In Matthew 18:7 Jesus says that stumbling blocks and sins against us are inevitable. We live in a world full of sinful people, and we are sinful people ourselves, so we shouldn’t be surprised when our relationships are impacted by sin. We also need to recognize that the sin in general and sin against us in particular doesn’t remove responsibility from us. Especially when that sin happens within the church. Sin within the church breaks fellowship within the family. When we see it, we have a responsibility to confront it with the goal of restoring our brother and our family fellowship. But when the sin is against us in particular, we have a further responsibility to forgive. Few things reveal the heart of a hypocrite like unforgiveness, for it reveals that we either don’t think we are sinners ourselves or we don’t understand the evil of our sin, no matter how “respectable.” I cringe to think about the tendency of my own heart in desiring for others to be put to shame or punished for their sin. But I am encouraged to see God changing my heart and giving me His compassion toward sinners like I am. I want to rejoice at seeing my brother restored instead of rejoicing to see him caught. I want to be as quick to forgive as my heavenly Father is instead of longing for vengeance. May God grant that Liberty Baptist Church be a place where loving confrontation is the norm and where forgiving as God in Christ Jesus forgave us is our instinct. – Pastor Rory Martin
Sunday at Liberty
10AM: Pastor Rory–Matthew 18:15-35–The Messiah’s Family Relationships, 2 (sermon notes)
Leave a Reply