The Love and Humility of Jesus’s Resolution and Unity
David W Palmer
(Matthew 18:15–17 NKJV) “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. {16} But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ {17} And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”
Remember, reconciling is not like winning a competition, a race, a contest, or a fight. Reconciliation is about humbly forgiving, seeking unity, restoring loving fellowship, and trust. It is not about proving you are right; that will never—I repeat “never”—lead to full loving reconciliation. This is about love, truth, and Jesus winning over the devil’s kingdom—love winning over hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, sin, and shame.
If Jesus’s prescription results in the person being removed from the church, this is love. But if they stay and this matter remains unresolved, Jesus’s body will be adversely affected. Not only will the offending person infect and contaminate those around them, they will leave many wondering what is right or wrong, whether the leaders “see” the sin, or whether anyone cares about sin. In either or any case—unless there is complete resolution to this matter—either full reconciliation or excommunication—it will lead to further sin, disillusionment, and/or people walking away from church and Jesus altogether. (This may happen over time, without any obvious connection to the source of their disillusionment.) So:
(1 Corinthians 5:5–7 NLT) “Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns. {6} Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? {7} Get rid of the old ‘yeast’ by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.”
Today’s Take-Away—Forgive and Forget
When it comes to our own sin before God; admit it, quit it, and forget it.
(Isaiah 43:25 NLT) “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.”
When we repent, ask, and receive God’s forgiveness, he forgives us and forgets our sins; if we don’t, they are all in the books that will be opened at his judgment, and we will have to give account for them (See: Rev. 20:11–15, 2 Cor. 5:10). God says in the above passage that he forgets our sin for his sake. That’s right, “I … blot out your sins for my own sake.” Therefore, let’s forget them too, and let’s certainly not carry any more guilt from them. If we keep remembering and rehearsing forgiven sins, we will be hurting God’s vision to remove them permanently. Plus, we will negate the benefits of Jesus’s indescribable suffering to pay for them completely.
Our second take-away is that when sinned against—and it certainly will happen—we need literally to be God’s children—imitators of our Father’s intentions, characteristics, and actions. Determine ahead of time that you too will forgive those who sin against you when they confess it, knowing that Jesus’s precious blood has already paid for it.
The instant the other person repents, apologizes, or asks for forgiveness, let it go and consciously put it out of your memory. How do you do this? You simply determine never to mention it—ever, under any circumstance. This is an act of your will, and can be done successfully with the help of God’s amazing grace. If you never again mention it, over time, despite the enemy’s relentless pressure to make you say it, the memory of it will fade and the hurt will disappear. You may have to affirm that you hav
