"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT FORGIVENESS AND COMFORTING A FALLEN BROTHER"
2nd Cor 2:7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.
2Cor 2:8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.
Some explanation, application, and a prayer:
1. A little background would be very helpful here. The brother being spoken of here who needed forgiveness and comfort was indeed in danger of being swallowed up with too much sorrow as the verse says ( See 2:7 ) He had gotten involved in an immoral relationship with his step mother. She was in fact married to his father. We don't know anything about the father, or the age of the step mother, or the age of the brother in question.
2. The church body in Corinth, including the leaders of the church were fully aware of this immorality taking place in their body there. Yet, oddly enough, they were not seeking to do the right, healthy, and God honoring thing about it. Which would have been to help this man to stop sinning in this way. Instead, they were actually boasting about the fact that they were being so tolerant towards that which was so destructive. The sin would eventually move beyond the persons involved, and the tolerance would ultimately affect the entire body for bad. That is, sin is leaven, which spreads and affects the rest. It's like a disease that left unchecked, will spread and hurt others.
3. So, Paul had to write them to urge them in very strong words, to take action immediately, remove him from the church, turn him over to Satan, and allow the man to suffer the consequences of not being under the protective umbrella of the holiness of God in the church. With the goal of the man coming to his senses, repenting of his sins, and then being brought back into fellowship. And, this the church did. But, they were like we can be, slow to do what's right in the eyes of God. Well, they did take Paul's instruction, but guess what happened. The man did repent, but now they were not wanting to allow him back into the church fellowship. So, they were slow to act to remove him, and now were not acting to restore him to fellowship. Thus, Paul wrote this part of 2nd Cor to instruct them on what to do with a fallen brother who repents of his sin.
4. So, here are the things that Paul specifies they were to do. (by the way, we will no doubt meet this man in heaven)
(1) First of all, simply forgive the man. Let him know that You forgive him, the church forgives him.
(2) Secondly, comfort the man. Your forgiving him will indeed bring him comfort. Imagine how this man must have felt, knowing the terrible sin he had fallen into. I'm certain that Satan was pounding away on him, telling him he had sinned so much, that there was no hope for him. The word comfort here means, to beseech, to intreat, to exhort, to call to one's side, and to console, to instruct, and to teach. In other words reach out to the man, and draw him back into fellowship and help him know of God's love, forgiveness and grace.
(3) Thirdly, Paul warns them, that if they do not take this positive action to forgive and comfort the man might become so discouraged that he won't be able to recover, because he will be swallowed up with too much sorrow.
(4) Fourthly, to wrap this up. Show him you still love him, reaffirm your love to him. What a contrast. sin can destroy so much, and love and forgiveness can restore and build up prevent a complete ruin with no hope in sight.
5. It's important to remember isn't it, that Jesus did not come to condemn sinners but to save them. And, it's important to know how serious sin is. It can begin it's destructive work in one person, and then spread to others and bring a wider band of trouble and disgrace and discouragement. But, Love can heal, it can restore, and it can build up. We are called to deal with sin in God's way, and deal with the restoring of a fallen brother in God's way also. That's a balance that is pleasing to God.
A prayer:
Father, You are the great forgiver of us the great sinners. Thank You for forgiving sin. Thank You for restoring sinners who have come to their senses, and are repenting of their sins. Thank You for the power of Your love through us to another person who may need it so desperately. If there is anyone we know that needs to have Your love to them and our love to them reaffirmed, then, please let us know, and guide us to take the action that would be pleasing to You. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
