Sunday, 11 January 2026

An appropriate response Week 2, 2016

 

Have you heard? Apostle has been deceiving us, he's been sleeping around with women o. Ah, this news coming after Evangelist’s saga! Shame! Wicked, false brethren..

Jud 1:4, 13(ESV)  For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ... wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. 

Why are you telling me about them? I don’t think you are responding properly. You are so excited, even happy at their downfall.

How will I not be happy? All these people who spoil the name of Christ must be exposed and disgraced. For too long has the way of truth been blasphemed because of them.

Is that the way you see it? Gal 6:1(ESV)  Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Shouldn’t we rather seek their restoration?

Restore what? Don’t you know how many so-called restorations have swept sin under the carpet and exposed sincere sheep to ravening wolves? Wait, are you sympathetic to sin?

I doubt it, my sister. Have you considered 1Cor 5:2(ESV)  And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. 

Now you are talking. All such must be removed from among us!

Don’t jump. The first thing is for us to mourn, not be excited and rejoice. Evil has overtaken someone and enslaved them. Mourn. You know, in hindsight, those who rejoice over the downfall of these ministers, and trumpet it, have quite frequently followed suit in falling...

Those ones were in secret sin as well, brother. Their own day came.

Can you listen to me? Our attitude is guided by Gal6:1. The command to keep away from their company in 1Cor5:11 is designed to bring them to repentance, not showcase my own holiness. 2Th 3:14, 15(ESV)  If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. We must mourn, fast and pray, talk less to man and much more to God. Then launch into what will both recover the fallen soldier and protect the sheep. When the Corinthian disciplinary action made the offender sober and repentant, we were told in 2Cor 2:6, 7(ESV) For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow

That is it, when he repents. They probably were never believers in the first place.

Let heaven be the judge of that. I know that, but for grace and mercy, I also would have fallen like them. No, don’t look at me like that. He has kept me from such all my life. I just know repentance is a work of grace and mercy, which are released as we mourn and pray. Shaming, though necessary,  can’t by itself bring a permanent change 2Cor 2:11(ESV)  so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. 

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