“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
Luke 17:3-4 (NASB)
We are our to be on guard for the spiritual condition of both ourselves and our church family. whether we like it or not being a member of the body of Christ creates instant accountability. It is an act of love to gently and lovingly correct a sinning brother. When we do so we must understand that the goal of such correction is not to punish or belittle but rather to restore. We are obligated by the command of Christ to correct our brother every time that he is in sin and we are obligated by the cross of Christ to forgive our brother every time that he repents. There is no limit to how often we are to forgive because there is no limit to the forgiveness we have received from Christ.
Questions for application…
Why is it important to be on guard against sin in the body of Christ?
How often are we to forgive and restore a sinning brother?
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