As Paul closes his letter, he gives some practical advice because the church thought the end was near so some had decided to stop working.
Here’s the deal. There were problems in the church. There were some who refused to work, mooched off others, gossiped about other people’s business. It had become a mess, so Paul gives practical advice. But the key to his advice, “Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” 2 Thessalonians 3:15
What if we handled sin in the church this way? To not regard someone in the church who has sinned as our enemy but treated them as a family member. Those who have confessed Christ have been adopted by the same Father as we have. We get the beautiful opportunity to see our brothers and sisters restored. The Holy Spirit speaks to our potential, us as finished works in Christ. Doesn’t that encourage us more than to brow-beat? The chances of someone returning to Jesus’ best comes from a loving spirit not a condemning one.
How will you handle your own sin? How would you want correction to be handled in your life? How will you handle ministering to another in the faith? Let’s encourage Jesus in others.
- To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.