Strap On Your Bible-Sword

There was the true story of Aaron when

· he casted a golden calf, and the

· the people had gone wild - much to the shame of their enemies.

And Moses asked who was on the Lord's side. And to the Levites who rallied to him, he commanded to strap on their swords. ^{(see Exo 32)}

Today, in our world, we still strap on our swords, that is, the Bible. In this age of grace, it is not a letter that kills, but one that brings life. We have new marching orders: restoration and reconciliation in the Lord.

Yes, strap your swords - wield the Bible wisely, and win the erring brother over from the dark side.

Our Lord Jesus puts it this way:

If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. ^{(Mt 18:15-17 BSB)}

The goal is restoration and reconciliation. At the first onset, we don’t use the Bible to divide and separate relationships. No, not just yet. We try to win them over, and we keep on trying.

But yes, we confront their sin, and try to snatch them out of the fire. We can only try, but it's still the Holy Spirit's job to convict them of their sins. And so we pray.

And yes, we confront them, we go to them and show them they're wrong, in all gentleness and graciousness. ^{(Gal 6:1)}

We wound them as a friend ^{(Pro 27:6)}; we strike them in righteousness. ^{(Psa 141:5)}

But then again, a sword is sharp. The Bible is double-bladed. ^{(Heb 4:12)} It will cut and divide. It will hurt and produce pain. It can also hurt those who are holding it. You know you've done it right when you bleed. But it will be worth it.

We brace ourselves to the other possible end: separation, severing relationships. We will feel sorry and sad, but we have to move on because loyalty goes up to God. Otherwise, it's a compromise.

So strap on your Bible-swords. Be armed with the truth. Be seasoned with the salt of loyalty. Have gracious lips. Be Christ-like and reconcile…

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