It is those who continue in sin unabashed, that cause division in the church. Those who point out the sin that it might be dealt with, for the purpose of cleansing the body, are those who love unity and holiness.
It was actually said to me once, in a church we attended, that we should compromise the principles of God for the sake of unity.
God's word tells us the opposite, to have true unity we are to adhere to the principles of God and all those who come against this are divisive.
1 Corinthians 5:13 "But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES."
It is sin to compromise God's principles for the sake of unity. That is the superficial unity that is a house built on sand, ready to collapse at the next wave of sin that enters the church.
True unity seeks God for His righteousness and works to bring the body in line with this.
Evangelistic minded people are more concerned about souls being saved than they are about the hearers response to their message. They know that we are merely the messengers of God, that He will take care of the response in the hearts of men.
1 Corinthians 3:7 "So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth."
The day we realize that we cannot make someone want God by our friendliness, we must be loving enough to tell the truth, and trust that God can use His Word in someone's life, is the day we will be free from the bondage of the fear of man.
Proverbs 29:25 "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."
Matthew 10:28 ""Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
John 12:43 "For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
Galatians 1:10 "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Focus on Christ alone, evaluate everything in light of Him and His Word, then we will not be afraid of those we minister to, nor those who seek to offend us.
There are two forms of judging, the judgment over appearances when we don't know the details of the circumstances we think we see.
Judge 7:24 "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
The second form of judging is proper in the sight of God and even commanded.
1 Corinthians 2:15 "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no one."
Sometimes it is necessary to confront a brother or sister who is in sin. We have a responsibility to them as a member of the family of God. We need to care more about our brothers and sisters than we do about ourselves.
1 Timothy 5:22 "Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure."
We are not to endorse a sin by our acceptance of it or silence about it. When we refuse to speak out of fear of losing friends or family, then we have endorsed and even participated in the sin. When self is the motivation for our actions, then we walk in sin, the sin of elevating ourselves above God, becoming our own god.
If a person has been truly born again, they will not argue and fight when corrected, they will be humbled and desire to know truth, even weeping over their sin ready to repent. I have not had the privilege of meeting anyone in many years who will take correction humbly and graciously. I have come to the conclusion that most who claim to be "Christians" have never been born again in the first place. They never learned from the beginning to weep over their sinfulness, so they are unconcerned about sin after they said they became a "Christian."
The region "of the world" has hardened the hearts of the rebellious, they will defend others in sin, with the "don't judge" mantra, even if the judgement is over something they themselves wouldn't do. They are so steeped in self esteem that they can not endure any form of instruction or correction, unless it will elevate them in some way. Because these superficial believers don't like to be corrected themselves, they cannot tolerate anyone else being corrected, perhaps they would be next.
Those who love the Lord with all their hearts don't fear correction for two reasons, first, they are not walking in guilt because they keep close accounts of thought sins, they abhor sin as God commands us to do, so they do not fight against correction but rather lean into it.
Those who cannot tolerate any form of confrontation or conflict, do everything in their power to avoid needed confrontation. We do not want conflict, but it is not those who confront sin who create conflict, it is those who are in sin and refuse to admit their sin, who generate conflict.
Sadly the rebellious person brings with them onlookers who lack discernment, these people come along side them, defending them with avengence . Helping to maintain their position of sinfulness, the onlooker is a willing partner in their sin.
These onlookers defy God when they defend the sinning brother or sister while bludgeoning the righteous one who honors God in speaking truth.
We cannot be intimidated by those who defend sin in the body. If our focus is God completely, then we will ignore the promptings of the flesh and the devil to avoid the necessary conflicts of life and proceed as the Holy Spirit leads.
2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be diligent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
Proverbs 27:5 "Better is open rebuke than hidden love."
Matthew 8:15-17 "“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."
1 Timothy 5:20
20 "Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear."
Titus 2:15 "15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you."
2 Timothy 4:2 2 "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."
James 5:20 "20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul[a] from death and cover a multitude of sins."
Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."
Proverbs 29:15 "15 The rod and rebuke give wisdom,
But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother."
God often refers to us as His "little children", when we discipline our children it is for their good. Although not always pleasant to have to do it we know that it will produce something better even making them safer.
James 3:18 "And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."
We sow peace by promoting righteousness, superficial peace brought on by ignoring sin creates conflict and war, there is no peace deep down in the soul of a person who is at enmity with God.
James 4:4 "You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
When we ignore sin in the body we grow more sin, when we deal with it according to the Word, then we create an atmosphere of holiness and God's kind of peace that reaches to the depth of the soul. Nothing can harm that kind of peace, those who live in this peace become very strong in their walk with God.
Sin is likened to leaven, in the Word of God, the more we allow, the bigger it gets.Galatians 5:9 "A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough." Those who are in sin unchecked, and those who support them are making way for the devil to overtake the church, and this is the condition of most churches today in this age of apostasy.
Let us remember, God's way is always best and man's way always destroys what is holy.
