How Should Christians Handle Their Sinful Relatives and Associates?
Being a Christian is no walk in the park especially when Jesus warned ahead in Matthew 10:24 and Luke 12:51 that with the world, Jesus offered not peace between Christians and the world but rather DIVISION. Okay this does not mean Christians are to be belligerent even if they are commanded to reprove error but rather be loving to those who reject the truth and pray for them. Christians are to be united with each other BUT separated from worldliness. An issue now can be is that a convert to Christianity is most likely to have a 50%-90% chance of having sinful relatives and associates which can range from home-wrecking whores to being wanted fugitives who are guilty of breaking the law. While the typical worldly mindset says, "Oh you have to protect them even if they're criminals because they are your relatives." or "Go with the flow with your friends." however the Lord Jesus wouldn't do that a bit! He would not go to disco just because He is afraid of being rejected. He would not sip liquor just to be a crowd pleaser. No not one bit!
Asking what would Jesus do and what He will have a Christian do, one has to examine what He did. He did what HAD TO BE DONE even if it meant getting into hot water. It's just like how Abel did what was right even if it meant that Cain would murder him. Reading through all four Gospel accounts, Jesus could care less who the persons were, He spoke against sin, He always spoke the truth and He NEVER sugar coats it just to appear "loving". In fact, when one becomes a Christian the responsibility of CONFRONTING EVILDOERS has no exemption to relatives at all even if means getting antagonized. Jesus warned in Matthew 10:37 that whosoever loves relatives more than Him is not respecting Him at all. They have to be criticized and rebuked regardless, however if they refuse to heed, then it's best to leave them alone. Sometimes it's best for a Christian to be rejected and alone with other believers or even alone (except with God) to protect his testimony.
So what about relatives and associates who have already done something awfully evil? It may be difficult BUT the right thing to do is to turn them in like how Jesus didn't hesitate to blast the hypocrisy of the Pharisees because souls were at stake! True it may mean DIVISION but again, the glory of the eternal is far more valuable than the temporal life on Earth. If one keeps hiding the sins of other relatives and associates, then these Christians are already in a sense having fellowship with the works of darkness rather than REPROVING them (Ephesians 4:11). When Jehoshaphat had a tight alliance with Ahab, was he not REBUKED in 2 Chronicles 20 for helping the ungodly? It was in fact a mistake that nearly ended his family if it wasn't for the LORD's intervention.
Asking what would Jesus do and what He will have a Christian do, one has to examine what He did. He did what HAD TO BE DONE even if it meant getting into hot water. It's just like how Abel did what was right even if it meant that Cain would murder him. Reading through all four Gospel accounts, Jesus could care less who the persons were, He spoke against sin, He always spoke the truth and He NEVER sugar coats it just to appear "loving". In fact, when one becomes a Christian the responsibility of CONFRONTING EVILDOERS has no exemption to relatives at all even if means getting antagonized. Jesus warned in Matthew 10:37 that whosoever loves relatives more than Him is not respecting Him at all. They have to be criticized and rebuked regardless, however if they refuse to heed, then it's best to leave them alone. Sometimes it's best for a Christian to be rejected and alone with other believers or even alone (except with God) to protect his testimony.
So what about relatives and associates who have already done something awfully evil? It may be difficult BUT the right thing to do is to turn them in like how Jesus didn't hesitate to blast the hypocrisy of the Pharisees because souls were at stake! True it may mean DIVISION but again, the glory of the eternal is far more valuable than the temporal life on Earth. If one keeps hiding the sins of other relatives and associates, then these Christians are already in a sense having fellowship with the works of darkness rather than REPROVING them (Ephesians 4:11). When Jehoshaphat had a tight alliance with Ahab, was he not REBUKED in 2 Chronicles 20 for helping the ungodly? It was in fact a mistake that nearly ended his family if it wasn't for the LORD's intervention.