Do we ask each other hard questions?
Do we have close Christian friends who can lovingly give us a 'talking to' if they see us heading into trouble?
Do you? Do I?
We are studying I Timothy and we read this scripture:
1:19b-20 - Some have rejected these and so shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. (emphasis added)
As our Sunday School class plowed into this passage, I must've read it before and been confused cause my notes bedside this scripture read: WAIT, WHAT?
Paul handed two guys over to Satan. That messed me up inside. Huh? But wait, there's more scripture on this friends...
I Corinthians 5 brings up a guy in the church who's been sleeping with his Dad's Mom and the people of the church are proud of it. Paul disciplines them. Verse 5:
'hand this man over to Satan so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.'
Again, my notes read: WHAT DO I DO WITH THESE WORDS??
Paul gets even more aggressive later in Chapter 5:11 saying:
'But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat'
Let me be clear. Paul is talking about CHRISTIANS who blatantly sin, not people outside of the church.
Do we hold each other to this kind of standard? I know that I don't. This is a super tough and touchy subject because we do not want to pass judgement or lose friends or...the list goes on.
Do I LOVE my Christian brothers and sisters enough to hold them to the life they said they want to live? Wowser, this is a hard word to swallow. I like a no conflict Mr. Roger's Neighborhood kinda feel, ya know?
This time though I did not miss what Paul was trying to say.
THE PURPOSE in handing them over to their own sin and not allowing them in the church is so they will come back and be able to choose and learn the way they should go.
'So that the sinful nature will be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord'
Wisdom, understanding, and lessons cannot be learned if we do not hold each other accountable. Our churches are continually known as places of hypocrites because we DO NOT do the hard work of holding each other accountable, of loving each other to Christ.
I'm still processing all of this...what do you think about these scriptures and how it applies to our lives? How do we practically follow this teaching without being the 'sin' police on each other??
In food news:
One of my YL girls turned 18 today and wanted to go to Olive Garden. WHAT CAN A BEYOND VEGAN EAT THERE??????????
People. They don't even list side items on the menu. Literally every single thing on the menu had something I couldn't eat.
I told the waitress that I was so sorry, but I had some crazy restrictions that we were gonna need to figure out. She brought me a gluten free menu and suggested the GF pasta...I didn't even have the heart to tell her that I wasn't even eating rice. Sigh.
I ordered hummus with uncooked broccoli and a salad without croutons/dressing with kale, roasted red peppers, and sun dried tomatoes.
She came back to let me know that hummus was no longer an option. FABULOUS!
Tuscan Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli it is!!! LOL!!!
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