Not Without Relationship....

6:58 AM - Not without relationship...


can we effectively correct someone about their sin.

Ok, so there have been a few things bothering me in the church and it’s been heavy in my heart. I’ve had a ’no go’ in my spirit about blogging them, and I didn’t. This is why.

If I run up behind a lady and slap her on the behind, I’m assaulting her. Even if my intentions were good. Without relationship this woman is deeply offended and may press charges. If this woman is my sister in law, she would not be offended and probably would turn around and chase me down and beat the hell out of me all in good fun. (Ok, maybe she wouldn’t beat the hell out of me, but she’d get me back or consider us just about even because I have the torture of living with her little brother. Fair nuff.)

That’s the picture God gave me. He;s wierd, right? But it’s a good illustration. If you run up to a stranger and strike them with the sharp end of the gospel, you are not trying to save them from sin. You are assaulting them. Later they will identify you as ’the church’ and that stick you hit them with as an angry and judgmental Jesus. Who here knows that Jesus? Not really, right?

First off, God says he sees all sins as equal. 1(sin) = 1 (sin). It’s a very simple equation. It’s like fruit. (Not fruit of the Spirit, it’s just an example) 1 (grape) = 1 (piece fruit) = 1 (orange). It looks unequal because of the shape, the size, the texture, the color; not the same. But both equal one piece of fruit, and that is really how God judges it. But I only sinned a grape and he sinned a whole grapefruit. Wow, it looks bigger to me. Good thing I’m not the judge, right?

Yup.

Well, wait, wasn’t this about correction?

Oh, yeah, what does that mean, then? I guess it means that no matter what my friend over there is doing wrong, we are both in need of Gods mercy. And just because that doesn’t happen to be my particular weakness, doesn’t mean I don’t have my own equally wrong weakness.

But I want to tell them to stop it!

Oh, do you have a good relationship with them? Are you friends?

Do you know that they know that you love them in Christ, are you close friends? If so, pray. Get the go ahead from God, that is what the Holy Spirit is there for! Seek the advice of others who love them, but not in a gossipy way. If not, only pray for them. If you can’t playfully spank them, than you cannot administer discipline to them.

Is this because of something that they’ve done to you or someone that you care about? Ok, if they have done something that effects you, your sibling or child. You may be able to speak up without relationship. But this is an exception only because you are protecting yourself or someone under your direct authority. Do not mount an assault. Here are directions:

Matthew 18

15
11 "If your brother 12 sins (against you), go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
16
13 If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ’every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
17
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. 14 If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
And How did Jesus treat gentiles and tax collectors?

Let’s look at that one... because we hate tax collectors, and the Jews scorned the Gentiles.


Luke 5:27-32

[27] After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, [28] and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

[29] Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. [30] But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ’sinners’?"

[31] Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [32] I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

You mean Jesus was nice to the tax collectors and the gentiles too? Well, you’re not a Hebrew, are you???Oh yeah. I’m not.

Next.


Luke 18:9-14

[9] To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: [10] "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ’God, I thank you that I am not like other men -- robbers, evildoers, adulterers -- or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

[13] "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ’God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

[14] "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Ok, we get that. How do we treat them? Like Jesus did. We love them anyway. I’m not saying invite a child molester over for dinner and have them watch your kids while you run to the corner store. Don’t make allowance for others weakness, but shaming someone will not help them overcome. It will only make you out to be a jerk.

And please, please do not stand outside an abortion clinic and assault scared women with cries of murderer. I like the LIFE movement. they stand there silently. Absolutely stand for what you believe in, but don’t attack people.

And please, please do not run out to the busiest corner in town with a bullhorn and yell aobut hell and damnation. I literally saw someone doing that in fresno during the warcry conference. Yikes. I wonder how many people wnated to get out of their cars and recieve Christ?

I didn’t see any.

Witnessing starts with relationship too. What about misssionaries? Well, they cared enough to go halfway around the world, learn the language and live away from their families just to tell people they’d never met that God loves them. That IS a good ice breaker. And sometimes, they get eaten anyway.

Have a nice day!