SATURDAY'S SOUNDNESS: YOU WHO ARE SPIRITUAL SHOULD CORRECT THAT ONE IN A "GENTLE" SPIRIT...

People of FAITH have various ways of dealing with other people's sins, yet, we often forget that we, also, continue to sin in some ways. One such sin is CONDEMNATION of others. We condemn people, and are very animated in our expressions of what we are against, but IS this THE WAY? Our REAL goal is to HELP people change THEIR heart about sin, to come clean before THE LORD, and condemning them IS NOT the way to help them. We HAVE to help people who are in danger, with LOVE, compassion, kindness, gentleness, and encouragement! IF they refuse THE LORD, they have HIM to answer to...

 GALATIANS 6: 1-5...
1/ Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted. 
2/ Bear one another's burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. 
3/ For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he is deluding himself. 
4/ Each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason to boast with regard to himself alone, and not with regard to someone else; 
5/ for each will bear his own load.

Every one is advised to prove his own work. The better we know our own hearts and ways, the less shall we despise others, and the more be disposed to help them under infirmities and afflictions.

ROMANS 15: 1...
We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves;

Christ's whole life was a self-denying, self-displeasing life. And he is the most advanced Christian, who is the most conformed to Christ. Considering his spotless purity and holiness, nothing could be more contrary to him, than to be made sin and a curse for us, and to have the reproaches of God fall upon him; the just for the unjust. He bore the guilt of sin, and the curse for it; we are only called to bear a little of the trouble of it. He bore the presumptuous sins of the wicked; we are called only to bear the failings of the weak.

Our Divine Master invites his disciples, and encourages them by showing himself as meek and lowly in spirit. The same disposition ought to mark the conduct of his servants, especially of the strong towards the weak. The great end in all our actions must be, that God may be glorified; nothing more forwards this, than the mutual love and kindness of those who profess religion. Those that agree in Christ may well agree among themselves.

LOVE remains the principle, regardless of what is around us; LOVE IS THE LIGHT, THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and HOW can we share HIM, if we are removed from LOVE? When we publicly shame someone, open up over-heated exchanges of words, and other such, ARE we acting in CHRIST, are we acting in LOVE? Will hostility help someone to change their mind about what is wrong, or will it send them deeper into it, as they run as fast as they can from these overly zealous, aggressive, condemning peoples???

We must take heed of saying or doing things which may cause others to stumble or to fall. We should be very tender of doing any thing that may occasion stumbling to others, though it may be innocent in itself. And if we must not endanger other men's souls, how much should we take care not to destroy our own! Let Christians beware of approaching the brink of evil, or the appearance of it, though many do this in public matters, for which perhaps they plead plausibly. Men cannot thus sin against their brethren, without offending Christ, and endangering their own souls.

We have to be careful for our own sake, and for the HOPE of misguided souls! CHRIST JESUS NEVER forced anyone to THE WAY, instead, HE SHOWED THEM THROUGH LOVE, GENTLENESS, KINDNESS, and COMPASSION, and what they did with it, was their choice. MOST sinners that HE dealt with DID have a change of heart towards sin, because HE was able to reach them through LOVE, and LOVE'S many POSITIVES! Negativity does NOT represent our LORD, thus, when we are furious with those who sin, HOW can we represent HIM HONESTLY, and HOPE to help them???

It's a tough call when we are faced with issues that are CLEARLY against *GOD*, though the blind CANNOT see, but, they will NEVER see IF they are treated wrongly by those claiming the GOODNESS of THE LORD! See???

2 TIMOTHY 2: 23-26... 
23/ Avoid foolish and ignorant debates, for you know that they breed quarrels. 
24/ A slave of the Lord should not quarrel, but should be gentle with everyone, able to teach, tolerant, 
25/ correcting opponents with kindness. It may be that God will grant them repentance that leads to knowledge of the truth, 
26/ and that they may return to their senses out of the devil's snare, where they are entrapped by him, for his will.

Teaching, not persecution, is the Scripture method of dealing with those in error. The same God who gives the discovery of the truth, by his grace brings us to acknowledge it, otherwise our hearts would continue to rebel against it. There is no peradventure, in respect of God's pardoning those who do repent; but we cannot tell that he will give repentance to those who oppose his will. Sinners are taken in a snare, and in the worst snare, because it is the devil's; they are slaves to him. And if any long for deliverance, let them remember they never can escape, except by repentance, which is the gift of God; and we must ask it of him by earnest, persevering prayer.

There is ALSO, much we DON'T know, or understand, concerning a person, and *GOD'S* hand in their lives! As we see in ROMANS 1, HE handed some over to certain ways...

Let's remain in LOVE, PEACEABLE, KIND, and COMPASSIONATE, ALWAYS reminding ourselves of our own sins, and let us keep busy in working through our own Salvation, WHILE HELPING others to KNOW HIM, especially through our examples. And PRAY for EVERYONE, while PRAISING THE LORD for sharing HIMSELF, HIS LOVE, and HIS WISDOM with us!!!

REV. LWINSOR © 2013
BIBLICAL, and/or other references marked BOLDLY IN COLOURS