Today I talked to someone who is a little unhappy with their church. They told me that they know of all kind of sin that some of the members are taking part in, and that they are sickened by it. They said that there are members who are living together instead of being married. That there are all kinds of gossip and backbiting going on. They said that their church is like a social club instead of a house of worship, and nobody is doing anything about it.
I don't know how to respond to that person. It seems like the church in general is getting like that. On one hand, I feel, in fact, I know that something drastic and extreme needs to be done, but on the other, I know that we are all sinners and will be until we meet the Lord. The question is... What is tolerable and what isn't? No sin is tolerable to God, and that is why He sent Jesus to atone for our sin. He forgave many before His death and resurrection (and all who will receive Him afterword) but He told them to "Go and sin no more". So, if there are people who are wallowing in the same old sin day in and day out after making a confession of Christ without so much as an attempt to stop and repent of that sin, what are we to say of them? Are they Christians, or are they people masquerading as Christians? Are we wrong for pointing out that sin? Are we hypocrites for doing so? If we don't lovingly tell people where their behavior is in defiance of God's ways aren't we doing them and God a disservice? But, at the same time, if we nit pick and worry too much about what sin others are committing we run the risk of committing sin and hypocrisy ourselves.
We are called to be holy because God is holy but I certainly don't want to be holier than thou. How do I talk to this person about their problem if I am so confused? I feel as if I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. I guess I can tell them it's a matter of prayer. Prayer for the wisdom to discern whether or not to speak up and bring that sinful behavior to light.
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