| Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. |
| —Galatians 6:1 |
Throughout every church in the United States of America and around the world, beautiful, even amazing, stories of forgiveness and restoration abound:
- Everyone would soon know! She slept with a man outside of her marriage and now carried his baby. Her husband, who was not a believer, immediately filed for divorce. At first, it caused shock and disappointment in the church. But, after the woman confessed to the sin, the women of the church presented her with a beautiful new robe to symbolize their love, forgiveness, and restoration. When her baby was born, the entire church celebrated this new gift of life.
- The man obviously had ruined his family with his alcoholism. But, once he confessed to his church family, they received him back and came alongside him to restore him. They facilitated his entry into a rehabilitation program and celebrated his release and each day, thereafter, that he remained sober.
- Another person had been imprisoned for a shameful crime. But, upon hearing the confession and repentance of this individual, and upon this one’s discharge from prison, the church joyfully received this one back among the church family and helped this one to get back into the community as a contributing and important member.
These instances of forgiveness and restoration should remind us of the story found in Luke 15:11-32, that tells of the man we know as the Prodigal Son. How surprised and loved he must have felt when his father not only welcomed him home, but called his friends and put on a lavish party for this wayward son, receiving and restoring him.
Do we seek to receive and restore those who have obviously “fallen,” but who have come back to us? Do we respond like the father in the story? Or, do we act like the jealous older brother, who complained that his father had never given him a party, even though he had long behaved faithfully? What a witness of grace the church can give to the world if it responds like the hurt and grieving father when the son finally returns.
“Older brothers” will always stand by and criticize rather than responding with grace and mercy. Not everyone will do the kind and merciful thing. But, God will use those who recognize the glory of redemption and forgiveness in the life of one who has been at the bottom and whom Christ has raised up. May we please our heavenly Father by lifting up others as He has lifted us up out of the miry clay of sin.
Praise to our King, who rescues and restores us, as this old hymn tells us: 1
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,
to his feet your tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
who, like me, his praise should sing?
Alleluia! Alleluia! Praise the everlasting King.
Father-like, he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows;
In his hands he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Widely as his mercy goes.
| 1 Lyte, Henry. “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven. ” Hymn in the Public Domain. |
