Everyone needs to be loved. And everyone needs to feel that love especially when they fail or make a mistake. They need to hear that we love them and that God loves them – even while we’re still sinners.
We all mess up, Christians too. But when we do fall short of God’s perfection, we need to show love and minister to one another. 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 speaks really strongly about this.
The Problem in the Corinthian Church
In the Corinthian church, someone had sinned and been confronted by the group. There are many theories as to what this sin was, but no one knows for sure. The important thing is that the person was confronted and brought to repentance.
The Corinthian Christians apparently had followed Jesus’s instructions for how to address sin in Matthew 18:15-17. Paul wrote in verses 5-6:
Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure – not to put it too severely – to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough …
As a result, the person was sorrowful and repented.
… so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
– 2 Corinthians 2:7
It’s Not Enough Just to Be “Sorry”
We use the phrase “I’m sorry” a lot, and it often takes on different meanings. But originally “I’m sorry” meant “I’m experiencing sorrow because of my actions.” This person in Corinth was sorry – he or she realized what they had done and felt sorrow for that.
The natural outcome of sorrow is repentance. It’s not enough to just be sorry without repenting. It’s not enough to be sorry that we got found out or that what we did was made public. We must repent, changing the direction of our lives. This is what we’re called to as Christians.
Using Restoration Instead of Rejection
Since the person in Corinth repented, Paul urged the church to not heap guilt on top of him. Instead, he wanted them “to reaffirm your love for him” (v. 8). He wanted them not to lean toward rejection but restoration.
What exactly is restoration? It’s a combination of two things:
- Forgiving because we’ve been forgiven. We’re commanded to forgive each other, whether or not we think they deserve it. God has forgiven us when we didn’t deserve it, and we must do the same.
- Loving because we’ve been loved. Whatever someone else has done, we’re able to love them because God has loved us. The second greatest command for Christians is to love others.
Paul wrote:
So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ …
– vv. 8-10
When we seek restoration instead of rejection, it disrupts Satan’s plans. Paul wrote that forgiveness and love make it “so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs” (v. 11).
Satan gets great comfort when Christians spiritually backstab each other. He enjoys it when there is turmoil in the church. But restoration fights this and gets in his way.
What Does It Mean for Us?
As Christians, it is always necessary to watch out for one another. When we see a brother or sister stumbling, we must go to help them in love.
Accountability partners are a must-have in the body of Christ. We need to have people who are close enough relationally and willing to confront sin in our lives. And we need to be willing to do the same for others.
Devotional streamed on Facebook Live – Thursday, Mar. 26 @ 3:00 PM
