What keeps us from witnessing Christ to the lost and remaining silent when correction is needed for the believer in Christ? The answer is simple, fear of man is the only reason we withhold what is needed with the unsaved and with those who are born again.
Why would we fear rejection from others for doing what is right? The reason is we have placed man above God. When there is no fear of God there will be fear of man.
We know it is the fallen nature of man that hates to be corrected.
Everyone knows the risk of correcting someone we love, that risk is that they will no longer love us. The love of many people is conditional to whether or not we express approval of all that they do and say. When we correct someone who is wrong or sinning often the response is to retaliate through continual disrespect and worse bringing in others to hate us too through gossip.
When we use the Bible to explain our concerns to those we love often we are dismissed, rejected, and even punished for our effort.
Most "Christians" today have made a god in their own image. They have such a high opinion of themselves that what they say and want towers above what God said in His Word.
Those who have elevated themselves above God by rejecting much of the Bible will not accept anyone who declares the Bible to be true by actually following it.
We are not likely to be rejected for being against abortion, or homosexuality, or transgenderism, those are widely accepted views among "evangelicals." However, bring up the subject of the permanency of marriage, one man for one woman for life without divorce or remarriage, and we find ourselves being punished and spurned and lied against for speaking the truth about this matter. Many other such things have been rejected by most Christians that are commands of God.
Many, perhaps most Christians today have been deceived in many ways claiming to believe the Bible but dismissing most of what is in it. It has become an amulet they carry around to look spiritual, even the pages have been marked inside, but the obedience is only partial obedience and rejection of the things they do not personally want to believe.
James 4:4
"4 You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God."
1 John 2:15-17
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. / For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. / The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever."
Those who do not love the Bible enough to follow all of its principles do not love the brethren. Loving the brethren means our love will include often correction according to the Bible. Those who reject what God says do not love Him or the brethren.
Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen".
We are commanded to edify one another in the Word. This edification is not praise or flattery, it is encouragement to obey God's Word.
John 13:35 "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another".
Love is when we care more about the Spiritual condition of our brothers and sisters in Christ than we do about being seen as special.
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