R³ Devotional - Day 295

Matthew 18 is loaded with awesome parables, that Jesus uses to teach the disciples & us, how to live.  Some of these lessons seem pretty easy to understand, and some eh not so easy to understand, or rather, not so easy to do!  

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”  
Ya better not be leading God’s kids into sin, the punishment doesn’t sound fun.  

“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptations comes!”

“What do you think?  If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one who went astray?”
I have always loved this verse for its meaning for ALL sinners and prodigal sons and daughters!  

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.  If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  But if he does not listen, take one or two others alone with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.  And if he refuses to listen to the church, let him be as a Gentile and a tax collector.
We are called to hold our brother accountable for his actions, regardless of how small or big the offense is, or how mad or upset he will get when we call him out.  I will say, calling someone out for their sin isn’t fun by any means, but try to do it in a loving manner…it won’t make the “calling out” any less uncomfortable for either party, but hopefully the point will get across a little sweeter.  

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?  As many as seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

We are told to forgive every sin done to us, by everyone, not just those whom we deem worthy of our forgiveness, or those who didn’t do something horrible, but everyone, all the time.  

Real Life Principles:
Be humble like a child, don’t lead them astray, steer clear of temptation, if you do stray, you are just one step away from coming back home and being led by the Lord, hold your brother accountable to his sin, and forgive him always.  

Relevant Life Applications:
Pray and stay in the word, stay humble, always remember that Jesus forgave you of your sins, so you should forgive the sins of others!

Being Ready with Life Action Steps:
Forgive others, hold them accountable (and do it in love), pray for your brothers, be like children (innocent and humble), avoid temptations.