Be a restorer (2)

After listing some of the worst sins imaginable, Paul told the Corinthians, “And that is what some of you were. But you were…justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (v. 11 NIV). So before you pass sentence on someone else, remember what God has lifted you out of! Many of us think a “good” sermon is one that goes over our head and hits our neighbour squarely between the eyes! In scripture, the word restore has two shades of meaning. One is to remove a tumour. A tumour can kill you, and it needs to be removed. Paul wrote, “If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently…in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2 NIV). Make no mistake, sharing someone’s shame and humiliation can be a burden. Nevertheless, “we should do it…[giving] special attention to those…in the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10 NCV). If you tend to be quick to condemn others—something we have all done from time to time—ask yourself this question: if people don’t find grace among the people who preach it, where can they find it? The other meaning of restore is to reset a broken bone. Scripture tells us, “Christ makes us one body…connected to each other” (Romans 12:5 GWT). In fact, your spiritual family is more important than your earthly family because it will last forever. By lifting a fallen family member, you help heal their pain and enable them to become a vital, functioning part of Christ’s body again. So the word for you today is—be a restorer.