Listening to the Holy Spirit

[Permie]

Friends, I must take myself to bed. Another big day of activities is before me tomorrow and the day after that as well. Almost too tired to budge right now as it is, lol. Praise the Lord! I am grateful.

Good night, and may you all rest well and be totally restored!

[OneLight]

... we will never be sinless until we are with Him. While still alive, we are a work in process.

Amen;;

It's pretty hard to be around Him and listen to Him reprove you, no matter how gentle and not be aware that we are indeed a work in progress. That is should be a very good reason for us to forgive others.

Amen and Amen!

Yes, others too are a work in progress! If we are overly concerned with what another's sins might be we are failing to "work out our own salvation" and ignoring what our "own beam in our own eye is".

(References to: Philippians 2:12

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Matthew 7:5

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.)

Yes, we are to constantly be in check, but what do you do if you see a brother or sister sin? Are we to ignore them because we are not perfect or are we to show them love and tell them that what they are doing is wrong?

It depends. I always pray first. Different answers come for the appropriate response for that individual.

Sometimes the answer is to be a living example.

Yes, it is wise to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but James tells us of the importance of turning someone back.

James 5:19-20

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 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.

It has been my experience that those who have corrected me personally, I have learned from, respected more and even became closer for they showed me enough love to become involved. They did not so this by bashing me with scripture, but in the love of Christ. They showed patience, gentleness, and empathy (to a point).

[OneLight]

Yes, we are to constantly be in check, but what do you do if you see a brother or sister sin? Are we to ignore them because we are not perfect or are we to show them love and tell them that what they are doing is wrong?

I think we try to help those, and especially brothers in the Lord right. In Matthew it has a kind of procedure. Talking to them, taking someone else along, then then bring it to the attention of the church. Paul even seem to turn them over to the devil so that they might come to a realization. And prayer does work doesn't it?

Yes, that is if someone has offended you personally.

Matthew 18:15-20

Dealing with a Sinning Brother

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. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that

[delivered]

quote name='OneLight' date='Jan 27 2010, 10:00 AM' post='1496201']

I am going to try once again to have a thread that is not full of finger pointing, accusations, name calling and such. What this thread is about is listening to the Holy Spirit, so lets keep it on track, discussing the subject in a mature manner. If this again turns into demeaning another brethren, I will close it permanently.

Edited January 30, 2010 by delivered

[Permie]

... we will never be sinless until we are with Him. While still alive, we are a work in process.

Amen;;

It's pretty hard to be around Him and listen to Him reprove you, no matter how gentle and not be aware that we are indeed a work in progress. That is should be a very good reason for us to forgive others.

Amen and Amen!

Yes, others too are a work in progress! If we are overly concerned with what another's sins might be we are failing to "work out our own salvation" and ignoring what our "own beam in our own eye is".

(References to: Philippians 2:12

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Matthew 7:5

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.)

Yes, we are to constantly be in check, but what do you do if you see a brother or sister sin? Are we to ignore them because we are not perfect or are we to show them love and tell them that what they are doing is wrong?

It depends. I always pray first. Different answers come for the appropriate response for that individual.

Sometimes the answer is to be a living example.

Yes, it is wise to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but James tells us of the importance of turning someone back.

James 5:19-20

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 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.

It has been my experience that those who have corrected me personally, I have learned from, respected more and even became closer for they showed me enough love to become involved. They did not so this by bashing me with scripture, but in the love of Christ. They showed patience, gentleness, and empathy (to a point).

I think that we are essentially saying the same thing.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

That's not to say that there are times when a specific behavior must be shown to be known to exist, such as, but not limited to: manipulating, haughtiness, game playing, and lying that prevents a beneficial relationship. The key is to not return evil for evil... that which is known as resisting evil. (Matthew 5:38-39 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.)

[OneLight]

Turning one for doing what is wrong is different then not resisting a person as they slap you in the face. I read in Matthew 5:38-39 that Christ is telling us not to hit them back, but in love, offer them the other cheek also, showing that they can not have power over you through terror or physical pain. Turning someone from their sin is talking too them, bringing scripture to them, in His love. Discussing what ti is that is driving them to want to commit such sin and point them to Christ, encouraging them to turn away from sin..

[Permie]

Turning one for doing what is wrong is different then not resisting a person as they slap you in the face. I read in Matthew 5:38-39 that Christ is telling us not to hit them back, but in love, offer them the other cheek also, showing that they can not have power over you through terror or physical pain. Turning someone from their sin is talking too them, bringing scripture to them, in His love. Discussing what ti is that is driving them to want to commit such sin and point them to Christ, encouraging them to turn away from sin..

Oh, you're talking about bringing those who do not know Jesus to Him? Not necessarily bringing someone who has known Jesus, but has turned back; what is often called back-sliding?

If you mean the unsaved, yes, I've spoken with a number of atheists who have come to believe. The lost too have been given the hope of Christ. Lives have been changed... wonderful to witness as well as to watch their growth in Christ. Praise God!

[OneLight]

Turning one for doing what is wrong is different then not resisting a person as they slap you in the face. I read in Matthew 5:38-39 that Christ is telling us not to hit them back, but in love, offer them the other cheek also, showing that they can not have power over you through terror or physical pain. Turning someone from their sin is talking too them, bringing scripture to them, in His love. Discussing what ti is that is driving them to want to commit such sin and point them to Christ, encouraging them to turn away from sin..

Oh, you're talking about bringing those who do not know Jesus to Him? Not necessarily bringing someone who has known Jesus, but has turned back; what is often called back-sliding?

If you mean the unsaved, yes, I've spoken with a number of atheists who have come to believe. The lost too have been given the hope of Christ. Lives have been changed... wonderful to witness as well as to watch their growth in Christ. Praise God!

I guess the common term of backsliding could be used, but it is not scriptural, just a label someone came up with. Scripture reads "if anyone among you wanders from the truth", which to me means that someone, another christian, has wondered from the truth, not fallen from grace.

[Permie]

Turning one for doing what is wrong is different then not resisting a person as they slap you in the face. I read in Matthew 5:38-39 that Christ is telling us not to hit them back, but in love, offer them the other cheek also, showing that they can not have power over you through terror or physical pain. Turning someone from their sin is talking too them, bringing scripture to them, in His love. Discussing what ti is that is driving them to want to commit such sin and point them to Christ, encouraging them to turn away from sin..

Oh, you're talking about bringing those who do not know Jesus to Him? Not necessarily bringing someone who has known Jesus, but has turned back; what is often called back-sliding?

If you mean the unsaved, yes, I've spoken with a number of atheists who have come to believe. The lost too have been given the hope of Christ. Lives have been changed... wonderful to witness as well as to watch their growth in Christ. Praise God!

I guess the common term of backsliding could be used, but it is not scriptural, just a label someone came up with. Scripture reads "if anyone among you wanders from the truth", which to me means that someone, another christian, has wondered from the truth, not fallen from grace.

I just did a quick New Testament search using the words: wanders truth, and didn't find anything. Hmmm, let me check another version. Still nothing. What version do you use?

I recall a verse that says: Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. James 5:20. Is that the one you are referring to?

[Permie]

Ha! Said I was tired!

That's the verse you quoted earlier in the thread! (Was that before or after I went to bed?)

Anyway you had asked:

Yes, we are to constantly be in check, but what do you do if you see a brother or sister sin? Are we to ignore them because we are not perfect or are we to show them love and tell them that what they are doing is wrong?

There's sin as we have discussed: intentional, then there's errors, and then there's ignorance. Generally, I would place error and ignorance in the same category. We cannot fault ignorance. We have all been ignorant at one point or another about something.

So, yes, we would show them love. Telling people that they are wrong, in those words, I have found not to be helpful. Patience and love is the route to go. Plus, those other virtues I posted earlier about which against there is no law are required in our efforts. (That post would then stand in it's entirety.)