“Where Two Or Three Gather In My Name, There I Am With Them”

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Matthew 18:15-20

How many of us have resisted the wise counsel of a brother or a sister? If you have had to face the consequences of resisting the good advise of someone more mature, you’re not alone.

One of the greatest resources we can have as believers in Jesus is a family – those who are spiritually related because of a common faith in Him. This family includes mature men and women who love God and each other. We sometimes need a word of caution or correction to get us back on track, This is particularly true if we offend someone or someone offends us. Doing what’s right can be difficult. Yet Jesus’s words show us what to do when offenses happen within our spiritual family.

Thankfully, our gracious heavenly Father places in our lives people who are prepared to help us honor Him and others. And when we listen, things go better in the family.

Wisdom grows when we listen to the words of mature believers.

Our Daily Bread – September 23, 2018