When a brother sins… Mat 18:15
Five things I need to do
Before I do anything I must first remember Mat 18:14 in my heart.
“It is not the will of the Father who is heaven that one of these little ones perish”
- even the little ones which went astray on their own!!
1. Mat 18:15
When I see a brother committing sin, I have to go to him and show his fault in private. This I must do with love. Whenever I need to point out some sin or something they lack I must do it in love like Jesus. Jesus felt a love for that rich young ruler when He pointed out what is lacking in that man’s life (Mark 10:21). Jesus’ motive is to win that man and so must be mine – not just pointing out my finger.
If he refuses listen to me, then…
2. Mat 18:16
I should take one or two brothers with me to speak to him again, making every effort to have him listen and turn from sin. If he again refuses to listen, then…
3. Mat 18:17
I may tell to the Church – church elders. If he refuses even to listen to the Church, then he becomes like a gentile or a tax collector to me. The brotherly fellowship is broken. He is no more a part of body of Christ – no more a part of the Church and may be treated as a visitor.
But the issue doesn’t end here. The will of the Father who is heaven is that not one – even the little ones – should perish even if they had gone astray neglecting instructions. God’s heart is that he should be won back. Mat 15-17 speaks about confrontation with the brother – dealing the person. Now that he is a gentile to me and not being a part of the Church, my responsibility in winning him increases. Confrontation now goes on to a spiritual plane because he is under the influence of the enemy. Enemy claims the ownership of that brother as he is not part of the Church. This is what Jesus told in vs 18.
4. Mat 18: 18
“Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
Now the battle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. God has given me the authority – He has given me the keys of the Kingdom of heaven to bind and loose the powers in heaven and powers working on the earth. This I can do only if I have known Christ, walking in the way He has walked – walking in the light – denying myself and carrying the cross everyday. Authority over the powers is entrusted to those who deny themselves and carry the cross. Now my responsibility is high as I have to wrestle with powers of darkness in the name of Jesus to win that brother. This I can do individually praying and wrestling in the name of Jesus, appropriating His victory over Satan and his demons on the cross. I can bind or loose the works of the enemy against that brother and deliver him from the mouth of the lion. Supposing, this doesn’t work and the brother has not been won, Jesus went on to say another sure way of delivering that brother.
5. Mat 18: 19, 20
“Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
What a powerful promise! If I could not win the brother by my counseling or by the counseling of one or two brothers or by my exercising authority over the powers of darkness, I can win him by this way. Let me choose one brother who has the same burden as I towards winning the fallen brother. If we agree on the matter of delivering the brother from the clutch of Satan and if we both pray and ask of the Father, the Father will deliver that brother from the enemy. Because it is not His will that one of these brothers should perish. He will deliver because it is not we (two or three brothers) praying but Jesus Himself for where two or three have gathered together in His name, He is there in their midst.
Confronting sin with human zeal and with the heart of God
Nehemiah and Ezra confronted the sin of mixed marriages among the Israelites.
Neh 13: 23-28
Ezra 9:1-2.
Nehemiah had a great zeal for the Lord and a burden for Jerusalem (Neh 1: 4). He is a man of prayer. He has sacrificed his time and money for the sake of Jerusalem. He had delivered many people from the burden of debt. He has seen the damage the enemy has done to Jerusalem and his heart is burdened for the restoration. Lord was with him protecting him from every attack of the enemy. But this godly man, when he saw the Jews married to women from other countries, he contended with those men and children. He cursed them, struck them, even pulled out hair from their head and beard (Neh 13: 25). He made them to swear by God that they shall not give their daughters or take their daughters. He warned them quoting how Solomon, whom God loved much, backslid and fell in to sin by his foreign wives. Nehemiah even drove one of the sons of the High Priest away from him. He exposed such sinners. He was filled with human zeal and thus confronted sin in the congregation by hurting and judging them harshly.
When Ezra confronted the same sin, he did not go out and contended with them; nor did he pull their hairs; nor did he struck them or drive away any priest or levites; nor did he curse them. Instead he tore his own garment and robe, pulled hair from his head and beard and sat down appalled. He did not eat anything because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles. And he fell on his knees, stretched out his hand to his Lord in prayer – pleading and interceding for the people (Ezra 9: 6-15). He considered their sin as his own. He did not exclude himself from their sins. He made confession for their sins as if his own. He saw sin as God saw and pleaded. He was praying, weeping and prostrating himself before the Father in heaven hoping it would not be His will that one of these sons of Israel would perish. God who promised answers to such prayers moved on behalf of Ezra. Conviction of sin pierced every disobedient heart and a very large assembly of men, women and children gathered to him and wept bitterly. People met their sin, acknowledged it, confessed their unfaithfulness to Jehovah and repented. They were even willing to put away their foreign wives and children according to the law. And they did it (vs 16).
That’s the Christ like way of dealing sin – always interceding to the Father. Ezra did not expose anyone who married foreign women but God did that. God made the list of people who married foreign women and listed in verses 18-43. The book of Ezra ends with a great revival.
Nehemiah, when confronted a sin among the Israelites, acted with human zeal and there is no repentance among the people. But Ezra, when he confronted sin in a godly way – Jesus way- there was repentance and revival.