Letter for March 1992
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Dear Friends,

There must be a right balance in our thinking, speaking, action and attitude between, upholding the moral and doctrinal principles of the Word of God on the one hand, and our love, grace and caring for people in their difficulties and failings on the other hand.

It is a terrible indictment upon a church fellowship when people, who have moral and spiritual problems, feel unable to seek help in the congregation, because they expect to be condemned or despised for their failing to live up to the standards of the Gospel.

When we come to the way of Jesus in the New Testament we find a right balance. Jesus is very severe with those who willfully entice and lead people into sin and wrong attitudes. This comes through clearly in the letter to Pergamum in Revelation 2:12-17. Jesus says he will fight against those who encourage people to idolatry and immorality. Again when Jesus turned out the business men trading in the Temple courts, we see he was angry and severe with these merchants and money lenders, because without shame they exploited the people and defiled the Temple of God.

But when we see Jesus dealing with individuals with moral and spiritual problems, he was so loving, gracious, merciful and forgiving. He was not condemning. Take the women caught in adultery recorded in John 8:1-11. The Pharisees accused her before Jesus. They had no care for the woman. They were high in their moral tone, but were using the woman to trap Jesus. Jesus shames them by pressing them to face their own sin, and unworthiness to condemn another sinner. He forgives and loves the woman, and does not condemn her, though in no way condoning or approving her wrong doing.

Again Jesus deals so graciously with the Samaritan woman in John 4. He speaks to her and accepts her, which surprises the woman greatly, so used to rejection and self-righteous condemnation. He gently led the woman through to salvation by searching questions and testimony to himself. The woman expected to be censored and condemned, for this was her experience from others. This is why she came to the well when others would not be there. Jesus did not reject her because of her promiscuous behaviour.

Then again there is Peter and his abysmal failure when he denied and forsook Jesus. Did Jesus withdraw from him and condemn him. No! he wonderfully forgave him, healed his moral wound, and accepted him still as a disciple and apostle - particularly confirming to Peter that he was still one of the twelve by commissioning him to feed Christ's sheep - other believers. In no way did Jesus diminish the seriousness of Peter's conduct, but he still kept him as an apostle, and even exalted him to greater service and authority.

Even with Judas Iscariot, when Judas was about to betray Jesus, Jesus still dealt gently with him, encouraging him to repent. There are many, many other examples in the Bible we could list.

In fact when believers do fail in some way, it is not done without sorrow, grief and pain. Most often the failing is after months and possibly years of struggle to do right, and the result of being worn out in the fight against temptation and the insinuations of Satan. In other cases action is the result of life becoming intolerable.

When we are tempted to be censorious or over quick in criticism or in asserting our condemnation of their action, let us remember we have no right to judge another, having, as Jesus puts it in Matthew 7, sins of our own which deserve equal correction.

Jesus warns us in Matthew 7:1,2 that the measure we use to others will be the measure we will receive. If we judge people we will find we will not receive mercy, either from others or from God. The man in the parable who was forgiven a debt of 10,000 talents was unforgiving to his brother, who owed him a mere 100 pence. His censorious attitude lost him all the mercy he had originally received.

Let us remember also that we do not know the struggle and pain people go through, and the anxiety they have suffered, in their struggle against sin. Let us understand how their regenerate soul is also hurt and offended and they know great pain in their heart.

Really we have no right to judge any other, because, even if their weakness is our strength, we have weaknesses in other directions that have so many times let us down. We long for sympathy, understanding and acceptance when we offend; should we not deal likewise with others?

It is so difficult to get our attitude and balance just right in our life in the church. But let us understand that Jesus in Matthew 7:1-6 warns us that if we are hard on others, we tempt God to be hard and harsh with us.

In our public ministry let us seek, and may we also find, that the whole truth of God is faithfully proclaimed. Let this be so as we study the word together in Bible Studies and groups. But in our ministry to others who have weaknesses, let us be gentle and full of grace. Like Jesus (Isaiah 61:1b) let us bind up the broken hearted, and not reject or condemn them.

Your servant for Christ's sake,