Bill Freeman

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by aron

Now, hating the brother, is a difficult one for me. It is hard to find the line between "taking a stand for the truth" and "hating one another". In other words, if I am for the truth, and I observe a christian in error, and I try to correct them, and they refuse correction, and at some point I say "You are like the Gentiles to me" and turn away, am I then hating my brother?
The other peril is to "love" everyone regardless of condition; then eventually the "truth" doesn't matter because we just play some "I'm okay- you're okay" game, irrespective of actual condition.

Actually there is a big gap between Matthew 18:16 and 1 John 2:9. We can take a stand for the truth, love our brothers, and love our sisters that they may recieve correction. If you turn away, you're not hating them. There is simply no way to compromise taking a stand for the truth. It's just like when I discipline my children. When their action or their behavior warrants discipline, my disciplining them is out of love. It is to correct their errant actions or behavior. In I John 2:9, the word says "He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now." So if you hate your brother, you're in darkness.

If you love when the "truth" doesn't matter, isn't that along the lines of creating a dysfunctional atmosphere? It causes one to ask "what is sacred anymore?" The actual condition does matter. To ignore the condition or sweep it aside is a clear sign the darkness has blinded the eyes. If we have light, the actual condition is seen.

Terry