Today we're reading from these verses in the One Year Bible:
Daniel 7:1-28
1 John 1:1-10
Psalm 119:153-176
Proverbs 28:23-24
Let's look at the proverb. It says that rebuking someone will gain favor, but not having a flattering tongue. That means it's better to tell someone when they're wrong instead of just telling everyone how great they are, even when they're wrong.
It's not easy to tell people they're wrong, is it? It's uncomfortable. It's easier to just avoid the issue. And it's even easier, unfortunately, to then talk about that person and how they're wrong behind their back.
But God calls us to "admonish a sinner". It's actually one of the spiritual acts of mercy, along with instructing the ignorant and praying for the living and the dead. Now that doesn't mean telling someone "you're wrong!" and walking away. You want to help them understand the truth and walk with them as they turn from their errors. It takes courage.
And sometimes you don't even have to SAY anything. Sometimes admonishing a sinner just means being quiet. If someone says something wrong, and you just don't reply, they start to feel the wrongness of what they've said. Sometimes they'll try to justify it or make excuses for it. But if you just remain silent, they'll often learn from the experience not to act like that in the future.
God, thanks for teaching us to admonish sinners.
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