What Do We Do With Sin

What do we do with sin? A simple enough question, right? You may be thinking, well duh, you repent, you do away with the sin or try to overcome the sin. Okay, this works great when the sin is your sin and you have the ability through Christ to deal with the sin. What if the sin belongs to another person; what do you do then? This becomes a completely different scenario when you start to talk about other peoples sins. Now, before we get started I am Not telling you that you should make a habit of seeking out others sin. Seeking out other people’s sin is not what we are called to do; by Christ. At the same time though we have a great responsibility as Christians to other people see sin for what it really is; that sin is part of a fallen world. I am going to take a guess here, but I am willing to say that most if not all people hate to be told they have done something wrong or committed a sin. Most of the time the response goes something like this; “ who are you to tell me what I am doing wrong, look at your own problems and stay out of mine.” We have gotten it into our heads that we have this right to be living in sin as long as we can justify the sin. I hate to tell you but no matter what the sin is, there is no justification for the sin; stop thinking there is no justification. As a Christian you have the responsibility to let another Christian know they are headed down a road of destruction. I believe the reason most people do not like others to tell them what they are doing wrong, is that most of the time it is done in such a harsh or hateful manner. How exactly are we to approach and deal with other people’s sin. By being Christlike of course. Never once did you see Christ be hateful in showing someone their sin. A great example is how Jesus deals with the adulterous woman in (John 8:1-11). Jesus met her where she was at, on the ground broken, accused and humiliated. What did he say to her? “Then neither do I condemn you, Go now and leave your life of sin.” There was no, how dare you, you evil sinful person or you are living in sin and going to hell. When the disciples began their ministry the followed this example. There are four easy steps to follow when talking to someone about their sin. 1. Patiently Listen - James 1:19 says “Let every person be quick to hear”. Get to know the person see why they are the way they are and the reason they do these things. Most of the time it is because they do not even know better or somewhere in their past someone important to the justified their actions. You cannot help anyone if you do not take the time to understand them. They will only look at you and say “who do you think you are.” 2. Personally Repent - The sins you commit are no less than anyone else's sin. (Luke 13:5) “I tell you no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” There is no way you can help someone with their sin if you are committing the same sin. Unless you understand that you are without a doubt a person in need of redemption you can help no one. Another question to ask yourself is’ what are my motivations? Do you really care about this person or persons; or do you just want them to disappear and be silenced. Luke 7:47 says “ he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 3. Gently Instruct - (2 Timothy 2:22-25) “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone..correcting his opponents with gentleness.” We are to be kind in approaching someone and telling them they are living a destructive lifestyle. We also have to be careful that what we are calling a sin is a sin. There are plenty of times that people will say something is a sin and there is no biblical background saying it is a sin. For example, someone would say having an alcoholic beverage would be a sin or that dancing is a sin. There is no biblical basis on these matters. Sure, we are told to be drunk is a sin, but having a drink of alcohol is not. Be gentle and understanding in how you approach people. 4. Mercifully Pursue and Then Engage the Heart - “Have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (Jude 22–23). We are told not to hide in the shadows or to be rude, but to move boldly into confusing, high-stakes situations with the gospel of God’s mercy. (1) Stay with people do not give up on them, continue to love them in mercy and show them where their mistake lies. Help them not to just see then understanding of the sin with their minds but with their hearts so that they may remember and cherish the gospel of God’s forgiving, redeeming, and merciful plan of salvation.


John Freeman Christ and Sexual Sin http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/christ-sexual-sin/
This 4 step guide is John Freeman’s message in the above link. I only added to his ideas.