Reading for February 18th
Chapter 7 - Spoiled and Spilled Milk
Chapter Focus: Page 40 to the Top of Page 45
“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.” Matthew 18:15
Most of my personal testimony has to do with the positive results of living out Matthew 18. Over ten years ago I was the person who had committed a sin against someone I cared about. I reached the point where I was convicted by the Lord and didn’t want to try to hide it any longer. Instead of trying to work through things myself, I took the leap of faith and approached the person privately, confessing my sin.
Amazingly, they listened, offered a measure of grace, and agreed to hold me accountable. Because of their response, I was “won back” and didn’t need the further intervention of a second and third witness, nor the elders in the church to come alongside me.
I share this story because sometimes we are on the receiving end of Matthew 18:15-17 and other times we are on the “giving” end. Either way, the goal is the same. To bring someone who has wandered off the path back into the safety of the community of Jesus Christ. It is through a healthy Christian community where we can be held accountable through an unconditional love that’s not found elsewhere. And it is through a healthy Christian community where we can find encouragement and strength from others who have walked the narrow path before us.
This brings us to a fork in the road. A church under fire will almost certainly place us in position to live out our scripture for today. And based on my personal experience, I’d make some simple recommendations.
Start with a gentle, caring attitude. If someone rejects your gentle nature when trying to show them a sin in their life, you’ve now learned how deep that sin is. However, if they receive the correction, you’ve won that person back. Leading with, “I’m worried about you…” is much more effective than “You’ve hurt me.” Then, based on that response, you can take steps forward.
If you need to ask for forgiveness of a sin, don’t make excuses or get defensive. Acknowledge where you were wrong and make every effort to repent (turn to God), and correct what can be correct.
This is not easy stuff friends, but following the steps of Matthew 18 can quickly remove the fire from inside our churches.
Our links for this week include additional prayers of repentance, a series of commentaries on Matthew 18, and finally, a clip from “The Chosen” where Peter is taught about forgiveness, inspired by Matthew 18. Take a look!
https://tinyurl.com/linksforfebruary17th
Heavenly Father, thank you for the individuals who have graciously corrected us when we strayed from your teachings. Thank you for their courage to call out our sins with love and kindness and their willingness to hold us accountable to a righteous life. We pray this all in Jesus’ name, amen.
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