A man who was intent on being
unfaithful to the Lord once told me, "I'm not hurting anyone but myself.
Leave me alone, and quit bothering me about attending the services."
The Devil has really convinced many
irresponsible brethren that they have a right to go to Hell "unbothered"
by others who wish to rescue them. Never mind the admonition of
Scripture to the faithful that "if a man is over taken in any trespass,
you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness"
(Galatians
6:1). The easy course for the
faithful is to ignore the unfaithful. Some churches do this as a matter
of policy, in fact. Some brethren want to be a part of a "fellowship"
which quickly looks the other way if sin and unfaithfulness is the path
a brother or sister is taking. But both brethren and churches who
operate in such a fashion have completely missed what is church is all
about.
Discipline, both instructive and
corrective, is almost defunct in many places. The unfaithful brother
walks away into obscurity, wishing to be ignored, forgotten, and left
"unbothered." Some churches are all too eager to accommodate his
unrighteous desire. You see, it is much easier to remove his name from
our directory than it is to roll up our sleeves, go to work on his
problem, shed tears over his unfaithfulness, and attempt to save his
soul from Hell. The sad fact is that if we ignore the erring brother and
give him the quiet exit he wants, we are no better off than he is.
It is a serious thing to ignore our
brother's sin. We enable him to be unfaithful by turning our heads. We
fail to do what we are expected to do by our Father. In short, we fail
to be our "brother's keeper"
(Genesis 4:9).
Cain made the mistake of thinking that
he was not responsible for the welfare and whereabouts of his brother.
The very nature of brotherhood suggests responsibility for those who
have come from the same womb. When a child is born into God's family he
has mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers who must now take
responsibility for his care. No earthly family would ignore a member
walking away from the circle of love which binds a family together. Why
then, does it happen so frequently in the family of God?
Let us be reminded that
Galatians 6:1
was not just addressed to the elders of the church. Certainly, as
shepherds of the flock, they have a responsibility to keep the sheep
together and in the fold. Shepherds who are asleep and allow the sheep
to be scattered receive scathing rebukes for doing so in
Ezekiel 34:1-10.
Indeed, they do have a special responsibility to "watch for souls"
(Hebrews
13:17). But all members who are
"spiritual" are charged with the same responsibility of restoring the
erring.
James 5:19-20
says, "Brethren if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone
turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error
of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins."
When you became a part of this local church, you were asking for love,
acceptance, care and discipline. It's what makes us a family. Please
understand that if you choose to walk away from our fellowship that we
cannot ignore your behavior. Our love for you, for your soul, and our
concern for your eternal welfare will not allow us to look the other way
if you fall headlong into sin.
Other Articles
Speaking the Truth in Love
The Pursuit of Happiness
Going Home
