WHEN WE FALL
"1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden" (Galatians 6: 1-5).
When a Christian stumbles in their walk with Christ, they know it. They usually don't need to be told they messed up. They need prayer and encouragement. They need to know that, when they are ready to talk about it, you will be there for them to listen. If they are in denial, let them know you are concerned. From Jeremiah 17:9, we read that "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Beloved, if you think that you are in a position to judge and hand out stern correction, look inside. If we are honest, we don't have to dig too far down before we find things that we have to work on ourselves. When people fall, do we have to correct them? The answer is yes, but the correction should not usually be the first thing.
Jesus, who is our example, did not first condemn the woman who was caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Who are we to stand in judgment where Jesus would not? The bad news is that we will all stumble from time to time. And I believe we will all need our friends to show grace to us. The good news is that the "old man" the Bible speaks of representing that darker side of our hearts that lead us to fall will one day be removed forever as we enter into eternity.
In this life, we will still be tempted but the power of sin and death were crushed at the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ has given us all the power we need to overcome sin. Revelation 12:11 says of the redeemed: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death". The doorway to eternal life in Heaven is wide open for us once probation has not closed. The assurance of victory in Christ is still a promise we can experience. Thus, when someone falls along the path, let us be there with a hand to help them up, to encourage and to lead gently back to the Lord.
Isaac Ameyaw
