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From Heaven With Love
to city till His mission was accomplished; when we behold Him
in Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood, and on the cross
dying in agony—when we see this, self will no longer clamor to be
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recognized. We shall rejoice to bear the cross after Jesus, to endure
trial, shame, or persecution for His sake.
No soul who believes in Christ is to be lightly esteemed. By all
that has given us advantage over another—education, refinement,
nobility of character, religious experience—we are in debt to those
less favored. If we are strong, we are to stay up the hands of the
weak. Angels are ever present with those who have the hardest battle
with self to fight, who have many objectionable traits of character,
and whose surroundings are the most discouraging. And in this
ministry Christ’s true followers will cooperate.
“What do you think?” said Jesus. “If a man has a hundred sheep,
and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine
on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And
if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over
the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of My
Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
RSV.
Need of the Delicate Touch
Do not put the erring one to shame by exposing his fault to
others, nor bring dishonor on Christ by making public the sin of one
who bears His name. The erring must be led to see his error, that
he may reform; but you are not to judge or condemn. In treating
the wounds of the soul, there is need of the most delicate touch.
Only the love that flows from the Suffering One of Calvary can avail
here. If you succeed, you will “save a soul from death,” and “hide a
multitude of sins.”
James 5:20
.
But even this effort may be unavailing. Then Jesus said, “Take
one or two others along with you.” RSV. If he will not hear them,
then, and not till then, the matter is to be brought before the whole
body of believers. Let the members of the church unite in prayer
and loving entreaty that the offender may be restored. The Holy
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Spirit will speak through His servants, pleading with the wanderer
to return to God: “We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled