February 13, 2022 -- Proverbs 24:15-18 -- When the Righteous Fall

People loved by the Father, in the power of the Spirit: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
    do no violence to his home;
16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,
    but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
    and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 lest the LORD see it and be displeased,
    and turn away his anger from him.
Proverbs 24:15-18 ESV

Verse 16 is often quoted; read it again. I’ll wait. Seriously, it’ll take you six seconds. Okay. So, if you read this verse out of its full context you will miss the point that it is the trouble among the people of God. This is written to believers and believers are told not to do violence against one another. In these challenging times, that is exactly the message needed.

Are you for the truckers’ convoys, or against them? For some this is the litmus test, how a person answers this question means there will be conflict or communion. You are the ones the verse is speaking off. You are waiting to pounce on your fellow Christian, if he doesn’t answer exactly as you expect him to answer. What pride all of us have, imagining we have the right and final word on any topic. I say this to my own shame and to the shame of our broader Christian community.

The fact is, Christians are the servants of the LORD. You do not get to dictate what a man does or does not do. When a man sins and breaks the commandments, by all means, speak with tender urgency. When a man follows his conscience to join a convoy; or follows his conscience and does not join a convoy or promote it, be wary how you speak of the servants of the LORD. Pray for those who are in disagreement with you. Pray for the peaceful resolution of this growing conflict between the government and protestors.

Christians are unified by the Holy Spirit. It is both a gift and a task. This unity is based on the fact that the closer the Spirit of God brings you to Jesus, the closer you’ll draw to other believers. The task of believers is to get closer to Jesus. Read the Bible. Listen to the Spirit. Believers in the household of faith must show love to one another—contentious and difficult as those other Christians may be. Love must begin in the household of faith. If a man does not love his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God Whom he has not seen? Choose once again today to intentionally love your brother or sister in Christ; seek to understand his position on issues especially when it is different than your own; and in all things love one another while holding to the highest standards of faithfulness to Jesus.

Recognize this, the LORD is watching over you and He is watching over the one who seems to be an enemy because of his opinion. Let the Spirit of God draw out whatever is wrong in you and draw out whatever is wrong in your fellow Christian. Let the Spirit of God teach you true community. Who knows, but you might be surprised at what the Spirit shows you and how the Spirit corrects you as you follow the Savior, Jesus Christ, to the honour and praise of the Father in heaven.

Blessed Father, as Your people gather for worship this day, bind us together by Your Spirit so that we will draw closer to Jesus Christ and in Him draw closer to one another. Mighty God, teach us so that the peace of Christ rules in our hearts and the love of Christ is given and received in true community among believers. Amen.

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