Daily Manna 13 June
KEY VERSE: “So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.” – (2 Corinthians 2:7).
TEXT: 2 CORINTHIANS 2:1-11
But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow. 2 For if I make you sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?
3 And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.
5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. 6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, 7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
In his book, The Preaching Event, John Claypool tells a story of identical twin brothers who ran a shop together. One day, a man came in to make a small purchase and paid for it with a dollar. The brother who made the sale placed the dollar on top of the cash register. He then walked the customer to the door to say goodbye. When he returned, the dollar bill was gone; his twin brother denied taking it.
The matter led to a serious dispute that split the business. They put a partition right down the middle of the building and made it into two stores. They thereafter refused to speak to each other for the next 20 years. One day, a stranger entered one of the two stores and confessed that he took the money back then. He came to make restitution upon his conversion to Christ. With the confession, the two brothers reconciled and apologised to each other amidst tears.
Healing came with reconciliation because of that stranger’s love for Christ. Paul, in this passage spoke of how to relate with people who commit sin. He had previously written to give guidelines on how such a person should be handled so as to serve as deterrent to other members of the Church. The man was placed on discipline with withdrawal of fellowship towards him. But he emphasised here how justice should be tempered with mercy towards the repentant backslider.
Brethren were encouraged to extend the hand of fellowship to the repentant backslider once more. Backsliding hurts the backslider as well as the Church. The Church should not condone wrongdoings, no matter how influential such a person may be. But at the same time, we must not abandon the prodigal. Once there is genuine repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation should be automatic. That is the way of the Cross and that is the way we must follow.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Help a backslider back into fellowship.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 19-20
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Love For The Prodigal- by Pastor Enoch A.
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Daily Manna 13 June 2021
