Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Sensitivity to sin - Joshua 21-24

Does it bother you when someone takes the name of the Lord in vain and uses it as a simple foul, slang word? Does it bother you to watch something via media output that is offensive to God and profanes the creation He said to honor? How sensitive are you to sin around you? Does it bother you that another brother or sister is openly sinning and seems to not care it offends God? What do we do about it? In Joshua 21 we have the story about the 2 1/2 tribes of Israel who decided to set up "an alter" and the nation took great issue with it. They actually mounted up and went off as to fight a war against their brothers. The tribe leaders were not going to allow another tribe to sin in their midst. Of course, the alter was not really a "worship" alter, but rather a "witness" alter (no where in God's Word were they told to do this, by the way). But, the lesson is still provided for us by the Spirit of God. What are we supposed to do if someone in our midst begins to sin? In Galatians 6:1 it tells us we are to try to restore them. In James 5 it tells us we are to pray for them. In 1 John 5 it tells us to pray for them and it might stop them from dying. In Matthew 18 it tells us we are to go to them and confront them. There are many things in God's Word that tell us what to do. They only option we DON'T have is to do nothing. We have a Biblical responsibility to do something. There are no options to simply watch and be silent. If you have a brother in Christ who is sinning you have a Biblical responsibility to do something. How sensitive are you to sin?

No comments:

Post a Comment

Don’t Relax The Power of God’s Word - Matthew 5-7

Matthew 5:17-20 (ESV) “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill the...