Ch 16 Enough Already

  CHAPTER 16 ENOUGH ALREADY

We are told in John 8:15 that Jesus passed judgment on no one. In vs. 7 He told the Pharisees that the one without sin should throw the first stone. Jesus tells us in John 14:23 "if anyone loves Me he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home in him." One of His teachings is that we are to forgive our brother 70 x 7 times (Matt.18:22). Any further doubt about this is cleared up by the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matt.18:34-35. However, He also tells us to treat an unrepentant brother as a pagan if he refuses to listen. In I Cor.5:5 the non-listening brother is turned out and handed over to satan. And in I Timothy 1:20 non-repentant brothers are also handed over to satan. Keeping both of these concepts in mind, the following question now comes to mind," How can we walk in love and do both things?"  

In I Corinthians and I Timothy Paul did not pass judgment, he merely took action based upon the facts he was presented with. In Matt.18:22 Jesus said we are to forgive. However, He did not say we were to continue to associate with an unrepentant or non-listening brother. According to I Thes.5:22 we are to avoid every kind of evil. This does not mean that we do not minister to the spiritual needs of people. It does however mean that we are not to fellowship with the unregenerate on a regular, or continuing basis. The Word however is clear. We are to admonish when necessary. In this sense the word admonish would mean to gently and lovingly point out a reoccurring problem which may not be recognized as a problem by the brother in question. It is as close to an instructional process as it is to a discipline process.  

We must be completely humble and gentle. We are to be patient; bearing with one another in love as we make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit, through the bond of peace (Eph.4:2-3). However, after every effort has been made, and there is still no change, we must recall Eph.5:5-7: "no immoral, impure, or greedy person ... has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God ...do not be partners with them" (emphasis added). "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness" (II Tim.2:19). If there is still any doubt in our minds, Ro.13:14 tells us not to even think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature (flesh). A man will reap what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature will reap destruction from the very nature he is attempting to please (Gal.6:7-8).  

The very grace or power of God, teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions. It also teaches us to live self controlled, upright, and Godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:11 & Ro.8:15). Indeed, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (Ja.4:4). That doesn't mean you are an enemy of God if you go to a movie or a dance. However, if any one particular thing or combination of things takes up so much of our time that they begin to subtract from our time with Jesus, then they have become our "friend." If anything, we find that as our walk with the Lord becomes more intimate, our desire will be to spend more time with Him and less time with worldly things. This is the case not because some man made rule says we shouldn't, but because we would rather be with Jesus. An obedient child of God does not conform any longer to the evil desires he had before he knew of God's love and mercy (I Pe.1:14).  

A man is slave to whatever has mastered him. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and to turn. Of them the Proverbs are true: the dog returns to its vomit, and a sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud. (II Pe.2:19-22)

How do we know if admonishment is necessary? How do we know when a brother has again been mastered by the desires of the world?  

According to Matt.7:17-21 every tree bears good fruit and every bad tree bears bad fruit. By our fruits we will be recognized. Jesus said, "this is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourself to be my disciples" (John 15:8). We know that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Gal.5:22). This good fruit must be evidenced to some degree or another in all who confess Christ Jesus. Heb.12:15 cautions us to "... see to it that no one misses the grace of God, and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile the many." The ax is ready at the root of the tree, and every tree that does not produce fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (Lk.3:9). In Dan.4:14 the angel said to "...cut down the tree and trim off its branches, strip off its leaves, and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches" (emphasis added). Paul writes in I Cor.5:11 "... that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral, greedy, an idolater, or slanderer, or a drunkard, or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat." (see also Deut.13:1-5, Josh.7: 12, Deut.20:18).  

In the end times (which began in Acts 2:17) "people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; having a form of godliness but denying its power, have nothing to do with them ... always learning, but never able to acknowledge the truth" (emphasis added, II Tim.3:2-7). In Ro.16:17 we are urged to "watch out for those who cause division and put obstacles in your way contrary to the teaching you have learned, keep away from them." Warn a divisive person once and warn him a second time. After that have nothing to do with him (Titus 3:10, see also Ro.16:17).  

I Cor.15:33 warns us that we should not be "...misled: bad company corrupts good character." "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." (Eph.5:11) John made it clear in III John 10 that the divisive gossiping of a brother was to be pointed out. If someone is caught in a sin those who are spiritual should gently restore him (Gal.6:1). Notice it doesn't say those who are legalistic should restore him, it says those who are spiritual. We are to "...do nothing out of vain conceit, but in humility, considering others better than ourselves." (Phil.2:3) We admonish gently, remembering that "... all Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness" (II Tim.3:16). "Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us..." (Ro.15:4)  

We encourage and rebuke with authority (Titus 2:15), and the Word is our authority. We do not need to use our own thoughts and feelings. We are to "be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction" (II Tim.4:2). Through Paul's letters to the Thessalonians, the Holy Spirit said "if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special notice of him. Do not associate with him in order that he may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother (I Thes.3:14). We must remember to forgive so as not to allow satan to outwit us. We do not to give him a foothold (II Cor.2:10 & Eph.4:27).  

The sorrow felt by admonition should be short lived. We see in II Cor.7:8 that "... even if I caused you sorrow by my letters I do not regret it. Though I did regret it, I see that my letter hurt you only for a little while. Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance." After striving in every way for unity through peace, we should not fail to admonish through the Word. The spirit of the Word cannot be compromised. The things mentioned in II Tim.3:2-7 and Eph.5:5-7 cannot continue in a fellowship of believers. To allow them to continue would hurt the one engaging in them. Since we love one another, for the sake of our wandering brother we should, when led by the Holy Spirit, admonish out of love. Furthermore, if our thoughts, attentions and actions are continually diverted toward the necessary correction, or admonition of a non-listening, non-repentant, or non-fruitful brother, then we are not taking every thought captive to Jesus (II Cor.10:5). We are in reality devoting all our time to that divisive person or situation instead of to our walk with the Lord. Our environment has become polluted and must, along with our minds, be purified so that we can be in dedicated prayer and study. It is quite clearly stated in I Cor.5:12 that we are not to judge those outside the body. However, we are to evaluate the deeds of the members of the body (caution - note Ro.14:13).  

II Cor.6:14 says we are not to be yoked with unbelievers. What do righteousness and wickedness have in common, or what fellowship can light have with darkness? Unrepentant and ongoing evil cannot be allowed to remain in our fellowship, for that is one of the places where we are built up through the Word and praise so that we may better serve the Lord. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners (Ps.1:1). If we love Him we will follow His commands, which includes the one to admonish when led to do so.