Today I want to look a little further into 2 Timothy 3:16, 17: “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,” with the emphasis on rebuking and correction.
We were put into a family so we could look after one another, which is why the early church shared everything they had and why we generously help when someone has a need or a burden. That is what love is all about. We can’t just ignore the poor and hungry among us or for that matter someone who hurts.
But what about someone’s eternal destination and their rightness with the Lord. When we see someone sins, what do we do? Are we talking to them about it, or are we too embarrassed? Who am I to interfere? The Lord will talk to him, we think. No, it is up to us to deal with each other’s salvation. “So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them,” (Luke 17:3). “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over,” (Matthew 18:15). The latter goes on explaining the process within the church.
Why is it up to us? People don’t always see their own faults and don’t always realise something is sin. When I was young and irresponsible a Jewish businessman, with whom I did business, once opened my eyes. He pointed out behaviour that would have cost me dearly had I proceeded with it. He showed me my sin and I will be forever grateful to him, for I changed my ways. The other day my son made me aware of something I did that was not right, but which I did not see as such. He mentioned it matter-of-factly with a pleasant attitude, but in essence he rebuked me. It struck me in the heart and that opened the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to show me other occasions on which I did similar things. I had the opportunity to repent and can now watch out not to repeat such behaviour.
As we mentioned earlier in this series, we need to be the pure bride of Christ. The cleaner we are the more useful we are to the Lord, which is why the Lord keeps working at our holiness, our attitudes and our behaviour and He wants to use us to help one another with it. If you do not rebuke your fellow disciple, you’re denying them the opportunity to change and you’re denying the Holy Spirit the opportunity for conviction and purification of that disciple. “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it,” (Matthew 7:14). There’s no space for sin and wrong motives or attitudes on the way to eternal life. We need to help one another to get rid of it.
I’m not saying we should go along judging and accusing one another, but we should graciously and gently point out wrong behaviour and we should graciously accept rebuke. If we are all teachable and prepared to change, it would be easy to help one another by making each other aware of our error as the Holy Spirit reveals it. This will quicken the coming of the Lord and prepare the way for revival.
The Lord will keep us accountable for not warning those who sin, like He kept Ezekiel accountable in Ezekiel 3:18.
Lord, please give me courage to show my fellow disciples their sin when you point it out and help me to accept rebuke.
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