What to Do To When a Brother Strays

What to Do When a Brother Strays

"Brothers, if anyone is caught in a transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." Galatians 6:1

I am not sure why I am always surprised at God's timing with events and my devotional readings, but it has happened again.

A good friend of mine has made some choices that I do not agree with. We have met and he knows my position. I have tried to keep the door open in our relationship because I love him as a brother and want to see him be the man that I believe that God wants him to be.

Several of our mutual friends have recently asked me how they should respond to my friend. Interesting timing because I have been reading through Galatians and tracking with the devotional TABLE TALK which is published by R.C. Sproul's ministry.

This week they addressed this very topic. Listen to what they wrote: " ... to follow the Holy Spirit is to seek the good of others. Spirit-led people mourn when believers sin and work to restore them (Galatians 6:1). They show mercy to errant brothers and sisters in Christ, urging them to turn from sin and be reconciled to God and the brethren (Matthew 18:25; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11). If harsh words are necessary, they are spoken GENTLY (Galatians 6:1) to show sinners a desire for their repentance and cleansing.

The church father Jerome says, 'The Spirit-led person should correct a sinner gently and meekly. He must not be inflexible, angry or aggrieved in his desire to correct him. He should stir him up with the promise of salvation, promising remission and bringing forth the testimony of Christ."

"While seeking to restore sinners through gentle confrontation and encouragement, we must take care lest we be tempted. Clearly, he means that we are capable of any transgression, and it is all too possible to the unwary person to commit the same error he is trying to correct. (See 1 Corinthians 10:12-13)"

"Augustine comments that "there is no sure test of the spiritual person than his treatment of another's sin," adding that there spiritual people, as much as they can, seek to rescue and support sinners, not to punish or triumph over them.""

Bottom line, we hate the sin, but love the sinner. I know this is hard, but we make the choice to obey or disobey the Word. More on this tomorrow. -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 19; 2 Samuel 6-8; Luke 15:1-10

Great Quote: We are only what we are in the dark; all the rest is reputation. What God looks at is what we are in the dark- the imaginations of our minds, the thoughts of our heart, the habits of our bodies; these are the things that mark us in God's sight. Character is what you are in the dark.Oswald Chambers