The principle here is that each person will be accountable for their own sin. Anyone who approves of sin in their friend participates in that sin through their affirmation of it.
Luke 17:3 “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him…”
Ephesians 5:11 "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."
James 4:17 "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."
2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 "If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother."
1 Corinthians 5:11 "But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one."
To spend time with a brother in Christ who is sinning without warning them is to be party to their sin.
1 Timothy 5:20 "As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear."
James 4:4 "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
James 5:19-20 "My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."
1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.”
Remember Annanias and Sapphirah, who conspired together to lie to the Holy Spirit about the amount of the sale of their land. To accept sin in another is to support them in their sin.
Sometimes I wonder if Sapphirah would have lived if she had not agreed with her husband and refused to lie. Or, I wonder if she would have been able to talk Annanias out of lying if she had refused to do it. We will never know this, but the beginning principle in the article is that no one will be held accountable for someone else's sin if they refuse to accept it or participate. Acts 5:1-11
We have laws in our country that say if someone was with the one who robbed the store as a lookout, they will be held accountable for whatever the robber did while in the store. It is called "working in concert" with the robber. It is Biblical in nature that anyone who helps a criminal will also be accountable for their support of that crime.
How many times have Christians thought the way the Corinthian church thought, believing they were being kind by not chastising the young man who was committing adultery with his father's wife?
1 Corinthians 5:1-8 "5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and sexual immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, namely, that someone has his father’s wife.
2 You have become [b]arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5 I have decided to turn such a person over to Satan for the destruction of his body, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let’s celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let’s celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
It was a boastful mentality that led the people to accept the sin. Their worldly mindset viewed acceptance of sin as a kind act. When it was not kind to the sinner, nor was it kind to the entire body that would be influenced by the sin.
When we love others, we are more concerned about their spiritual well-being than we are about whether or not they like us, or how we may appear to others who don't understand.
Withholding truth from a fellow believer is a lack of love and worse, "self-love." When appearances and acceptance is more important than the truth, then it is also more important than God.
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