Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:19–21)

“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.” (Luke 17:3)

We all sin, and we live in a world surrounded by those who sin. Everywhere sin raises its destructive head, it brings death. This is why Jesus Himself gives us simple, clear, and swift instructions regarding sin in our own lives. Also, in this single sentence, He forever tells us what we must do when we see sin in the lives of those around us.

If Your Brother Sins

… rebuke him. Since all of our life is to be driven by love, this is not a harsh, judgmental rebuke. It is watching a friend going down in quicksand and gracefully but clearly throwing him a rope. It is a help to receive a kind correction from a concerned friend. We must be prayerful and move with words “fit for the need of the moment,” but we must throw the rope still.

Don’t let them drown, help them!

If Your Brother Repents

… forgive him! What a gift forgiveness is to us and to others.

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