A man who was intent on being unfaithful to the Lord once told me, "I'm not hurting anyone but myself. Leave me alone, and quit bothering me about attending the services."
The Devil has really convinced many irresponsible brethren that they have a right to go to Hell "unbothered" by others who wish to rescue them. Never mind the admonition of Scripture to the faithful that "if a man is over taken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness" (Galatians 6:1). The easy course for the faithful is to ignore the unfaithful. Some churches do this as a matter of policy, in fact. Some brethren want to be a part of a "fellowship" which quickly looks the other way if sin and unfaithfulness is the path a brother or sister is taking. But both brethren and churches who operate in such a fashion have completely missed what is church is all about.
Discipline, both instructive and corrective, is almost defunct in many places. The unfaithful brother walks away into obscurity, wishing to be ignored, forgotten, and left "unbothered." Some churches are all too eager to accommodate his unrighteous desire. You see, it is much easier to remove his name from our directory than it is to roll up our sleeves, go to work on his problem, shed tears over his unfaithfulness, and attempt to save his soul from Hell. The sad fact is that if we ignore the erring brother and give him the quiet exit he wants, we are no better off than he is.
It is a serious thing to ignore our brother's sin. We enable him to be unfaithful by turning our heads. We fail to do what we are expected to do by our Father. In short, we fail to be our "brother's keeper" (Genesis 4:9).
Cain made the mistake of thinking that he was not responsible for the welfare and whereabouts of his brother. The very nature of brotherhood suggests responsibility for those who have come from the same womb. When a child is born into God's family he has mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers who must now take responsibility for his care. No earthly family would ignore a member walking away from the circle of love which binds a family together. Why then, does it happen so frequently in the family of God?
Let us be reminded that Galatians 6:1 was not just addressed to the elders of the church. Certainly, as shepherds of the flock, they have a responsibility to keep the sheep together and in the fold. Shepherds who are asleep and allow the sheep to be scattered receive scathing rebukes for doing so in Ezekiel 34:1-10. Indeed, they do have a special responsibility to "watch for souls" (Hebrews 13:17). But all members who are "spiritual" are charged with the same responsibility of restoring the erring.
James 5:19-20 says, "Brethren if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." When you became a part of this local church, you were asking for love, acceptance, care and discipline. It's what makes us a family. Please understand that if you choose to walk away from our fellowship that we cannot ignore your behavior. Our love for you, for your soul, and our concern for your eternal welfare will not allow us to look the other way if you fall headlong into sin.
Basically, our understanding of the Scriptures differs from the majority of the religious world because we operate on a different principle of interpretation. To most religious people "truth" is relative, adjusting freely to different times and circumstances. For us, however, truth is truth. It is unalterable, unchangeable, and everlasting. But did "we" just arbitrarily decide this would be our regard for truth? Not at all. God's own word boldly claims "thy word is truth" (John 17:17) and "the word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth." (Psalm 33:4) While there are scoffers at the idea of absolute truth, we accept Bible teaching that such does exist, and we are determined to know it. Pilate's piercing question, "What is truth?" (John 18:38) was prompted by these words from Jesus: "I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
This then, is the basis upon which we may come to see religious matters alike. There must be a commitment to the same standard of truth. No one would ever attempt to use differing standards of measurement if building a house, marking off a football field, or sewing a garment. This would guarantee error and disaster. Twelve inches must equal one foot on all our rulers if we desire uniformity. There must be a healthy regard and respect for the Bible on the part of every religious person in order for understanding to occur. Without this common devotion to God's word, all efforts to see things the same will fail.
In order to come to agreement on matters essential to salvation, we must begin where we agree. From this point we must study the Scriptures, resolving differences as we go along. Major problems of difference are solved in small steps, and then we can be united in Christ. But we will never see things the same if we cannot agree on the existence, necessity, and location of the truth.
No Bible discussion is profitable unless every participant is a truth seeker. If everyone concerned really wants the truth, then coming to an agreement and an understanding of truth will be achievable. Believe it or not, it is possible to discuss religious differences without becoming rude or creating hurt feelings. People who love the truth are not concerned with WHO is right, but with WHAT is right. Every truth seeker is willing to surrender any position if it is false. There is no other honorable course for an honest man. An honest man will seek the truth, and when he finds it he will believe it. "Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding." (Proverbs 23:23).
The Devil has really convinced many irresponsible brethren that they have a right to go to Hell "unbothered" by others who wish to rescue them. Never mind the admonition of Scripture to the faithful that "if a man is over taken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness" (Galatians 6:1). The easy course for the faithful is to ignore the unfaithful. Some churches do this as a matter of policy, in fact. Some brethren want to be a part of a "fellowship" which quickly looks the other way if sin and unfaithfulness is the path a brother or sister is taking. But both brethren and churches who operate in such a fashion have completely missed what is church is all about.
Discipline, both instructive and corrective, is almost defunct in many places. The unfaithful brother walks away into obscurity, wishing to be ignored, forgotten, and left "unbothered." Some churches are all too eager to accommodate his unrighteous desire. You see, it is much easier to remove his name from our directory than it is to roll up our sleeves, go to work on his problem, shed tears over his unfaithfulness, and attempt to save his soul from Hell. The sad fact is that if we ignore the erring brother and give him the quiet exit he wants, we are no better off than he is.
It is a serious thing to ignore our brother's sin. We enable him to be unfaithful by turning our heads. We fail to do what we are expected to do by our Father. In short, we fail to be our "brother's keeper" (Genesis 4:9).
Cain made the mistake of thinking that he was not responsible for the welfare and whereabouts of his brother. The very nature of brotherhood suggests responsibility for those who have come from the same womb. When a child is born into God's family he has mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers who must now take responsibility for his care. No earthly family would ignore a member walking away from the circle of love which binds a family together. Why then, does it happen so frequently in the family of God?
Let us be reminded that Galatians 6:1 was not just addressed to the elders of the church. Certainly, as shepherds of the flock, they have a responsibility to keep the sheep together and in the fold. Shepherds who are asleep and allow the sheep to be scattered receive scathing rebukes for doing so in Ezekiel 34:1-10. Indeed, they do have a special responsibility to "watch for souls" (Hebrews 13:17). But all members who are "spiritual" are charged with the same responsibility of restoring the erring.
James 5:19-20 says, "Brethren if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." When you became a part of this local church, you were asking for love, acceptance, care and discipline. It's what makes us a family. Please understand that if you choose to walk away from our fellowship that we cannot ignore your behavior. Our love for you, for your soul, and our concern for your eternal welfare will not allow us to look the other way if you fall headlong into sin.
Basically, our understanding of the Scriptures differs from the majority of the religious world because we operate on a different principle of interpretation. To most religious people "truth" is relative, adjusting freely to different times and circumstances. For us, however, truth is truth. It is unalterable, unchangeable, and everlasting. But did "we" just arbitrarily decide this would be our regard for truth? Not at all. God's own word boldly claims "thy word is truth" (John 17:17) and "the word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth." (Psalm 33:4) While there are scoffers at the idea of absolute truth, we accept Bible teaching that such does exist, and we are determined to know it. Pilate's piercing question, "What is truth?" (John 18:38) was prompted by these words from Jesus: "I have come into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
This then, is the basis upon which we may come to see religious matters alike. There must be a commitment to the same standard of truth. No one would ever attempt to use differing standards of measurement if building a house, marking off a football field, or sewing a garment. This would guarantee error and disaster. Twelve inches must equal one foot on all our rulers if we desire uniformity. There must be a healthy regard and respect for the Bible on the part of every religious person in order for understanding to occur. Without this common devotion to God's word, all efforts to see things the same will fail.
In order to come to agreement on matters essential to salvation, we must begin where we agree. From this point we must study the Scriptures, resolving differences as we go along. Major problems of difference are solved in small steps, and then we can be united in Christ. But we will never see things the same if we cannot agree on the existence, necessity, and location of the truth.
No Bible discussion is profitable unless every participant is a truth seeker. If everyone concerned really wants the truth, then coming to an agreement and an understanding of truth will be achievable. Believe it or not, it is possible to discuss religious differences without becoming rude or creating hurt feelings. People who love the truth are not concerned with WHO is right, but with WHAT is right. Every truth seeker is willing to surrender any position if it is false. There is no other honorable course for an honest man. An honest man will seek the truth, and when he finds it he will believe it. "Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding." (Proverbs 23:23).
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