“Forgive The Sinner And Restore Him!”

“Forgive The Sinner And Restore Him!”
Admittedly the Christian community is a hospital for sinners, but patients go to the hospital to be healed. Patients do not go to the hospital to comfortably remain with their illnesses. A community of believers must have rules and regulations to check excesses and deviants. However the discipline within a Christian community must be different from secular discipline. Within a Christian community mercy stands above law, such that in every situation justice is tampered with mercy.
Unfortunately what often passes for discipline is more of score settling. The telltales of disguised vengeance in the guise of discipline are often glaring. The punishment which the majority inflicts on the wrongdoer is often a heavy load for him to bear.
Like my people will say, you do not beat a child and send him outside. You push the child under the bed. If you send the child outside you are exposing the child to unknown evil.
It is in the same way that Paul says, “…you ought to forgive” the sinner “and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed with excessive sorrow” and “to reaffirm your love for him.”
Sin must not be tolerated, but forgiveness and restoration keeps the flock together. It also confuses Satan who otherwise could use the opportunity to outwit the Christian community.
We should be aware of Satan’s schemes (II Cor.2:5-11).
When we fail to forgive and restore, we equally become Satan’s agents in scattering the flock.
Dear friend, if a brother sins against you forgive him so that you do not lose him. But the sinner must also show signs of repentance. There is no future anywhere without forgiveness!
Weekend prayer: Holy Spirit teach me to always forgive so as not to give Satan an opportunity to outwit us. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!