change in our perspective of how we are to treat each other it is (and the thought that we are supposed to judge each other rightly goes along with other bits in the New Testament about how we are to treat each other; it's a whole thing!).

    [christian] said:
    And how would I know what they're doing unless they are obviously doing it outright?


Well, some of us can discern what psychologists would classify as micro-expressions and other communication that is externally visible. Also, what about the cases where they are obviously doing it?

    [christian] said:
    If I've heard they are sinning in some way, that would be hearsay or gossip.


But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. (2 Timothy 2:16-18)

This is one example where Paul directly names two people and says to everyone that they are sinning. Knowing things that reveal themselves has sometimes been confused with gossip. Is it mean? Is it intended as a bitter little swipe against somebody, or is it really for the purpose of betterment? Even if doublemindedness can sometimes convince us that embittered meanness is for the betterment of someone, don't let's allow that to keep us from the love of true, strong, useful help in real life, because love extends itself to help others.

    [christian] said:
    And no, that isn't hate. It's called common courtesy.


Or common politeness, or the politeness we have been taught in the common World, which is not scriptural but humanistic or empty human philosophy. Holiness doesn't mean keeping separate from each other, just from sin! <grin>

Dear sister in our same Master and Savior, Jesus Christ, I want you and all of us to be personal with each other, because we are (literally) siblings, and that's not an empty metaphor. We have methods of helping each other that the World doesn't know, and we're supposed to use these tools to help each other out of a true love and a desire to see everyone help each other as we move from faith to faith, working out our own salvation with fear and trembling and in the joy of the Lord, which also allows these things..

    [christian] said:
    My best option is to pray for them.


Prayer is high on the list that contains other items.