What does the Bible say about how we should respond to believers who continue to practice sin? If you are personally aware of individuals like this, what steps or action should you take to rescue him or her?
· What attitude does God expect you to have regarding these people's sin?
· What kind of action does God expect you to take to see them delivered?
· What approach should you take regarding the sin they are living in?
· What is the proper outlook for you to have concerning their situation?
First of all, I believe we are commissioned to give the testimony of Jesus, the savior to all people. Giving them the testimony of why God our Father sent His son so we could have a relationship with them forever will snatch them from the fire of eternity and bring them toward everlasting love.
Show mercy mixed with fear! What is that all about? To me, we are to give people the benefit of the doubt, give them a break or another chance to make things right between themselves and God. This is for the believer as well as the heathen! Fear in this context is like the "fear of God". It is to have respect for them as people and respect them for the person in Christ they really are!
It suggests a fear or a strong dose of respect for something that is life-threatening, dangerous, or alarming. The attitude we should have regarding sin is dangerous, alarming, and even life threatening to a person's spiritual life. Therefore, sin must not be tolerated, nor should the effects of sin be watered down. In short, we should have no stomach for sin. At the same time, love the sinner compassionately.
Our action should be spontaneous. We must act fast to "snatch" them out of the fire. This is an extremely strong and aggressive position that presents the picture of seizing someone out of a dangerous situation.
In Colossians 1:13 Paul writes, "He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son." This portrays that moment when Jesus Christ broke Satan's power over our lives and snatched us out of the kingdom of darkness. He grabbed us by the back of our necks and snatched us out of danger, just in the nick of time.
Our action should be wrapped in an emotion of passion, fervency, and urgency.
Because of the alarmingly dangerous state that some believers are in, I urge you to take immediate and fast-acting measures to see them delivered and rescued. And if they don't quickly respond, do not stop! Out of love for them keep up your sense of urgency until you are convinced they are rescued and snatched out of the fires of destruction. If you must, go all the way to grab them by the back of their necks and jerk them out of those flames.
I must warn you that sometimes people are so deceived about what they are doing, they do not want to change. Even if you tell them they are headed for trouble, they may not believe it! In these cases, your sweet words and tender pleading with them may not work. That means you may have to get forceful in the way you tell these people the truth. Your words must reach out and seize their hearts.
Think back for a minute to Lot, the nephew of Abraham. Lot was so caught up in the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah that when the angels told him the two cities were about to be destroyed, he wanted to stay anyway! The angels had to take him by the hand and make him leave! They had to forcibly remove him from that situation. Otherwise, he would have been destroyed. The angels literally dragged Lot out of the city against his will (Genesis 19:16).
Likewise, we must do everything within our power to snatch people from spiritually dangerous predicaments. Although they may not feel the heat of the fire at the moment or realize the seriousness of their spiritual condition, we must speak forcefully and truthfully to them in order to seize their hearts and set them free. Sometimes a sharp tone like a quick jab will jolt them from a dangerous situation.
However, we are not in the business of kidnapping people or taking them out of situations against their will. But we are to pray for fellow believers who are caught in sin and don't realize the dangerous nature of their situation. We must also go to them and do all we can to "pull them out of the fires" of destruction they are about to release into their lives.
If you know someone who is drifting away from their relationship with the Lord, pray for a door to open that will allow you to speak the truth in love and pull him out of impending destruction. Just think about it. If you were the one about to make a major spiritual error, wouldn't you want your true friends to speak the truth in love to you? So believe God for an open door. He will show you how and when to
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