Offend a Believer or Shun a Sinner

 

  I’m sure that this is going to step on a few toes but this is how God has called me to act in my ministry – Bold and Unafraid

  I recently had this discussion with a gentlemen of, let’s say, a more stringent theological view point after he sat through a sermon I gave on how to live with our Freedom in Christ.  I had done a two part sermon starting on the Fourth of July weekend, first part being a close exegetical examination of Galatians 2.  (As a refresher; Paul is chastising Peter for withdrawing from his gentile ministry in Galatia when men of a more law based view come into town.  Peter would rather not offend these men and return to the law and in doing so he shuns the sinners.)

  In part one we looked at this passage and how we are now saved completely by grace and to return to the law would mean that Jesus died for nothing.  I closed that sermon with a note to Galatians 5 where Paul emphasizes that freedom from the law does not give us permission to sin freely.

  So, second week of this sermon, how to live in the Freedom of Christ;  we went through the life of Jesus and looked at Him blessing gentiles, eating with sinners, preparing food on the Sabbath and forgoing certain traditions of man that were interpreted from the law. I spoke of a narrow path between the law and sin that we must walk and why. 

  I closed with a story and compared it to Peter eating with the sinners of Galatia.  The story concerned having a beer with some of my Soldiers and how that simple act of not placing myself above them allowed them to be open to the Gospel message.

  Today we would not think twice about having a meal with a sinner, any sinner and say it was evangelism.  But are you willing to push the boundaries like Jesus did or will you withdraw from that shared experience like Peter? Are you willing to be seen going into certain establishments or will you hide in the alley?  The truth is simple, the Gospel message is clear and the command from Jesus is to GO into the world and make disciples. 

Are you willing to offend a believer in your Going so that you don’t shun a sinner?

 

The offense to this man was not just me having a cold one with some of my men, but the fact I would share this story in church.  Now, why would I hide something that is not a sin and was a direct act of loving my neighbor? 

Matthew 28:19

 Note: prayer, trust and following God’s calling to you is essential in the going