Monday, August 24, 2009

Proverbs 24...Rebuking the Wicked

"Whoever says to the wicked, 'You are in the right,' will be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations, but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, and a good blessing will come upon them. Whoever gives on honest answer kisses the lips" (Prov. 24:24-26).

It is so hard to rebuke a person who is in sin. It's a whole lot easier to tell them that they are right, and to move on and act like it never happened. Furthermore, we live in a world where any kind of rebuke or judgment is looked upon with disdain, and so this very difficult task becomes even more difficult, because now when we obey the word of God in this regard we are shunned and condemned as harsh and judgmental.

In this proverbial passage, Solomon seems to be saying the opposite: that if we rebuke the wicked, we'll be praised, and if we praise the wicked, we'll be abhorred. It may be that he is talking about the court system. Certainly, when a court system condemns the righteous and justifies the wicked, it is viewed with disdain (see Prov. 17:15). Or it may be that Solomon is simply making a general point, that in most cases we are praised if we rebuke the wicked, and vice versa. In any event, the overall point of the passage holds true: that we need to be willing to rebuke the wicked.

I've been in a number of situations where I've had to rebuke a brother in Christ. It's never easy. There's always that part of me that looks fr every reason and excuse not to do it. And I always want to put it off as long as I possibly can. But what's right is right.

Don't back down from your duties as a Christian...ever. Do what is necessary.

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