Walk in love (4)
The Christian faith can be summed up as love. The very basis of our Christian faith is hinged on God’s love towards mankind; from that, we can see that He did something – He gave us his Son as a propitiation for our sins. This reveals that love is an action, it is not passive. You can’t claim to love a brother in church and hold offence in your heart against that brother. You can’t claim to love and have unforgiveness in your heart, for love covers a multitude of faults.
1Pet. 4:8;
8 And above all things, have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
Peter says we ought to have fervent love among ourselves. Fervent love means everyone seeks reconciliation when offence happens. It is free of ego. Fervent love is exemplified in what the shepherd did by going after the lost sheep even though he had 99 others. We have established that that parable wasn’t speaking of evangelism but gaining a brother. That is, you don’t say I have 99 other good relationships and therefore let go of that one, no! You go after that brother to gain him back. There is nothing that justifies unforgiveness in the heart of a believer. Give no room to the enemy, for with offence comes bitterness and strife and every work of the enemy.
Jesus shows us how we ought to walk in love;
Matt. 18:15-20;
15 “Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that ‘in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and so whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.
19 “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth concerning anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in Heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”
We have a well-detailed process to follow in seeking reconciliation. Jesus says the first thing to do is go to the brother alone to tell him his fault. Telling him his fault doesn’t mean bashing him but to give him evidence of what happened in order to seek reconciliation and keep offence away. But if he will not hear you, get one or two more to go along with you to seek reconciliation – they will also be witnesses to the fact that you sought reconciliation. But if he will still not hear, tell it to the pastor of the church so he can help you gain your brother back.
But if the brother will still not hear?
vs. 17
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.
Jesus says you treat him as a heathen and publican. Now, this doesn’t mean you start treating the brother as a sinner – that would be wrong. Rather, what you treat as a heathen and publican is what he did, and Jesus shows us how to do this:
vs. 18
18 Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and so whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.
The way to treat what the brother did as heather and publican is to bind and loose. Oftentimes, many have misconstrued binding and losing as things to use in dealing with demons, but it’s not so. You don’t bind and lose demons, you cast them out.
Mark. 16:17;
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall cast out devils.
Binding and loosing is for offence and forgiveness.
‘Bind’ is the Greek word ‘Deo’, used 43 times in the New Testament and has 3 applications;
– To declare something unlawful
– To literally tie someone with a rope
– To restrict or compel
(Matt. 16:19; Matt. 12:29; Acts 20:22; Rom. 7:2; 1Cor. 7:21)
Binding has to do with an obligation. That is, Jesus was saying whatsoever I restrict or permit on earth is what is permitted in heaven.
‘Loose’ on the other hand, is the Greek word ‘luo’ meaning to release or to annul – used in (Eph. 2:14; Rev. 1:5).
What this means is that you ought to restrict offence from happening and loose forgiveness, and that’s what heaven recognizes. The binding and loosing comes to play when the brother refuses reconciliation – that’s how to treat him as a heathen and publican. This simply shows that you can never exhaust the chances for reconciliation.
Daily Bible Reading Plan:
Gen. 36-38
TEACHING OF THE WEEK
https://www.ghcmedia.org/following-gods-plan-for-your-life/