The people with problems whom we encounter may be generally
your benefit. I have no interest in meddling in your business. I do not thoughtlessly interfere with another's affairs. It is solely for the sake of helping you." (3) You may also add, "I say these words without there being any personal motive involved." Recall to him the mounting incidents of his lying or speaking inaccurately. And cause him to see that he is an inveterate liar. Say to him, "You need to repent before God, otherwise you have no way through." During your conversation, you should not stop short of dealing strongly with his lying and/or inaccurate speech. Yet concerning any other faults, you need only to mention them. Serious sin must be vigorously denounced, whereas much lighter sin needs only a slight reprimand.
2. Reprove The people with problems whom we encounter may be generally divided into three groups. The first group is composed of people with little problems. All you need to do is to approach him personally and point out his small problem. You can deal with the situation alone. The second group consists of people with a major problem—a problem which has become deeply rooted in their life. You will need to use weighty words to bring such ones back. And if it subsequently becomes clear to you that you by yourself are inadequate, you should invite two or three brothers with experience to go with you and speak these weighty words in their presence. And finally, the third group is comprised of people whose problems are so deep that they cannot be easily changed. In that case, you need to bring with you two or three other brothers for talking with such a one. There has arisen such repulsion in you against this particular problem that you are wellnigh ready to reprove him with severity. You have the judgment within you, and you also have the word of reproof. In the presence of these other brothers you not only admonish him, you strictly reprove him. For as you speak to him you are representing God in reproving him. In reproving, you need to have the wrath of God in you. If he listens to you, he shall be delivered from his problem.
How can a person overcome weakness? How can his problem be solved? His weakness and his problem are resolved under an awesome light. When God's light comes, it provides man with no place to hide. All that is not of God is dried up and withered. And the stronger the light, the quicker the withering. Whether or not a brother's difficulty is solved depends on the degree of light we give. Leprosy in its hidden stage cannot be healed; but once it is fully exposed, the leprosy is healed. In order to give sufficiently strong
light, we ourselves must not harbor any personal feeling or have any personal interest. We need to be purely for the brother's sake. If any personal feeling or personal interest is present, you and I are unable to solve people's problems. By speaking frankly to our brethren and bringing their weakness into God's light, we can deliver them from their problem that can now be withered beyond revival.
Some may ask why it is necessary to bring along two or three other brothers? When one person speaks alone, sometimes the light does not appear to be strong enough. The bringing of two or three others into the picture is to increase the measure of light, to heighten the problem present in the opposite party, to amplify the exposure of that difficulty, and to aggravate his shame. Thus will he be broken at once, and be delivered from his problem. The light brought in by two or three others is stronger than the light of just one person. The issue now is whether that person will accept the dealing.
It is also asked, Why is there the need of reproof? In the Bible there are many incidents recorded wherein reproving words were required. Today in the Church, there are few of us, if any, who dare to reprimand people. And why? Because our own life is not right, and so we are not found worthy to dispense reproof. For as soon as we would reprove others, we would in reality be reproving our own selves. Moreover, we have our personal feeling, and therefore we cannot reprove others. To reprove others we must not bring any personal feeling into the matter at hand. The reproofs in the Bible do not involve personal feeling. They are all for God, for the Church, and for the brothers and sisters.
For the benefit of your brethren, you cannot but speak frankly. To reprimand others, you must deeply hate the particular matter at issue. You must have such strong revulsion against the error that you are very angry at it. Unless you yourself are such before God, you have no way to scold others. If your words come from God, then as you speak severely to the troubled one in the presence of other brothers, light will shine upon that one and blind him. And after two or three days, he will gradually see light. Something has been cut away from him: a wound has been inflicted upon him: and his problem has withered away.
You will notice that I entitled these messages under the general rubric of "spiritual judgment." And one of the various aspects in God's judgment is His wrath. As He judges, all is cleansed. One day when God's anger is totally provoked, this entire world will be purified and Satan's work will vanish from
the scene forever. It is a good thing if after following the Lord for thirty or fifty years, a person may be called upon to represent God's wrath. The (righteous) anger of elderly brothers can deliver some brethren from their problems. But younger brothers should not be tempted in this respect. Your time to represent God's wrath has not yet come. You who are younger should instead learn to bear the cross and accept the discipline of the Holy Spirit. This is because currently you can only exhibit anger that comes from yourself, and thus you will find it necessary to go before God to confess. But with some elderly brothers, they may indeed exhibit anger, but because it is from God they do not need to return to Him to confess. For anger which comes from God is vastly different from anger which comes from self. Whatever anger or loss of temper which comes from self needs to be confessed; otherwise, one cannot have fellowship with God. But whatever wrath comes from God need not be repented of, and one's communion with Him remains unbroken. Ordinary brethren can only admonish, they cannot reprove the brother who needs help. Those elderly among us who have godly confidence within may alone judge with the wrath of God the difficulties of the brethren.
I very rarely mention these matters because they are not common. We must always exercise judgment with fear and trembling. We should have more learning at the hands of Almighty God.
Prayer: O Lord, I pray especially for the brothers and sisters gathered here, that they may be delivered inwardly. I pray that they may be able, without self love or despair, to know themselves before the Lord so thoroughly that they can help many by bringing them to the way of light and out of the way of darkness. May they live day by day in You, and not in themselves. Cause them, Lord, to receive greater enlightenment in You, to enter more into the discipline of the Holy Spirit, and learn to fear You and be delivered from self as they seek to serve You and the body of Christ. Amen.