HATING THE SIN, LOVING THE SINNER

"You can depend on this as worthy of full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Tm 1:15). Therefore, as followers of Jesus, we must be very concerned about sin. First, we must remove the plank of sin from our eyes so that we will see clearly to remove the specks of sin from the eyes of our brothers and sisters (Mt 7:5). Then we should correct and warn anyone who is sinning (Ez 33:8), "but keep it between the two of" us (Mt 18:15). If privately correcting a sinner is not well received (Mt 18:16), we should bring other Christians into this "ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor 5:18). Moreover, "anyone who sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, should petition God, and thus life will be given to the sinner" (1 Jn 5:16). "Remember this: the person who brings a sinner back from his way will save his soul from death and cancel a multitude of sins" (Jas 5:20). Finally, we must rejoice with the Lord, the saints, and the angels "over one repentant sinner" (Lk 15:7, 10).