"Shun the nonbeliever...SHUN!!!"
It's a topic joked about often by people, in general. It's an often misunderstood topic, but an important one. The concept of shunning is Holy Bible based, however, and so I don't let persons who may practice this incorrectly keep me from taking God seriously about it.
Unbelievers are not to be shunned. Jesus ate with unbelievers, cared about them, ministered to them. That's the whole point of Jesus coming right? You can't make disciples out of people if you can't be around them. But Jesus never meant to leave those unbelievers where they were or as they are. But no, He and we are not supposed to "shun the nonbeliever."
Certain professing believers may need to be shunned, however. So, the first step in gauging the shunning test is asking yourself..."Is this a professing believer we are talking about?"
Jesus protected a believer from being stoned at a well when she was caught in adultery. But, He next said "Go, and sin no more." There is the beginning. The ball is in the believer's court now. Persons who say they follow Him but then continually engage in sinful behavior, and defend that behavior as acceptable, well, we are told by God that "with such a person do not even eat."
A person aknowledging something is a sin and wanting to change is one thing; a person defending it but saying they are Christian and God is pleased, that's another. Shunning may eventually be something God requires of you for a person in that catagory.
It's Biblical, it might seem mean, but God uses it and commands it, as I understand it. It's not something you do rashly. There's a long road to go down with someone before you reach that point. If it's not done in love, but in anger, then it's not done correctly. But there it is.
"Is that so? Where is that found?" you might ask. 1 Corinthians 5:11 "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat."
So, there it is. It's the Word of God. God is good, all the time. Even when He commands us to "shun." I want to trust Him enough to obey. I love God above all and will sacrifice relationships with people in order to keep my relationship with God, if need be.
1 comments:
Matthew 18: 15-17 "Moreover if your brother sins against you go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." - Jesus
It is quite clear from the words of Jesus and those of Paul that you cited, that a sinful life is incompatible with a Christian profession of faith. ANd when we detect inconsistencies in ourselves or in our brethren it is our responsibility to reprove - not for our pride but for their purity.
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