Daily Readings: 2 Corinthians 2 and Psalm 120
In 1 Corinthians 5:1 Paul described the disgusting, sexually immoral behaviour of an unnamed man in the Church in Corinth, who was sleeping with his father’s wife (presumably his ‘step-mother’). He called on the Church to discipline him by excluding him from their fellowship and their celebration of the Lord’s Supper. It seems from today’s passage that the Church had indeed disciplined him and, lo and behold, the man had responded in genuine repentance! So now Paul wrote:
6 The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7 Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.
Our hearts’ desire should always be for the restoration of believers who have fallen into sin. Confronting their sin and even disciplining them is never to be aimed at shaming them or destroying their walk with the Lord. Quite the contrary! It is always meant to be aimed at creating an environment in which they will be convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit, moved to genuinely repent of their sin, and then find forgiveness from God and full restoration into relationship with their siblings-in-Christ.
Our love for Christians who have fallen into sinful ways should never waver. While they are trapped in rebellion and sin, we should pray for them and reach out to them to guide them to repentance as best we can. When they come to repentance, our ministry ought to be brimming with forgiveness, comfort, encouragement and the reaffirmation of our Christian love for them. Acting in these ways towards them is certainly one very significant way we become what Paul described in v.15,
15 … we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
Life Application: Is my life a “pleasing aroma of Christ”? Do I treat repentant sinners with the same mercy and grace as Jesus did (and does)? Do I desire their restoration as much as Jesus did (and does)?
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