Y Wednesday, October 01, 2008Y
8:03 pm
'IF A MAN IS OVERTAKEN IN ANY TRESPASS...RESTORE SUCH A ONE IN A SPIRIT OF GENTLENESS.' GALATIANS 6:1 NKJVWhen somebody messes up, God says; 'Restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.' But what if they've disgraced themselves and provided fodder for the sceptics who already think all Christians are hypocrites? Why bother with somebody like that?
Firstly: Because the Bible says, 'If a man is overtaken [caught by surprise]... [consider] yourself lest you also be tempted.' If it happened to you you'd want somebody to help you, right? And if you're thinking you would never embezzle money, have an affair or slap a child in anger, think again. When you're under financial pressure, sleep deprived, lonely and depressed, or your marriage is on shaky ground, you might be surprised what you'd do. Paul says, 'We are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don't be so...self-confident...You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else' (1 Corinthians 10:12 TM).
Secondly: Because Jesus is your example. While He had no time for Pharisees who hid their sins under a religious façade, not once did He condemn anybody who was 'overtaken' by temptation and failure. When they repented He forgave and restored them. Theologian Victor Shepherd writes: 'When we're face-to-face with someone who's been surprised because trespass overtook them, do we deflect their shame back into their face, or do we own it as ours? Do we rub their nose in it, or do we absorb it, put an arm around them and affirm our solidarity-in-sinnership? Do we regard ourselves as superior, or do we say, "Take my hand...I know the way to the cross?"'
Bob Gass