Online Bible Verses: Matthew 18:1 - If your brother or sister sins .....
“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.”
Matthew 18:1
We were put here to have fellowship with God. That is why he made us. Fellowship with Him would also promote relationships amongst people, as He uses us as a means of supporting each other. That support, at times, may involve letting a brother or sister know that they are getting off course. Which, if not done in love and understanding, could become a classic example of the pot calling the kettle black.
A key element in the understanding aspect: where we all sit in comparison to a righteous and perfect God. That being, infinitely far away, such that any relative or comparative deltas between people become insignificant. Consider a semi-fictional example. Tom is Dick’s next door neighbor. Tom has noticed a few things about Dick. Dick uses foul language frequently, and often has a beer in his hand. Seems to bicker quite a bit with his wife too. Tom can hear them yelling sometimes. Tom feels fortunate that he, relatively speaking, seems to have his act together. In actuality, Tom has fallen into the trap of moral relativism. Put another way, Tom’s trash is cleaner than Dick’s, but it is trash nonetheless. If Tom is separated from God by a distance = infinity + X, and Dick by infinity + Y, with Y > X, the delta between Tom and Dick is negligible when added to an infinite number. Tom and Dick have the same issue.
Today’s verse says we can help a friend who has veered off course, but not as a judge. Rather, as a fellow warrior engaged in the same battle, just not struggling as much on that particular day or during that time.
