"If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." Luke 17:3b-4
Sin is not an easy topic. We all sin. We all cause another to sin at times. Others cause us to sin at times. It's the nature of relationships. There will be times that we miss the mark - times that we choose wrongly - times that we fail. But it doesn't have to end there. Sin doesn't have to be the end of a relationship. If every relationship was ended because sin entered the picture, we would be very lonely indeed. So, what are we to do? If we are sinned against? Or if we have caused it?
It's simple physics. To every action there is a reaction.
The response to sin is rebuke. If we do not rebuke a sinner, have we not determined the sin to be acceptable? With rebuke should come repentance. Only a fool receives rebuke and doesn't change his way. Sin leads to death. Praise God, we have friends who are willing to rebuke us! Without them, death is certain. The response to repentance is forgiveness. If we withhold forgiveness from a repentant brother, are we not sinning in return? Forgiveness is not only given for the sake of the one who committed the wrong, but for the one who was wronged.
Sin, rebuke, repentance, and forgiveness - following this process can save a relationship. Following this process can save us.
Lord, there are times in life that I must rebuke - there are times in life that I must repent - there are times in life that I must forgive. Help me to be a builder of relationships. Give me the courage to rebuke sin, the determination to repent of it, and the compassion to forgive. Make me more like You!