We Are Ministers of God’s Grace
Ephesians 4:29 - “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
Too often, the difficulty of being right is when we become self-righteous. Sometimes, we tend to judge and condemn quickly.
As God’s servants, we are in the ministry not because of our choosing. It was not even a desire for some of us. We are in this position of responsibility not because we qualify and fit the qualities outlined in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1. We are in this position because of God's choosing and His grace alone.
Since it is God who calls and chooses, then it follows that it is God who will uncall! No human authority has the right to take away whom God has chosen. It does not mean we have no right to give our opinion and advise the erring brother to step down.
It is not our position to dictate and to question the decision of an independent Church. By all means, we can proceed with whatever is necessary to protect the testimony of the local Church and the office of the Pastor in a manner pleasing to God.
Be careful not to do this with an unforgiving spirit and animosity. We express outrage, not for personal reasons or because it hurts our feelings and feel bad for those affected. We express divine indignation because of the mockery it can bring to the work of the Lord.
Remove every inch of hatred, raw emotion, and vindictiveness when what we want is not considered or accepted. Instead, let us exercise faith in our just God. He can handle the situation better than us. Remember, our God is real and always in control of every affair of life.
If we approach the erring brother with anger and vindictive spirit, we are as guilty as the person we are accusing. In my counseling practice, every time a parent comes to me about her difficult teenager after all avenues have been considered and every attempt has been made to stop the youth from self-destructive behavior, my advice is always it is time “to let go and let God.”8§
There is a right time for us to stop being in between the allegedly erring brother and God. If we keep attacking, judging, and provoking, the alleged erring brother will react. Because we are also human as he is and prone to make the same mistake, there is no fear in his heart but contempt.
When we get out of the way and allow him to stand before God alone, he will begin to realize that it is not us anymore he is dealing with but God who has called him to duty, just like Isaiah, who saw his utter depravity in the presence of the Holy God (Isaiah 6:5).
After all, that brother will stand alone before God! If he has not repented, he will be reminded that God is a consuming fire! If he is not guilty, he is free and undeserving of condemnation.
When we have said everything we wanted, it is time to stop talking about the issue. Just consider how to avoid further damage to the tainted testimony and how not to let us be affected by them. Let us go back to fulfilling our divine calling with faithfulness.
Our Prayer for today:
Lord, why do people judge so quickly? Sometimes, we are self-righteous and forget that we could commit the same mistake we are condemning. Please help us to have Your mercy and grace and to reach out to our weak brethren.
Remind and rebuke us, Lord, when we are guilty of this attitude. Help us to correct our ways and apologize to those we judged. In Jesus Name, Amen!