"Let he who is without sin ..."

Let me say something first before giving you today's scripture: sin is bad, sin is evil, sin is anything that does not reflect the character of God. I don't like sin because I like God and I want to be like Him. God made a way for me to be like Him by sending His Son to die in my place and give me His Spirit to transform me into His image.

That being said, I also realize I live in a fallen world that doesn't want me to be like God. I also have a flesh, or "old man," as the Bible calls it, that also doesn't want me to be like God and tempts me to do things that are sinful. We should also mention that we have a powerful enemy who also works night and day to get us to do things that aren't like God so we will be ineffective for Him.

I use that as a backdrop because the verse I am sharing today might be mistaken for a view that is soft on sin. I'm not.

Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness."

Unfortunately, the way many of us act in the church today that verse might read "if anyone is caught in any transgression shoot first and ask questions later!" We are so focused on sin's badness that we don't take into the consideration the weakness that leads up to it and, more importantly, God's ultimate plan to restore, not ruin, the sinner.

I can't tell you the number of people I know who stay away from church because they feel their failures will be counted against them and they will be shunned instead of supported. Now I'm not talking about the arrogant person who sins and is proud of it and wants everyone he or she meets to sin as well. I've run into those people too and I don't welcome them into the church (if they claim to be Christians). I'm talking about the person who knows they have sinned and needs to be built up and encouraged, not shot down and judged.

For the pre-Christian we need to focus on the free of God through Jesus to cleanse us and make us like God. For the Christian we need to focus on the continual mercy and grace of God and the transforming power that will see even their sins and weaknesses used in the process of maturing them.

Pastor Tom