How Friendly Should We Be?

We have been going through Luther’s Catechism as the basis of a Bible Study. I think we might be going on about 5 years in the Catechism, looking at all the Bible Passages that Luther believed added clarity to the basic teachings of Jesus. We are just finishing up a section dealing with confession, forgiveness, and excommunication (removing someone from membership because of sinful actions). We looked at a section in 2 Corinthians chapter 2 where the Apostle Paul seemed to indicate that the church needed to deal with someone who had sinned. At some point, the Apostle Paul instructed them to forgive the man and welcome him back into fellowship, making sure they affirmed their love for the repentant sinner. Why was the Apostle Paul so insistent on assuring the man of their love? So that he wasn’t overwhelmed with guilt for his actions and leave the church or worse. It has been documented that many cults, in order to gain more members, look for people that are outcast, overwhelmed, and feeling alone. Their response is sometimes called ‘love bombing’. Everyone encourages this lost person and surrounds them with so much love and acceptance. Even though in many cases they know the group doesn’t stand for what they have been taught is right, the need to feel loved is a greater desire for them. The power of love is expressed by a mom after a child has admitted his/her failure. The mom doesn’t just say thank you for admitting that, but with a desire to see the child restored, wraps that child in her arms making sure that he/she knows that they are loved and have been restored. Love is a very powerful expression. Going back to removing someone from church, how convinced do you have to be of their repentance and how quickly should they be accepted back into full fellowship. Forgiveness bears immediate results, and the congregation should accept that forgiveness fully, the second repentance is expressed. Does everyone who attends worship each Sunday feel that same love and acceptance or do we remain in our own groups. If you don’t feel welcome, you usually don’t stick around very long. If someone leaves not knowing they are loved, we have failed our job. Father, You expressed Your love for us by sending Your Son to rescue us. Fill us with the same love for those You place in our lives. Amen