Misapplication of Grace?

I've often wondered how frequently the apostle Paul was haunted by his own past, after becoming a Christian.  Perhaps his spiritual ability to receive and to communicate the grace of God sprang from that grace liberally applied to his own life.  As a reminder, Paul (while named Saul) had many Christians killed for their faith, while he zealously persecuted the Christian movement.  He had much to be forgiven.

(If we are honest with ourselves, don't we all?)

This morning's news program featured a U.S. Congressman who was railing against the fact a certain public figure had committed numerous legal transgressions.  Yet, no action has been taken or is being taken against her.  She is unrepentant.  There seems to be, increasingly, an uneven, one-sided application of justice in our country, a "misapplication of grace".  Those who are of a certain political persuasion or social class or of "greater value to society" are apparently "above the law".

This misapplication of grace is rather prevalent in our country.  Admittedly, it is a conundrum.  As a parent, for instance, it is very hard to know when it is best to hold our children responsible for bad decisions and when to "rescue" them, when to give grace.

For some, the story of Onesimus rankles.  It bothers them that this thief is being "let off the hook". To them, Onesimus will always be defined in light of his mistake; he will always be viewed a thief.  Of course, we do not know all the details of the story.  We do know this, though, that Paul is requesting
a.  to pay the debt Onesimus owes his master, Philemon
b.  that Philemon treat the returning Onesimus as a brother in Christ, as opposed to merely a slave.

The entire book of Philemon is a picture of God's grace to each of us.  The heart of the letter is love, the "law of God the Son".  Paul, here, represents our Triune God.  Onesimus represents every repentant sinner. Philemon represents the Church.

1.  Paul represents God.
He does not force Philemon to accept Onesimus although, with apostolic authority he could have ordered Philemon to obey.  Paul instead reminds Philemon that it was through Paul's ministry he was led to Christ.  He appeals to Philemon on the basis of love.  Father God treats us the same way.  He does not force.  He invites.   He appeals.  He beseeches.
Paul also represents the Father in that he pays the price Onesimus owes (vs. 18-19), just as Jesus Christ, God the Son, did for us.

2.   Onesimus represents slaves like we (are/were).
He had gotten himself into a situation from which he was unable to free himself. He owed a debt he could not pay.  In trying to fix his own situation, he only made it worse.  However, upon hearing the gospel from Paul (which is not to say he had not already heard it in Philemon's household), he accepted God's "fix", God's solution to his sin problem...salvation through grace/faith in Jesus Christ.
So, Onesimus is not being "let off the hook".  Rather, a tremendous price was paid by God to "make things right" for him positionally and eternally, the price of God's own Son.  Being accepted in Christ does not automatically free the new believer of the consequences of sin here on Earth, as we all know. Physical scars remain.  Nor does salvation cause us to never sin again in this world.  Sin ever seeks to again enslave us, pursuing us as a cheetah pursues a gazelle.

3.  Philemon represents the Church, the brotherhood of the saints.  Oh how hard it is to model ourselves after the character of God, according to His Holy Spirit who lives within us!  Perhaps Philemon struggled with this as well.  Satan tempts us to deal with each other harshly and with an unforgiving spirit.  Again, the key here is that Onesimus was a changed person, a repentant brother in Christ.  Nowhere in Scripture is the covering-over of sin applauded. This letter is not advocating overlooking sin or condoning a lack of confession or repentance. True restoration must contain those elements before restorative grace can be applied to one another and fellowship reaffirmed.
May we never be a Church that defines repentant sinners in light of their sins.  Instead, may we "remember them against them no more" (Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 8:12)

I am reading a book that contrasts the Muslim faith with the Christian.1  The writer, a former devout Muslim, now a devout Christian, points out that Muslims struggle mightily with the concept of the Christian God's grace.  It is totally foreign to them.  "Why obey if you are already forgiven everything?"  The Christian's answer:  the law of love.  He/she who has been forgiven much, loves much.  (Luke 7:47)

The Bible does not tell us whether or not Philemon received the transformed Onesimus as he would receive Paul, who led the both of them to faith in Christ.  But, I imagine he did.  May we do the same.

Father God, I have so much for which to be forgiven, day in and day out.  But, I marvel at Your eternal grace, which has covered all my sin.  I pray that I may never make you ashamed of the grace You so lavishly poured out on me.  May I be even more emboldened and empowered to share that message of grace with others, who don't yet know You, who so desperately need to hear it, who so deeply desire to turn from their sins and find their eternal salvation (their soul's rest) in You.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

1   Qureshi, Nabeel (2016). No God but one: Allah or Jesus?: A former Muslim investigates the evidence for Islam and Christianity.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

 

Lies Like a Rug

I am so blessed to still have my mother in my life, and not just for this morning.  But, in getting ready to do this blog post, I was pondering whether or not rugs "lie" on the floor or "lay" on the floor. (There is a hen somewhere, which I should recall...)  Anyway, too lazy to contemplate the hen, I texted mother, the consummate grammar professional!  She has informed/reminded me that rugs "lie".

I'm sure that your day is blessed to know that.  Moving ON!

Today's text is Colossians 3:5-11, with particular emphasis on verses 8-10 (NET).

5So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. 6Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. 7You also lived your lives in this way at one time, when you used to live among them.8But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices 10and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. 11Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all.

Now, yesterday, we examined the first verses of this passage.  Paul is telling the Colossians about "the old, fleshly nature" of man.  He focuses on two types of behaviors which best typify it.  We looked at the first group in yesterday's post.  Today, we are honing in on the second set.  Whereas yesterday's behaviors were centered around lustful actions and greed, today's have to do with the attitudes we have toward our fellowmen and, then, how we speak to and interact verbally with them.  Let's examine each of these, briefly.

Anger and Rage and Malice
It is not wrong to become angry with how our fellow humans behave, speak, etc.  How nice it would be if everything were roses and sunshine and unicorn breath here in this fallen world!  Alas, that is not reality here on good, old planet Earth.  People commit injustice, behave selfishly; basically, we SIN. And, our righteous indignation flares up!  (Note that we typically don't get as disturbed about our OWN sins; but, that's another blog post...)  So, righteous anger is not what is being described here. Since Paul pairs "anger" with rage and malice, he is referring to an extreme, sinful anger which, instead of leading to righteous correction, leads instead to malice (returning evil for evil), that is, sinful "retribution", which we have no right to dole out.  Such is God's prerogative, not ours.
"But, they deserve it!"  Nope.  Nope.  Don't "go there".  Not your job, much as you might want it to be.
So often we mess things up by circumventing the law, good policy, human decency, by giving into our own rage and malice.  Orderly, Christian societies have God-given, lawful remedies to correct injustices and to punish wrongdoers.  When we ignore and/or run around those, we are committing sin.  It is never right to do a wrong thing, in order to get a chance to do a right thing.

Lying and Slander
The unholy triumvirate of lying, slander and abusive language is a key weapon in the arsenal of those who seek to circumvent established policy or law.  Here's how it goes.  An injustice (or perceived injustice) occurs.  Our anger becomes ungodly rage.  We take matters into our own hands.  We know we'll be punished if we physically harm our target; so, we kill them with our words.  BOOM!
Ever seen close-up a loved one's life or career practically destroyed by vicious slander?  I have.  And, it was done by (so-called) Christians.
We need to remember that, when we lie, we are emulating Satan, whom Jesus gave the title "Father of Lies" (John 8:44).  That is high praise, isn't it?  That's whom we want to have as our model, right? No.  Certainly not!
Lying is tempting, particularly if it is a "lie of no consequence", or a "tiny, white lie".  Lying is used by habitual liars to control people or situations.  The more a situation spins out of their control, the more they lie, to rein it back in.
Don't be a person who is defined by the lies in which they have been caught.  Don't be that person whom people describe as "She lies like a rug."  (I'm Southern, you know!)

Abusive Language
To get a better idea what is meant here, I looked at this verse in several translations.  Here are some of the other words/phrases translators used:  filthy language, foul language, obscene talk, shameful speaking.  It is a kind of "catch-all" phrase which it seems Paul is using to say "use your speech for good and not for evil".
If you have ever been the recipient of abusive words, you know that their impact can wound for a lifetime.  The sing-song "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me!" is a lie from the pit of Hell.
People who are gifted verbally are especially susceptible to this sin.  In other words, (pardon the pun), the more words that come out of your mouth, the more likely some of them are to be evil ones. If you are one of my brothers or sisters who, in addition to being verbally gifted, have a vibrant, passionate spirit ... watch out!  You are probably (like yours truly) having to be constantly vigilant about misusing your words, when your intense nature overflows the Holy Spirit.
 
So put to death ... (vs. 5a)
Let's get out our spiritual weapons of war and KILL these manifestations of the old, sinful nature. We must do it every day, so that these sins won't draw us away from the Savior or besmirch our testimonies. When we find ourselves having been ensnared by one or more of them (because they are related and often flock together), let's confess our sins to the Lord and to one another, so as to make things right in the world, and most especially in the Body of Christ.

Father, you know that justice does not justify sin to achieve it, no matter how seductive taking things into our own hands seems.  Please guard our hearts from the evils mentioned by Paul in this passage, so that we may be "examples of the believer" in all we do.  In Jesus' name, amen.  

To Declare, To Claim, To Own

"I once was lost in sin
But Jesus took me in.
And then a little light from Heaven filled my soul.
It bathed my heart in love
And wrote my name above.
And just a little talk with Jesus makes me whole."

Cleavant Derricks1

Today's text is Romans 10:8-13 (NET)

8 But what does it {faith - - see v. 6} say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we preach), 9 because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. 11 For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”12 For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Sometimes, Y'all, the most foundational passages are the most difficult.  I've been thinking about this one for days.  This morning, lying on my bed in prayer, the Lord brought this 20th c. gospel song to mind.  It reminds me of Romans 10:9.  

Then, I was trying to think of what "confess" means.  In our modern day, it is most often used to describe admitting to doing something wrong.  But, that is just one of the word's meanings.  At its most basic meaning, "confess" means: to declare (speak forcefully), to claim, to own.  Within the context of Romans 10:8-13, it is used to describe how a person becomes a Christian.

Confessing Jesus Christ means to speak with one's mouth and claim and own that He is being embraced as the only path to God, the only avenue of salvation.  Confession must be married to heart belief (not just intellectual belief) in order for the transformation called "salvation" to occur.  After all, we can "say anything" and not truly believe it.  Or, we can say we believe something and have only an intellectual belief.  The Bible testifies, after all, that the demons of Hell have an intellectual belief in Jesus Christ, and they shudder because they don't claim or own Him as their Savior (James 2:19).

Note that confession which saves eternally involves (vs. 9) speaking truth...the truth that Jesus is LORD because He was raised from the dead by God the Father.  The accepting of Jesus Christ as Savior also involves accepting His right to then rule over your life, for the rest of your life.  There is surrender in this confession.  There is repentance and submission, bowing to the King of Kings.  If that surrender does not underlie the confession, then there is no true belief (faith) present.

There is something other-worldly powerful about the words we speak.  Quantum physicists have discovered that the very building blocks of matter react positively and excitedly to positive words being spoken.  When negative words are spoken, they slow down and eventually become irresponsive.  (Wow, there is an entire blog post, right there!)  It's little wonder the Bible says that we must speak and declare our "owning", our accepting of Christ Jesus.  Those spoken words will "matter" for all eternity!  (Couldn't resist the pun! ;)  )

You might say, "Well, you don't have to actually admit your faith to anyone.  There's no need to tell others about it, like admitting it in church or anything..."  Watch out, now!  What does the Bible say? Look at this:

32 “Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:32-33 (NET)

Pretty clear, isn't it?  If you meant it, you will declare it.  It's got to be both "in your mouth and in your heart" (vs. 8)

Like peas and carrots, peanut butter and jelly, confession and belief go inextricably together.  You can't have salvation without righteousness (vs. 9-10), because you can't have belief without confession.  And, this is how you become a Christian.  This describes faith; this deconstructs the concept of salvation.  Admit your sin and your need for a Savior. Believe in your heart that He is the only one who can save, because He is the LORD whom God raised from the dead.  Receive Him into your heart forever.  Confess - - declare it to be so.

It's really as simple as that.

"Just a Little Talk With Jesus" was a popular song in mid 20th c. gospel music.  You can hear the late Rev. Derricks sing his composition here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br-qMVfJhLw

This is his confession.

Have you made yours?

Father, I'm so thankful and grateful that you have made a way, one and only one way, for the salvation of our souls and that Your way is through Your Son, Jesus Christ.  Thank you for saving my soul, so many years ago.  I pray that anyone reading this post will search his or her own heart, to see if true belief in Jesus is there, if eternal salvation has been secured.  And, if not, Lord, I pray that a confession as described above will be made, so that no reader will go away from this post an unbeliever.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

1     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleavant_Derricks_(songwriter)

When Siblings Sin

The other day I went hiking, by myself, in a state park.  The trail led alongside a steep cliff, down to a waterfall.  There were signs every few feet, warning hikers to "stay on the path!"  Those signs are there because the tendency for hikers is to get as close to the edge as possible, supposedly in the name of experiencing the hike to the fullest, or somesuch.  This is a great analogy of the Christian walk.  While Christians do not dwell in, wallow in sin (or else they are not truly Christians --- Galatians 5:21, for one...) there are times that we wander off the resplendent path.  What to do?

I'm continuing on in Galatians, almost ready to finish this Pauline letter.  Galatians 6:1-5, our text for this morning, is one of those neglected texts.  I have heard very few, if any sermons about it.  But, it is an important bit of teaching.  So, we are not going to gloss over it today.

Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. 2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.4 Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else. 5 For each one will carry his own load.

First, notice that this passage (like the entire letter of Galatians) is addressed to believers, Christians. So, this is not to be applied to non-believers.  Regardless of an unbeliever's sin, their highest, greatest need is to enter in to a salvation relationship with Jesus Christ.  Trying to apply Galatians 6:1-5 to an unbeliever is like trying to "put lipstick on a pig" (to quote Sarah Palin, who I am deeply disappointed in, but that's another story...).  "Brothers and sisters" always refers to those who are Jesus Christ's children and followers, those forever saved by grace.

What Paul is doing here is instructing this young group of believers in how to deal with sin in the church, because Christians will lapse into sin.  "You who are spiritual" does not mean "the most perfect person in the church" - - - what a ridiculous concept!  It refers to a mature Christian who has examined his or her own work, as directed in verses 1 and 4.  We read in verse 2 that the Christian who has gotten bogged down in some sin - - that the situation is a burden to him.  Absolutely right! One of the marks of the Christian is that the HolySpirit will not leave him/her alone about a sin, but will pester and nudge and sometimes wallop until the believer confesses it and makes it right with those who have been wronged.

Mature believers who see another believer in a sin must, after self-examination, restore that brother or sister with gentleness.  Obviously, this is tricky business.

Sometimes, a brother or sister will confess his or her sin to a fellow believer, because this is scriptural:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 NIV

In that case, the restoring brother/sister will listen with gentleness, comfort with gentleness, and advise with gentleness and pray for the other person.  It is a great blessing to be chosen by another believer in this way.  It is a sign of tremendous trust.  God promises His healing when we restore each other in this way.

At other times, believers do NOT realize their sin and go confess it to God and then to a fellow believer.  At still other times, believers DO realize their sin and don't want to confess it ... or give it up for that matter.  It is at those times that a loving brother or sister in the faith should prepare his or her heart and speak to the other person privately and gently about the matter.

What about that fellow believer who stubbornly refuses to confess and repent?  That's the subject of another blog post.  But, here are a couple of relevant scriptures for you to study:
2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
1 Corinthians 5:9-13
And, if you want to read an excellent, thorough treatment of this subject, I highly recommend John MacArthur's commentary on it, which you can find here:
https://www.gty.org/resources/print/bible-qna/BQ081012

Here is where we fall down as the Body of Christ.  We simply do not do Galatians 6:1-5.  Let's just 'fess up, here.  We make all kinds of excuses to avoid doing it.  Here are a few:
"It's none of my business."
"If I'm honest with myself, I'm doing the same thing...or something worse."  (There's a real stinger!)
"It will ruin our relationship if I mention it."
"It's 'judging' ".  (total hogwash, and worthy of an entire blog post in the future! See the MacArthur link above, as a starting point.)

Let's consider for the moment the repercussions of not doing Galatians 6:1-5, of not examining ourselves, routinely confessing our own sins, and holding our fellow Christians accountable.
The number one, major result of this is a sin-filled church that not only doesn't win others to Christ, it propels them AWAY from our Savior!  A sin-filled, self-centered, hypocritical church is offensive to "the unsaved world", and it should be equally offensive to us, His Own.  Then, obviously, the sin is hurting the Christian who is sinning.  If we love our brothers and sisters in the Lord, we should long to see them restored.

In closing, let me emphasize that these matters MUST be bathed in fervent prayer.  Don't fire off the gun of your mouth with the hammer "half-cocked", as the expression goes.  When God lays on your heart to speak to a brother or sister in the spirit of this Galatians passage, hit your knees first...and stay there a while, listening to the Spirit give you wisdom and direction.  Then, proceed with gentleness, as the Scriptures command.

Father, first of all, make me even more diligent about allowing Your Spirit to root out my own sin, before I even notice the sins of my brothers and sisters.  On those occasions when you want me to speak to someone else, to share Your words with a burdened believer, fill my mouth, Lord.  Don't let me say one ungentle word, one unloving word or one word that is contrary to Your desires.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Cleaning House

Good morning,

There is something wrong with my dishwasher.  It cleans the dishes, sort of, but only after I've mostly washed them by hand.  A repairman said I only need a rinse aid product.  I have my doubts.  I am not a huge fan of cleaning house; every modern convenience is treasured.

1 Corinthians 5 presents a shift in Paul's emphasis.  He moves on to spiritual "house cleaning", addressing another concern observed among this fellowship of believers.  It had apparently been reported to Paul that sexual immorality was occurring in the local church.  He uses this example to emphasize that ongoing, sinful practices in the lives of professing believers should not be tolerated. Frankly, this is not a pleasant chapter to study, because the topic is difficult.

First of all, Christians do not want to admit to their own sin, habitual or occasional.  Pride comes into play here, although there is also the genuine element of not wanting to tarnish Jesus' name.  Yet, when "one of our own" is committing sin repeatedly, and especially in a very public way, something should be done to address it, whether we are comfortable doing so or not.  I remember, several years ago, in another church far away, a church member (also a prominent member of the community) was committing adultery; everyone knew about it.  The spouse was still attending the church.  The pastor and deacons visited their fellow deacon and urged him to repent, to reconcile with his wife.  Well, the man refused.  So, he was told that his membership was going to be rescinded until he changed his ways.  During a church conference, this was prayerfully handled.  It was not fun at all, Y'all.  It was downright awful, in fact.

The Corinthian church did not want to confront their "situation".  Remember, they were "pretty new at all this"; so, one could guess that they were perplexed as to what to do. However, in verse 6, Paul calls them "flippant" and "arrogant" about it.  They did not see that to allow this type of continual sin to go on would soon contaminate the entire congregation.

Your flip and callous arrogance in these things bothers me. You pass it off as a small thing, but it’s anything but that. Yeast, too, is a “small thing,” but it works its way through a whole batch of bread dough pretty fast. So get rid of this “yeast.”

1 Cor. 5:6 (MSG)

Today, there is wholesale cowardice, rampant "looking the other way" going on in many churches. Pastors, leaders and people in the pews are often unwilling to take a stand for righteousness in a godless society.  Taking such a stand often comes at a steep price, one that many are not willing to pay.  Today, for instance, I was reading that a so-called Baptist church in an adjacent state is planning to ordain as ministers those who live a sexually immoral lifestyle, by biblical standards.  This is heartbreaking to me, because it tarnishes the name of all Baptists (in a way similar to those Westboro Baptist Church folks do).  Obviously, not all who call themselves Baptists believe anything close to the same thing.

In chapter 5, Paul was not preaching condemnation to the man living in sin. He was condemning the man's sin.  There was always room for the man to repent and to be restored to the fellowship.  This is clear in verse 5.

I’m telling you that this is wrong. You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master. Assemble the community—I’ll be present in spirit with you and our Master Jesus will be present in power. Hold this man’s conduct up to public scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can! But if he can’t, then out with him! It will be totally devastating to him, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment.

1 Cor. 5:3-5 (MSG)

Paul's earnest desire (and Christ's) was for the man to repent of his sinful practices and be restored to God and to the community of faith.  The whole point of the censure was the sinner's restoration. God's grace is greater than all our sin.  It still is, today.

The other big reason that Christians shy away from confronting sin in the community of faith is because they individually are not walking in holiness.  And, in fact, Jesus railed against this hypocrisy in Matthew 7:1-5 (MSG).  (also recorded in Luke 6.)

7 1-5 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

Dishwasher or not, "cleaning house" had better start at home, yes?  Hebrews 12:14-17 tells us that when we harbor sins that have not been confessed to God, a bitter spirit (spiritual weeds) can take root in our souls. We are wise to be very vigilant about our own shortcomings, our own "failures to hit the target", which is the Greek origin of the word "sin".  Swallow a big old "pride loogie"; confess (to God and to others as needed); repent (turn away from the sin and leave it in the dust); be restored (by the Holy Spirit) - - - the path to holiness, to Christ-likeness.

Remember this important point.  Paul was talking to Christians here about their behavior.  He was not preaching to the non-Christian folk outside the Corinthian fellowship of believers (5:13).

I’m not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don’t we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house.

It is a distortion of the enemy to portray all Christians who stand on biblical truth as hateful or unloving. Now, granted, some are, ranging from the hate that Westboro spews to implicit condescension or to casual disregard.  However, nothing is more unloving that leaving a person enslaved to sin or on the highway to Hell.  Love isn't wimpy; love must be tough.  Speaking the truth in humility and love is exactly what Jesus did.  It is exactly what we must do.

Father, you know that I did not want to study or blog about 1 Corinthians 5.  Examining my life is not my favorite pastime.  It's so much easier and more fun to just...."la-la-la-la-LA" down life's path, looking the other way.  Save us from this "counterfeit discipleship", Lord.  Give us the courage, the power, through Your Holy Spirit, to be honest about our own sins and to help our brothers/sisters who are floundering in a mud pit.  Such is love.  In Jesus' name, amen.