A church that condemns but is not ready to offer help…check that church.
Sin, forgiveness and repentance go hand in hand. Don’t put your focus only on people’s sins…forgetting there’s enough room for the other two: forgiveness and repentance.
One big problem in the church is that sin often becomes public knowledge that attracts all the negatives like shame, abuse, discrimination, expulsion, etc., but repentance and God’s forgiveness is personal. A person may sin and repent in their closet but the church will never believe they have and so continue to shame and judge them.
But somehow God himself seems to value repentance (I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, who need no repentance – Luke 15:7) possibly more than sin and does not abhor sinners or send them away. In Roman’s 4:7, He even called “blessed” those who have repented (whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered).
There are some sins that leave with people immediate lasting evidences but there are some that do not show so nobody sees them. Funny enough, people sin on the daily but because there is no outward evidence, they are held righteous in the eye of the church. What makes one more righteous than another?
Yes, she fornicated and no longer a virgin or probably even pregnant…how do you tell she’s not asked for God’s forgiveness and probably repented?
Yes, he stole and got caught…how do you tell he’s not asked for God’s forgiveness and probably repented?
Subject every sin that comes to mind to the above line of thought and see the answers you will get.
I don’t know the answers but I pray God helps us so that whenever we see people’s sins, our focus does not end there.
The conclusion of the matter is that, we can never do good on our own. Let him that thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Cor 10:12). It is only God that does the good works in us (a note to all self-righteous folks). Only He worketh in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Our focus should only be on continuously working out our salvation [and imperfect lifestyles] with fear and trembling. Even with that, we’ll realize it’s not by might, for by strength shall no man prevail. Init? 😊
Or isn’t it the Bible that said God himself didn’t count people’s sins against them but offered a message of love and reconciliation?
“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation”. ~2 Cor 5:19
Offer help church, and not just condemnation!
© Mark Gadogbe (McApple), 2018
Marriage & Personal Development Author
Everything Marriage 