Deal Gently with the Erring.
By GEO. O. STATES
In my long experience in the ministry, I have many times had people come to me and say, “I wish you would give Brother A. a good, plain talking to, for he is certainly going to the bad; he has not attended church for months.” In talking with such a discouraged one I have often thought that under like conditions those who were so ready to accuse him might not have done any better than the one so rashly condemned. In dealing with the erring, we should as far as possible place ourselves in like circumstances. We should consider what their past life has been, in what ways they are tempted, especially ways in which our feet have not been led. A consideration of these things will help us to have more charity for the erring. Christ is our example in all things, and it is said He was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Heb. 4:15.6The only difference then between Christ and us in our fallen condition is that He never yielded to temptation. He “did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.” When Christ was here in human flesh, see how gently He dealt with the erring! Opportunity was not wanting of being harsh and denunciatory in public discourse as well as in private life. But His object was to win. See how kindly He dealt with the woman of Samaria, whom He knew had an unsavory record. She was won with His teaching and was convinced that He was Christ. At once she began to bring others to the Saviour. Truly Jesus “spake as never man spake.” He was gentle in all His dealing with fallen humanity. How often in our zeal we forget that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His! One of the most impressive lessons of the tender love of Christ for fallen humanity is recorded in the eighth chapter of John. When the Pharisees brought the woman who was a sinner, with not a doubt of her guilt, He might have held her up as a terrible example of sin. This would have pleased her accusers. But after quietly showing that He knew their past lives, their secret sins, they left Him. Finding Himself alone with the woman, He asked her, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee, Go, and sin no more.” Christ did not come to condemn, but to save the erring and lead them to live a better life. This was the beginning of a new life to this tempted, fallen soul, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the service of God. In raising this woman to a life of virtue, Jesus performed a greater act than of healing the most grievous bodily malady; He cured the sickness of the soul which is unto death everlasting. This penitent woman became one of the firmest friends of Jesus. We may well believe that she repaid His forgiveness and compassion with a self-sacrificing love and worship. In His act of pardoning and encouraging this fallen woman to live a better life, the character of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of a perfect righteousness. Knowing not the taint of sin Himself, He pities the weakness of the erring one and reaches to her a helping hand. It is not the true follower of Christ who turns from the erring with cold, averted eyes, leaving them unrestrained to pursue their downward course. Christian love is slow to censure, quick to discern penitence, ready to forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the path of holiness, and stay his feet therein. These are thoughts we do well to consider, and in so doing there will be less censuring and more of the old-fashioned Gospel of our divine Lord.