Warning: YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT LIKE THIS POST.
Now with me starting a post like that does that make you want to keep reading? Probably not but I have to be honest because what I am writing about most followers of Christ do not like to think about. It is one of those topics that we like to ignore and avoid what the bible truly says about it. I have to admit that I myself even struggle with the topic I am going to write about, and that is one reason I feel like I should write about it. So what is this topic anyway, what is it that I think you will not like me writing about? The topic involves being in the midst of “Christians” who continually sin and show no desire to listen to the holy spirit or to repent. That is right I can imagine the thoughts swirling around in your mind right now about what else I am going to write. But I want to look more at what us as believers in Christ are supposed to do according to scripture in these times. So I hope this little introduction has grabbed your attention enough to make you want to continue on.
Let me start by having you imagine a little bit with me. Imagine that you have an extremely intimate relationship with Christ, one where you feel as though you are walking in God’s will and one where the joy of the Lord is written all over your face. Now imagine a dear friend of yours has truly lost their way with Christ. You hang around this person a lot and have talked to them sincerely and honestly about what they are doing, just as true brothers and sisters in Christ are called to do, but yet they never seem to care or to seek Christ. You begin to get discouraged by this person but yet you never stop being around them all the time, and slowly over time your friend slowly begins to bring you down to where you have lost your intimacy with Christ. You have truly learned that it is easier to be pulled down then to pull someone up. So how do you feel? What do you think you should have done in this situation?
This situation is what this whole note is about, those situations with one of our dear friends who has fallen into such a pit that they begin to ignore everything that is about Christ. All of us have dealt with these situations at one time or another. The sad thing is that one person can influence a group of believers in such a negative way that a whole group of friends before long can begin to ignore God. It really is a sad situation and it is one that I have seen a lot since being in college. So what does the bible say about this, and I can promise that a lot of you will not like what the bible has to say.
I want to start with 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
“I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
Did you just read that? I have to admit I do not like what was written by Paul in these verses, I wish I could just cut those out of my bible and ignore them, but if I did that I would be making myself more worthy then Christ and in someway act as though I am a God. But that is not right to love God is to accept and agree with whatever the bible says even if I do not like it. So looking at these verses I think we can see what Paul, says we should do. Understand Paul spoke to Christ and was taught by the disciples so clearly what ever he taught came straight from God. He says for us to not even eat with a person like this. WOW, that is tough. We do not ever want to go that far, because we long for our friends to come back to Christ and we do not want to leave them. But is it possible that God knows better then we do? So lets look at one more verse on this topic.
Lets look at Matthew 18:15-17
"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Understand everything I am talking about here is about followers of Christ. You do not do this to people of the world the people without Christ. I look at the verses in Matthew as an outline of how to handle a friend who has gone astray. First go talk to them one on one, not with anyone else. Keep it between just you two because there is no need to go gossip about this situation. Secondly if your brother or sister in Christ take another person with you so that Christ can hopefully break through with your friend. If all else fails take them to the church, which your friend will most likely not let you do. This is where you have to just let them go. It is important to understand that your personal relationship with Christ is important and it can easily be brought down by another person.
I know this is hard and most of you probably did not even make it to the end of this post but if you did seriously trust in Christ because he does know better then all of us. Please do not just ignore these versus because if they were not important they would not be in the bible. And understand it will be hard, I haven’t even implemented this idea into my life because I know it will be tough. I let the verses speak a lot in this post so I hope you pray about this. Your personal relationship with Christ is important do not let someone who is running away from God pull you away from God. Again this is for believers and not for non-believers.
Also handle these things biblically, do not go crazy on someone or speak ill. Be humble and honest.
I love you all
Brent Phillips
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