Morning Thoughts - by Elder Philip Conley

Morning Thoughts

Titus 3:10-11, "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself."

This morning, it has been and probably will continue to be that people generally fall into one extreme or the other. Folks sometimes fall into an extreme by trying to over-compensate for something that they feel is wrong. Sometimes, it is even the case that one who is trying to rightly discern or apply a situation is scorned by both camps for not being with them. C.S. Lewis once wrote, "The devil sends errors into the lives of people in pairs of opposites. He trusts that your hatred of one will lead you to the other." The end result is that neither condition is any better for you, but both contain misery and suffering.

These verses generally bring two camps out. Some folks want to be overly forbearing and longsuffering with the brethren that are going astray. They claim, "Well, we don't want to lose them, so we should be
charitable and longsuffering with them." The simple truth is that if they will not heed correction, then we have already lost them, and our only resort is to pray that the Lord will see fit to one day re-open their eyes to the truth. The reason that over-forbearance is a problem is because it gives them the opportunity to lead more astray into error.

There have been and will always be those that are new to the faith or young in the faith among our churches. If we invite brethren that we are trying to be forbearing with, they can lead astray the little lambs that are not well-grounded yet in the things of the word of the Lord. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to reject them after the two admonitions. However, there is another extreme to this case. We must not REJECT them until we have given them two admonitions. It is one thing to believe that a brother is unsound in the faith, and it is quite another to reject him.

There are brethren that I have rejected, because I have given them two admonitions (hopefully in meekness and charity), and they have been unreceptive to it. But, there are other brethren that have written or said things on tape that I believe are unsound. However, I have not reached a point of rejection with them, since I have not had opportunity to PERSONALLY (whether face-to-face, letter, or otherwise) admonish them. And, hearing second-hand about an admonishment someone else has given them does not count. These admonitions have to be those that YOU have given.

It is much easier to talk about a brother when he is not around, but it takes a great deal of courage to withstand him to the face. Paul had to do that with Peter, and I am sure that it was difficult seeing the high regard that Peter was held in the minds of the saints. Therefore, let us not be weary in well doing. We should give brethren two admonitions ourselves before we reject them, but anything more or less is not following after the example and precepts laid out for our learning and edification.

In Hope,

Bro Philip