You do appreciate that the church is composed of… people, humans (including you), who don’t always act on their status as Christians. We all do and say things we probably shouldn’t, even when we think we have the answer or ‘know’. Forgiveness and understanding should always be the foundation of our interactions and reactions, especially with brothers and sisters in the faith.
Have you truly thought about the opposite reaction, mindset? If we don’t forgive and attempt to understand, do we expect a double standard? Should we think that we always deserve understanding? Not gonna happen. Remember the ‘golden rule’? If we don’t act toward others based on the forgiveness mindset, we rarely receive what we want. And yes, sometimes we don’t receive forgiveness and understanding even when we act on them toward others. Not the point.
Just as you are not their servants, your brothers and sisters in the Lord aren’t yours. We all serve the living Lord. When we act as if we know and they don’t (and yes, even when this may be accurate) what do we accomplish? Misunderstandings, hurts, alienations, etc. – worth it to be ‘right’ in your eyes? The church has an incredible challenge, opportunity in our world and if we do not act in one accord then what do we sow?
Sin will separate us and if that’s the cause between brother’s and sister’s and all the requisite (scriptural) steps have been acted on then until the sinning person repents there is nothing further that can be done. However, remember Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians about a sinning brother and then his follow up letter urging them to reinstate the brother because he had repented? Do not EVER give up on a fellow Christian when they do sin. Do what you can to help them return – minimally, pray.
At one time we were all the Prodigal son. That didn’t stop the Father from making provision for us:
“And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins, in which you once walked. …
Among these [unbelievers] we all once lived in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by the sinful self], … [without the Holy Spirit] …
We were, by nature, children [under the sentence] of [God’s] wrath, …
But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, even when we were dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace— His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment). …
For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the gift of God; …
For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] …” (Ephesians 2:1-10, AMP)
This states who we were, who we have become, and how we got here. “Church” is always more than a building or a group of people… it is “… when two or three are gathered in His name…” (Matthew 18:20, 1 Corinthians 14:26)
