11/04/2024
I can't remember when or where I first heard the quote concerning wrestling with a pig, and getting dirty, but it is attributed to George Bernard Shaw, and still rings true for us today...
“I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.” - George Bernard Shaw
Protecting the tenets of our faith, protecting our church, protecting its members... What does scripture have to say regarding this? My devotional message this morning uses Galatians 6:1 as its foundation:
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”
Galatians 6:1 ESV
When we, as Christians, correct those within our midst we must be very careful. We should do so with humility, but we should also take care that we don't get dirty. Our scripture reference says this in a slightly different way when it says "lest you too be tempted" but the idea is the same. When we come into close contact with sin we are in danger of becoming tempted, and sinning ourselves.
As I thought about this scripture and being tempted, it occurred to me that there are two ways this can happen. The first is that you might fall into the very sin you are trying to counsel against. Say this is a heretical teaching and in the process of opposing it you become wooed by its false tenets? The second would be sin in ourselves that is unrelated to the original fault, perhaps pride, haughtiness, or deceit in the way we view the very person we are trying to deal with… our offending brethren.
The first I understand clearly, it is blatantly called temptation and is akin to getting the dirt of the pig on ourselves. In the second case however, we suddenly find that we have dirt of our own and in some situations we may be making the pig look clean in comparison, or getting the pig dirtier than it originally was.
Both of these pitfalls are the result of wavering in our Christian walk; one by temptation, and the other by placing our personal needs and desires above the teachings of our faith... It's like cheating a cheater... In the end, who is who?
So scripture tells us to correct one another, but it also warns us that this is a slippery slope on a road with many potholes. Going this way requires us to take much care as we traverse it. The object is to emerge from the journey as clean, and righteous, as when we began, and to have successfully shown our wayward brother the error of his ways. Have we ever been ensnared and made to feel less by such an encounter? Have we ever felt haughty, or better than the brother we were counseling? If we feel the need to correct another in their faith, we must first make certain that we are right in our own understanding and reasoning. It is one thing to wrestle a pig and get dirty in the process, but something quite different when we are a pig ourselves, because two pigs wrestling each other will have no good outcome. So, we should pray extensively for the Holy Spirit to give us understanding of the point of faith we will be addressing, and then for the Lord to instruct us in how best to approach it. Jesus prayed fervently before each big challenge or faithful event in His life, and brothers and sisters, none is any bigger, or dangerous than correcting another follower. Let’s not become like the priests in the book of Malachi…
“But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.”
Malachi 2:8-9
Prayer:
Thank you Father for giving us discernment, and for sending us your Holy Spirit to give us true understanding of your Word, and to help us to pray for your guidance. Father, help us correct one another gently and with kindness. As we seek to eliminate the transgressions from within our midst, let us instruct one another with the same soft hand that you use on us. Lord, lead us to be intolerant of sin while still maintaining our love for the poor sinner. Let judgement remain in your hand even as we restore each other. Lord, God, protect us, and keep us from falling prey to the very temptations we are attempting to eliminate from our midst, and let our hearts be pure as we address these corrections. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who corrects us and shows us the righteous way to go without desiring to destroy us when we stray. Holy are you who would rather not eat meat yourself for fear of causing a child who believes it is a sin to do so to lose their faith. Hear our prayers Abba as we prepare to instruct others in their faith, and in your Word. Show us when to speak, and when to remain silent. Teach us how best to gently counsel without doing another irreparable harm. Merciful are you towards us as we search out our own salvation, and full of grace are you, who knows our hearts and forgives the undeserving among us as you lead them to righteous thought, word, and deed. Praised be your name Father, and great are you who gave your son to a sin filled world, and allowed Him to suffer and die that those He forgave from the cross might be saved.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
“And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin[a] are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.”
Luke 17:1-2 ESV
“but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.”
Matthew 18:6-8 ESV
“But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”
1 Corinthians 8:9 ESV
Rich Forbes