Yesterday I was talking to a friend about how we are supposed to watch out for fellow Christians and help them through difficult times. We had been discussing the passage in 1 Tim 4:1-3 where it talks about those who have their consciences “seared with a hot iron,” and how that can sometimes force us to be more direct with them than we normally would.
I made the observation that our culture here in America can sometimes cause us to ignore problems with brethren much longer than we should. You know, “it’s a free country,” “you can’t tell me what to do,” etc. Those are all things that we are instilled with early on, and it’s hard to break free of them. While we should respect others’ privacy, we are also responsible for our brother (as Cain found out).
Too, you’ll often hear someone respond with “judge not, lest ye be judged” when they’ve been called out on the carpet about something. In reality, that’s a misuse of the passage.
God’s given us the task of watching out for one another. When we see a brother involved in sin, we must help that individual, painful though it may be. And doing that is not judging. If God has told me that fornication is a sin, and I see a fellow Christian involved in it, then I am not judging by making that observation.
However, if I see someone engaged in fornication, and I decide that their involvement in that sin must mean they’re beyond help, or somehow more “sinful” or deviant than anyone else, then I’ve become guilty of judging them. Or if I look down on them and think, “I’ll never do that…” then I’m judging them.
Most Christians don’t believe that anyone is beyond saving; but when we choose to ignore the problems that our brethren are dealing with because it makes us uncomfortable, or because we think they are beyond help, then we are acting as if they are a lost cause.
We don’t have that right. Christ died for the ungodly. And last I checked, that was every single one of us.
Finding Truth 
Good thoughts, and it is amazing the bond that can form when two people are both looking out for each other’s best interests. It may be hard to hear at the time, but I’ve always been very gratefull down the road of the brothers and sisters that have helped steer me in the right direction.
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“I made the observation that our culture here in America can sometimes cause us to ignore problems with brethren much longer than we should. ”
I agree! And I believe that if we look at the early signs and intervene then we may be able to help our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ before the problems get any “bigger”. I’ve witnessed this a few times. Actually been guilty of it myself. We don’t need to make exuses or ignore it when we see someone weakening; we are’t doing them or ourselves any favors. Talking to someone in sin out of love can only be beneficial. And really, for most people it’s never too later (unless they die or the Lord comes back). We shouln’t decide that for them.
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“Too, you’ll often hear someone respond with “judge not, lest ye be judged” when they’ve been called out on the carpet about something. In reality, that’s a misuse of the passage.”
It is the most misquoted verse in the bible. It is also the most recognizable bible verse to people outside Christianity. Why? Because the adversary easily twists it in such a manner that it can be employed to deflect ANY criticism of a sinful lifestyle.
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