30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 17 3-6 Faith and relationships 02 Turning a sinner from his way
📖 Luke 17:3-6
28Jun2020 - *Turning a sinner from his way* - _Luke 17:3-6_ - FAITH AND RELATIONSHIPS – Bible reading: _James 5:19-20_
We have now begun a new study, on _Luke 17:3-6_. We will title this study as, *Faith and relationships*. We begin with _Luke 17:3_
_Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him._
Relationships with one another are crucial in our walk with God. As God’s people, we are part of each other in the body of Christ. To build relationships we must *take heed to ourselves*.
_Colossians 1:9-10 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding: (10) that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;_
Taking heed to ourselves we also reach out to build one another in the body of Christ. _Ephesians 4:15-16 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— (16) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love._
Every joint, ligament, bone and muscle must do its share and supplies to one another what each has received from Christ, for the effectual growth of the body of Christ. This is not an option for this is necessary for the church. The church is not just a gathering. There is deep work that is happening within and amongst the people of God, for growth.
It is in this context of mutual growth that we need to see the matter of rebuke and forgiveness amongst His people. _Matthew 18:15-17 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. (16) But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY WORD MAY BE ESTABLISHED.' (17) And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector._ These are strong words from our Lord but this needs to be applied, considering that rebuking is always in an atmosphere of forgiving and forgiving is done in an atmosphere of rebuking.
_Psalm 141:5 Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. Proverbs 17:10 Rebuke is more effective for a wise man Than a hundred blows on a fool._
We see a wonderful example of rebuking and forgiving being demonstrated for us between Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter. _Galatians 2:11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;_ We see of a particular behaviour of Peter that Paul did not approve and did not find consistent to the ways of God. He rebuked Peter. Peter could have been offended and the whole matter could have caused a break in the relationship between them, resulting in a division in the body of Christ.
It may have been difficult for Peter to receive this rebuke from Paul, considering that Peter was in the faith much before Paul. Yet, look at how Peter refers to Paul in his epistle.
_II Peter 3:15-16 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, (16) as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures._
Peter is referring to Paul with great respect and admiration. What has this caused? Peter has been built up (and all of us constantly need building up) and downstream, over the centuries, the church is encouraged by a practical demonstration of rebuke and forgiveness.
_James 5:19-20 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, (20) let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins._
*Thought to ponder*
```How are your relationships today, with people in the body of Christ?```