"Accept One Another, Admonish One Another"
Texts: Romans 15:7, Colossians 3:15-16, Romans 15:14
The first 'one another' is the call to accept one another. Read one text from Romans 15:7-9.
The early church encountered many problems of non-acceptance of one another...
✓ First there was the problem of Jewish converts - not accepting the gentile converts
✓ There was the problem of circumcision and non-circumcision, dietary differences
✓ Eating pork and non eating pork
Even the Apostle Peter was influenced by the Jewish believers to keep away from fellowship with Gentile Christians. Paul had to admonish confront Peter face to face (Galatians 2:22-15).
The entire church history is full of issues on which Christians hold different opinions and reject those with different opinions.
+ American Civil War - fought over slavery, Northern Ireland - Catholic / Protestant
+ Up till today - racism: white only church, racial segregate, spirit baptism, tongue etc.
Sin Of Non-Acceptance:- Pride and legalism, judgemental, favouritism, disunity, break-ups.
Command - ie. to accept everything even if it is clearly wrong or even sinful. This would constitude a license to do whatever a person desires.
The meaning of Admonish means to instruct, to correct, its warn, to set right. It is a loving kind of confrontation, no intent to put down, but rather to put on the right course, e.g. build up.
✓ The prophet Nathan - admonish King David (2 Samuel 12:7)
✓ Jesus admonished Peter
✓ Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:5
Acts that need to be Admonish
1) Sin - adultery, immorality, fornication, dishonesty, cheating, lying, bad behaviour (drunkness, gambling, irresponsibility, gossip, badmouth
2) Doctrinal errors
Requirements for Admonishing One Another
a) Romans 15: full of goodness, complete in knowledge
b) Colossians 3:16: word of Christ dwell richly in you, with wisdom, psalms, songs, hymns
How to Admonish
a) Responsibly of even believers, command is mutual
b) Personally, never publicly confess unless personal efforts have failed
c) Gently, prayerfully, restore with love, not harsh rebuke
Why Believers seldom practice - Admonishing One Another
1) We would rather "mind our own business" and keep the peace rather than risk straining a relationship
2) We are not so righteous ourselves and full of short-coming
3) We may not be close enough to a brother or sister to have the right to admonish them
4) Our sinful nature takes delight in spotting other people's weakness and we would rather tell friends about them. We prefer gossip to admonish.
Admonishing one another is a Biblical command we cannot ignore. God holds everyone of us responsible for one another. Read Ezekiel 33.
Conclusion:
Two important mutual commandment (v13)
"Accept one another" and admonish one another. Both are closely reaction. If you do not accept one another - you have no right to admonish. If you wish to admonish, admonish with love. Objective is to teach and build up another person.
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