Love… Is Corrective

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

Galatians 6:1 (NIV)

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James 5:19-20 (ESV)

(Note that “among you” implies fellow believers, and NOT outsiders.)

When morality is “relative” (defined by cultures and situations), right and wrong have millions of opinions.

Truth and lies depend on who you hang with. The term “FAKE NEWS!” is shouted by all sides, breeding perpetual doubt and anger– which obviously delights the devil:(

Even in “the best” of nations, blood boils! Heads steam and tongues rage… along party lines. 

Media raises the temperature– by the non-stop broadcast of hot topics (which makes sense, since high ratings pay their bills).

Where does “correction” fit in this steam bath? Prideful correction simply fans the flames. Arrogant correction is destructive and prevents a helpful witness of Christ.

Obviously, that's the state of our world– and it’s been going on since Adam fell. What IS new is its multiplication through modern media. This being said…

The Lord allowed it, and we've NOT been called to correct the world. The best we can do in the midst of fire is offer the cool water of LOVE (which is NOT our own heated opinions).

However,

Among Christians, truth is not relative. It's absolute and unnegotiable. Truth has just One Face, One Book, and One Judge. In-house, God advises kind correction:

Why, what, and how do we correct our kin?.

'All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work' (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

'If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should GENTLY and HUMBLY help that person back onto the right path' (Galatians 6:1).

NOTE: Some Christians are doing the opposite. They’re either harshly correcting “the world”, ignoring all the sins among themselves, or pompously correcting each other:(

Actors, models, and talent for Christ:

Within your own house (your kin in Jesus), choose kind and gracious words, but DO correct. Sometimes His love can be harder “chew”, but it’s still the body and bread of Christ.

Love…  Is Corrective (Part 33)

NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re all called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re all called to models of Jesus, and we all have gifts, talents, and a commission to multiply them in the world for His glory.

P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend DAILY BIBLE READING.

WARNING: Don’t focus on your favorite verses, because taken out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!