Am I "holding onto offenses" if I avoid a wicked person who will not stop their evil? Am I holding onto offenses when I will not keep in my company a believer who refuses to stop their sin? Or even a non-believer who loves their sin?
I choose not to enable a fellow believer or even a non-believer who is continually acting in ungodly ways around me and toward others. I also choose not to be friendly to one who brings a false gospel.
Proverbs 22:24 "24 Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a hot-tempered man, 25 or you may learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.…"
2 John 1:10 "10 If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home or even greet him. 11 Whoever greets such a person shares in his evil deeds.…"
It is clear that our culture has enable evil to grow by being tolerant of it and even friendly to those who are evil. As a culture we have payed more attention to pleasing the evil doer than protecting and nurturing the victims of the evil doer. This has happened because most who say they are Christians do not know the Bible and often become offended when their traditional psychological views are challenged by someone using the Scriptures.
This instruction for us in Proverbs and 2 John pertain to believer and unbeliever alike.
1 Corinthians 5:11-12 " 11 But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. 12 What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?…"
We are to avoid believers who are sinning and will not stop. We cannot avoid the world, we have to grocery shop and other things in the world, so we remain kind, speak truth to them, but do not become their close friends.
1 Corinthians 15:33 "33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
It is God's wisdom to make our close friends those who love God. When we mix with those who do not love God on a regular basis then we eventually will become like them, even if only small ways.
2 Timothy 3 tells us what the mentality of the evil person is, who by the way, has a form of religion, but negates God in everything. Verse 5 tells us to stay away from them.
It is one thing to bring the gospel and quite another to be their friends.
Notice too that John the Baptist rebuked Herod and Herodius for committing adultery in their unlawful marriage. They were unbelievers and yet he rebuked them and lost his head over it.
There are times to give a harsh rebuke and times to remove ourselves.
Titus 1:12-14 "…12As one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sternly, so that they will be sound in the faith 14and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of men who have rejected the truth.…"
Our culture has left behind the most effective ways of reaching a person full of pride, that is the rebuke, the correction and the removal if they will not listen.
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