William Bush
Springfield, TN
Chief Marketing Officer
Our mission at World Bible School is to share Jesus with the world by motivating and equipping a global network of Christians to use interactive Bible studies effectively. Since God desires that all should reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9), our mission includes both those who have never known Christ and those who have fallen away.
Discerning the Fallen
In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus compares hearing the Word of God with a Sower who plants seed in various soils (Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8). Jesus describes good fertile soil as one who understands the Word, accepts it and bears fruit. Yet Jesus also teaches of three other soils (or hearts), which do not bear fruit. The path refers to one who does not understand or believe. The rocky ground illustrates someone who falls away after facing tribulation or persecution. The soil with thorns describes someone who proves unfruitful due to seeking the riches, desires and cares of this world over God.
Do you know anyone who left their faith in Christ because of false teaching, a misunderstanding of God’s Word or simply did not believe in Christ or His promises? You might know others who initially believed the message of Christ, but when faced with trials and struggles they lost their faith. We also commonly see brothers and sisters who leave Christ because they chose to prioritize the things of this world over their relationship with God.
Reaching the Fallen
When reaching the fallen, it’s best to remember the first and greatest commandments: to love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39). You who are spiritual should restore the fallen in a spirit of gentleness, speaking the truth in love (Galatians 6:1, Ephesians 4:14). If we love God, we will also love our fallen brothers or sisters as God does (1 John 4:7-21). We must remember love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
As we show love, our main objective should be to gain back our brother so their spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord (Matthew 18:15, 1 Corinthians 5:5).
To those who sin against us, Jesus commands us to go and tell him his faults between you and him alone. If they refuse to repent, take one or two others with you and if they continue to refuse repentance tell it to the church. If they continue to reject you and the church, the person is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector (Matthew 18:15-20).
But pause for a minute. Have you ever noticed in Matthew 18 and Luke 15, Matthew chooses to share Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep right before Jesus’ instructions we just read regarding those who sin against us, but Luke chose to share the parable immediately after the Pharisees complained Jesus was eating with tax collectors and sinners? At the end of The Lost Sheep, Jesus says, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). Jesus lovingly sought sinners and tax collectors to repent like a shepherd seeking his lost sheep. He would go to their house, eat with them and encourage them to repent in hopes they would choose to enter into a new relationship with Him. For those who sin against us, we should seek to restore our relationship with them, just as Jesus did.
What about those who do not sin against us directly, but simply leave the faith? My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19-20). Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6:1). When seeking the fallen, show the same love and earnesty of Jesus and the shepherd in compassion and gentleness.
In the Corinthian church, Paul addressed a brother practicing sexual immorality that was not tolerated even among the pagans. What’s worse, the church was approving of his actions. Therefore, Paul wrote, “do not associate with anyone who bears the name of brother, who is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler” (1 Corinthians 5:1, 9-11).
It’s important to remove or purge any unrepentant evil from inside the church (1 Corinthians 5:2, 12). But this does not mean we treat them as an enemy, but warn them as a brother (2 Thessalonians 3:15). The practice of disfellowship is not intended to be final punishment or justice. Vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord (Romans 12:19). Rather, we are to encourage the guilty party to recognize their sins and repent (1 Corinthians 5:5, 12-13). If they seek restoration, we must turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him (2 Corinthians 2:7-8).
God also calls us to pray. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life (1 John 5:16). And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working (James 5:15-16).
Would a Christian feel comfortable confessing their sins to you? To follow God’s command to pray, we must show proper love to our Christian family so they can share their struggles with us. When we confess our sins, not only can we receive forgiveness, it can also help prevent us from falling away.
As we seek to reach those who have fallen away let us 1) conduct ourselves in love and gentleness, 2) seek the fallen earnestly, 3) warn them as a brother and 4) pray, confessing our sins to one another. Let us show the same mercy, grace, slowness of anger, steadfast love and forgiveness which our Father in Heaven also extends to us (Exodus 34:6-7).
Help WBS Reach the Fallen!
We are currently developing a new Mathetis Original course and “Reaching Series” Bible class curriculum to equip Christians with tools to reach those who have fallen away.
Will you help us produce the next Mathetis Original course? We are seeking to raise $250,000 to produce the Mathetis course, videos and Bible class curriculum. Give now at worldbibleschool.net/give or call 512-345-8190.
