A Loving Warning

Hey friends, welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Marvin Williams authored today's reading, and he titled it A Loving Warning. In 2010, a tsunami struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra, killing more than 400 people. But the deaths could have been prevented, or minimized, had the tsunami warning system been working properly.

The tsunami detection networks, the buoys, had become detached and drifted away. Jesus said his disciples had a responsibility to warn fellow disciples of things that could harm them spiritually, including unrepentant sin. In Matthew 18, he outlined a process in which a believer who's been sinned against by another can humbly, privately, and prayerfully point out the sin to the offending believer. If the person repents, then the conflict can be resolved and relationship restored. If the believer refuses to repent, then one or two others can help resolve the conflict. If the sinning person still doesn't repent, then the issue is to be brought before the church. If the offender still won't repent, the individual is to be removed from assembly fellowship, but he or she can certainly still be prayed for and shown Christ's love. As believers in Jesus, let's pray for the wisdom and courage we need to care enough to lovingly warn one another of the dangers of unrepentant sin, and of the joys of restoration to our Heavenly Father and other believers. Jesus will be there with us as we do.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Matthew chapter 18 verses 15 through 20. 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. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church, and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them. Let's pray.

Lord, it's a scary thing to confront a friend or a family member who is in some kind of sin. When it does become necessary, we pray that you would help us to do so with courage and deep humility, seeking to build each other up and to live lives that honor and serve you. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. I'm Stephen Taber, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.