Text: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.” (Leviticus 19:17)
The
idea is this:
MEN
ARE BOUND TO REPROVE THEIR NEIGHBORS FOR SIN, LEST THEY BECOME PARTAKERS WITH
THEM, OR BECOME AN ACCESSORY TO THEIR SIN.
In
speaking from this passage, I plan to pursue the following order:
I. I will show why God
laid down this rule in today’s text.
II. I will show to whom
this rule applies.
III. I will mention
several exceptions that God has made to this rule, or those who are not to be
reproved for their sins.
IV. I will discuss how we
should rebuke our neighbor.
V. I will present several specific
applications of the principles established.
Before I begin, let me define the words
reprove and rebuke. The word reprove
means to voice or convey disapproval of, while rebuke means to criticize or
reprove sharply, to criticize. With
that in mind
I.
I will show why God said that we should rebuke our neighbor.
1.
Love to God plainly requires that we reprove our neighbor.
If
we really love God, we will feel bound to reprove those that hate Him, abuse
Him, and break His commands. If I love
the government of my country, should I not reprove and rebuke someone who
abuses or reviles the government? If a
child loves his parents, will he not reprove someone who abuses his parents in
his presence?
2.
Love for the universe will lead to the same thing.
If
a man loves the universe, if he is motivated by universal unselfish love and
good will, he knows that sin is inconsistent with the highest good of the
universe. He also knows that sin is
calculated to injure and ruin everything if it is not counteracted, and that
the direct tendency of sin is to overthrow the order and destroy the happiness
of the universe. Therefore, if he sees
this happening, his unselfish love will lead him to reprove and oppose it.
3.
Love for the community that you live in is another reason to reprove our
neighbor.
Not
only love for the universe in general, but also love for the particular people
you meet should lead you to reprove sin.
Sin is a reproach to any people, and whoever commits sin helps produce a
state of society that is harmful to everything good. His example has a tendency to corrupt society, to destroy its
peace and to introduce disorder and ruin, and it is the duty of everyone who
loves the community to resist and reprove it.
4.
Love to your neighbor demands that you reprove your neighbor.
Here,
neighbor means anybody who sins within the reach of your influence, not only in
your presence, but also in your neighborhood.
If your influence can reach him, whether he is in your nation or in the
world, he is your neighbor. If he sins,
he harms himself. Therefore, if we love
him we will reprove his sins. Love for
the self-indulgent person, persuades us to warn him of the consequences of the
direction he is taking. Suppose we see
our neighbor’s house on fire. True love
will induce us to warn him and not let him perish in the flames. Now, if we saw that he insisted in staying
in the house, especially if we saw him determined to stay in the burning
building, we would desperately reason with him and not allow him to destroy
himself, if we could possibly prevent it.
How much more should we warn him of the consequences of sin, reprove
him, and strive to turn him before he destroys himself.
5.
It is cruel not to reprove your neighbor.
If
you see your neighbor sin, and you pass by and neglect to reprove him, it is
just as cruel as if you should see his house on fire, pass by, and not warn him
of it. Why not? If he is in the house, and the house burns,
he will lose his life. If he sins and
he remains in his sin, he will go to hell.
Is it not cruel to let him go unwarned to hell? Some seem to think that it is not cruel to
let a neighbor go on in sin until the eternal wrath of God comes down on
him. Their feelings are so tender that
they cannot hurt his feelings by telling him of his sin and his danger. No doubt, the tender mercies of the wicked
are cruel. (Prov 12:10) Instead of warning their neighbor of the
consequences of sin, they actually encourage him in his sin by their silence.
6.
To refuse to reprove your neighbor is rebellion against God.
For
any one to see rebellion and not reprove it or lift his hand to oppose it, is
rebellion. Even the laws of the land
would consider this rebellion. The man,
who knows of a plot to murder, and does not disclose it or try to do something
about it, would be held as an accessory to the crime, and condemned as an
accessory by law. Therefore, if a
person sees rebellion breaking out against God, and does not oppose it or make
efforts to suppress it, he is a rebel.
7.
If you do not reprove your neighbors for their sin, you are held accountable
for their death.
God
holds us accountable for the death of those whom we allow to go on in sin
without reproof, and it is right that He should. If we see them sin, and do not oppose them, or give any reproof,
we consent to it, and morally, we support them in it. If you see someone preparing to kill his neighbor, and you stand
still and do nothing to prevent it, you consent, and you are justly accountable
as an accessory. Both in the eyes of
God and in the eyes of the law, you are justly accountable for the same
sin. Therefore, if you see someone
committing any iniquity, and you do nothing to resist it, you are just as
guilty as he is. His blood will be on
his own head, but at whose hand will God require it? Do you remember what God said about the watchman? “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for
the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning
from Me. When I say to the wicked, `You
shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked
from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his
iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his
wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have
delivered your soul. Again, when a
righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a
stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning,
he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be
remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.” (Ez 3:17-20) This is true of everybody.
If you allow a neighbor, who is within reach of your influence, to
continue in sin unwarned, he will die in his sin, but his blood shall be
required at your hand.
8.
Your silence encourages your neighbor to continue living in sin.
Your
neighbor is authorized to conclude from your silence that you approve of his
sin, or, at least, that you are not concerned about it. This is especially true if he knows that you
profess to be a Christian. It is an old
maxim that silence is consent. Sinners
often take your silence as virtually sanctioning what they do.
9.
By reproving your neighbor who sins, you may save him.
Multitudes
have already been reformed by timely reproof.
Someone rebuked them for their sins and urged them to repent. That’s what saved most of these people. You may be instrumental in saving somebody,
if you speak to him, reprove him, and pray for him as you should. How many examples there are, where a single
reproof has been to the transgressor like a barbed arrow piercing deep into his
soul, that irritated, and festered, until his spirit was consumed, and he
submitted to God. I have known
situations where even a look of reproof has done the work.
10.
If you do not save the individual reproved, your reproof may save somebody else
that may be acquainted with the situation.
Such
situations have often occurred, where the transgressor has not been reclaimed,
but others have been deterred from following his example by the rebukes
directed to that transgressor. Who can
doubt that, if professing Christians were faithful in this duty, people would
fear being rebuked, and that fear would deter them from committing many sins,
and multitudes who now go on unblushing and un-awed, would pause and think, and
be reclaimed and saved? Will you, with
such an argument for faithfulness before you, let sinners go on un-rebuked
until they stumble into hell?
11.
God clearly requires that we reprove our neighbor.
The
original language of today’s passage is very strong.
The
word is repeated, which is the way the Hebrew expresses a superlative, so it leaves
no doubt on the mind as to what must be done.
Nor does it leave any excuse for not doing it. There isn’t any stronger command of God in the Bible than this. God has used the strongest language that He
can. “You shall surely rebuke your
neighbor” in other words, there is no excuse, “and not bear sin because of him”
in other words, do not be an accessory to his ruin. It is general law that if a man knows that a murder is about to
be committed and does not do whatever is within his power to prevent it, he
will be held responsible as an accessory before the fact. If he knows that a murder has been
committed, and he does not try to bring the criminal to justice, he is
accessory after the fact. So, by the
law of God, if you do not try to bring a known transgressor to repentance, you
are implicated in the guilt of his crime, and you are held responsible at the
throne of God.
12.
If you reprove your neighbor in the right way, you will keep a conscience void
of offence concerning your neighbor, no matter what his end may be.
And
you cannot do this without being faithful in rebuking sin. A man does not live conscientiously towards
God or man, unless he is in the habit of reproving transgressors who are within
his influence. This is one of the
greatest reasons why there is so little conscience in the church. Many professing Christians have the habit of
resisting their consciences concerning their duty to reprove sin. Here is one of the strongest commands in the
Bible, and yet multitudes don’t pay any attention to it at all. Can they have a clear conscience? They might just as well pretend to have a
clear conscience and get drunk every day.
No one keeps the law of God, or keeps his conscience clear, if he sees
sin and does not reprove it. Anyone who
knows of sin and does not reprove it has additional guilt. He breaks two commandments. First, he becomes an accessory to the
transgression of his neighbor, and then he disobeys an express requirement by
refusing to reprove his neighbor.
13.
Unless you reprove men for their sins, you are not prepared to meet them in
judgment.
Are
you prepared to meet your children in the judgment, if you have not reproved or
chastised them, or watched over their morals?
“Certainly not,” you say. But
why? “Because God has made it my duty
to do this, and he holds me responsible for it.” Very well. Then take the
situation of any other person that sins under your eye, or within reach of your
influence, and goes down to hell, and you have never reproved him. Aren’t you responsible? Oh, how many are now groaning in hell, that
you have seen commit sin, and you never reproved, and now they are pouring
curses on your head because you never warned them. And how can you meet them in judgment?
14.
Unless you do this, you are not prepared to meet God.
How
many are there, who claim they love God, and yet they don’t even pretend to
obey this command. Are such people
prepared to meet God? When He says,
“You shall surely rebuke your neighbor.”
He means that you have no excuse for not doing it.
II.
To whom is this command to rebuke our neighbor addressed?
Definitely,
to everyone who has neighbors. It was
addressed to all the Israelites, and through them to all who are under God’s
government, to high and low, rich and poor, young and old, male and female, and
every individual who is under God’s government or required to obey His
commands.
III.
Some exceptions to the universal application of this law.
God,
who made the law has a right to allow exceptions. This rule is binding in every situation, unless they come within
the exceptions. Some exceptions to this
rule before us are mentioned in the Bible.
1.
God says, “Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and
he will love you.” (Prov 9:8)
A
person becomes known as a scoffer, when his state of mind despises religion,
hates God, and has no regard for God’s law.
This type of person cannot be influenced by any fear or care for
God. Why should you reprove him? It will only provoke a quarrel, without any
good resulting to anybody. Therefore,
God says that a scoffer is an exception to this rule.
2.
Jesus Christ says, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls
before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in
pieces”. (Matt 7:6)
Whatever
else this passage means, it appears to me to mean this, that sometimes people
are in such a state of mind that to talk to them about religion would be
completely irrational and dangerous, like casting pearls before swine. They have such contempt for religion, and
such a stupid, sensual, swinish heart, that they will trample all your reproofs
under their feet, and turn on you in anger besides. It is OK to let such men go on; the fact that you do not meddle
with them will be greater wisdom than to attack them. But tremendous love should be exercised. Do not think of your neighbors as swine who
do not deserve a rebuke and who might not benefit by suitable reproof.
3.
Men who are in a settled state of self-righteousness should be left alone.
Christ
said of the Scribes and Pharisees, “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” (Matt 15:14) That is, they were so full of pride and conceit, so satisfied of
their own wisdom and goodness, that they cannot be reached by any reproof, and
it seems best to leave them alone; for if you begin to reprove them, you might
as well face a Texas tornado as to think of making an impression on them. They will face you down, and are so full of
arguments, objections, and intimidations, that you gain nothing.
IV.
Let us look at the way we should perform this duty.
1.
A rebuke should always be done in the name of the Lord.
It
is important that when you reprove your neighbor for sin, make him feel it is
not a personal controversy between you and him. Do not be selfish. Don’t
claim, suggest, or even hint that you are superior in any way. Don’t lord it over him. But, you are to reprove him in the name of
the Lord, for the honor of God, simply because he has broken His law. If, by your behavior, you in any way give
him the impression that it is a personal controversy, or that you are rebuking
him for personal reasons, he will certainly rise up against you, resist, and
perhaps retort against you. But if you
make the impression that it is done in the name of God, and bring him right up
before God as an offender, he will find it exceedingly difficult to get away
from you without at least confessing that he is wrong.
2.
You should always rebuke your neighbor very seriously and sincerely.
Above
all things, do not make him think that it is just a little thing that you hint
to him, but make him feel that, because he has sinned against God, you are
reproving him, and that it is what, in your view, should be looked on as an
awful thing.
3.
Your severity depends on the nature of the situation and the circumstances
under which the sin was committed.
(1.)
The relationship between the parties.
Your
relationship to the guilty person should be properly considered.
If
a child is going to reprove a parent, he should do it in a way that is suited
to the relationship he has with that parent.
If a man is going to reprove a magistrate, or if an individual is about
to rebuke an elder, the apostle says it must be in the following way. “Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him
as a father, the younger men as brothers”.
(I Tim 5:1) Any relationship
should be taken into consideration when deciding the way reproof should be
administered. The relationship between
parents and children, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, should all be
considered. Also, the ages of the
parties and their relative circumstances in life should also be
considered. For servants to reprove
their masters in the same way as they reprove their equals is improper. This direction should never be overlooked or
forgotten, for if it is, the good effect of reproof will be lost. But remember, that no relationship in life,
or relative circumstances of the parties can completely take away the
obligation of this duty. No matter what
the relationship is, reprove sin, and do it in the name of the Lord. Do it, not as if you were complaining or
finding fault for a personal injury committed against yourself, but as a sin
against God. Thus, when a child
reproves a parent for sin, he is not to do it as if he was expostulating with
him for any injury done to himself, but with an eye to the fact that the parent
has sinned against God, and therefore, he should rebuke his parent with all
that plainness, faithfulness, and pungency that sin calls for.
(2.)
Reproof should be regulated by the knowledge that the offender has of his duty.
If
the individual is ignorant, reproof should be more in the form of instruction,
rather than severe rebuke. How do you
deal with your little child? You
instruct him and strive to enlighten his mind concerning the things that he
should be doing. Of course, your
approach in dealing with your child is very different from how you would deal
with a hardened offender.
(3.)
The frequency of the offence should also be taken into consideration.
You
would reprove a first time offender very differently than you would a habitual
transgressor. If a person is accustomed
to sin, and knows that it is wrong, you must be more severe. If it is the first time, perhaps a mere
allusion to it may be sufficient to prevent a repetition.
(4.)
You must also consider whether he has been frequently reproved for the sin.
If
he has repeatedly committed the same sin and has been reproved often, and yet
he continues to harden his neck, there is a greater need to be very firm. Because resisting reproofs have hardened
him, no common reproof will be effective.
He needs to have the terrors of the Lord poured on him like a hailstorm.
4.
Never lose your temper or get upset.
Never
manifest any displeasure in the transgressor, which he might mistakenly think
that you are personally displeased with him.
It is often important to show your strong displeasure at what he is
doing. Otherwise, he will think you are
not serious. Suppose you reprove
someone for murder in a way that does not express any abhorrence of his crime. Don’t expect to produce any positive
changes. The manner should be suited to
the nature of the crime, yet so as not to lead that person to think you have
any personal feelings against him. Here
we have the greatest error in the way crime is reproved, both in the pulpit and
out of it. For fear of giving offence,
men do not express their abhorrence of the sin, and therefore transgressors are
seldom reclaimed.
5.
Always reprove in the Spirit of God.
You
should always have so much of the Holy Ghost with you, that when you reprove a
man for sin, he will feel as if it comes from God. I have known situations, where reproof from a Christian in that
state cuts the transgressor right to the heart, and stings like the arrow of
the Almighty, and he cannot get rid of it until he repents.
6.
There are many different ways of giving reproof so it will reach the individual
reproved.
Sometimes
it can best be done by sending a letter, especially if the person lives far
away. And there are situations where it
can be done even if that person lives in your own neighborhood. I know an individual who chose this way to
reprimand a sea captain for intemperance while crossing the Atlantic. The captain drank hard, especially in bad
weather, and when his services were needed the most. The individual was in great agony, because the captain was
intemperate, and when he drank, he became ill natured and endangered the lives
of everybody on board. He made it a
subject of prayer. It was a difficult
situation. He did not know how to
approach the captain in order to make it probable to do good and not hurt; for
a captain at sea, you know, is a perfect despot, and has the most absolute
power on earth. After a while he sat
down and wrote a letter, and gave it to the captain with his own hand, in which
he plainly and affectionately, but faithfully and most pointedly discussed his
conduct, and the sin he was committing against God and man. He accompanied it with a lot of prayer to
God. The captain read it, and it
completely cured him. He apologized to
the individual and never drank another drop of anything stronger than coffee
and tea on the whole passage.
7.
Sometimes it is necessary to reprove sin by forming an organization, publishing
newspapers and bulletins, and forming a public opinion against a particular
sin, that becomes a continuous and overwhelming rebuke. The Temperance societies, Moral Reform
societies, Anti-Slavery societies, etc., are designed for this purpose.
V.
I will mention now some of the cases in which these principles apply.
They
peculiarly apply to those crimes that are calculated to undermine the institutions
of society, and to exert a widespread influence. Such sins can only be held in check and put down by faithfulness
in reproof.
1.
Sabbath breaking.
If
Christians would universally mark transgressors, and rebuke those who trample
on the Sabbath, they would do more to put a stop to Sabbath breaking than by
all other means. If Christians were
united in this, how long do you suppose it would be before this sin would be
put down? If only a few were faithful,
and constant, and persevering, they might do a lot. If only a few do it, and these do it only occasionally, it might
not have much effect. But, I believe if
all professing Christians were to do this, every grocery store, tavern,
clothing store, and fruit stand would close on Sundays. In every situation that applies, they are
bound to do it no matter what happens; and as long as they neglect their duty,
they are accountable before God with all the Sabbath breaking in the city. If all the churches and ecclesiastical
bodies in the land united to rebuke the government continuously and firmly in
the name of the Lord, do you suppose that the government would continue to
violate the Sabbath with their mail? I
tell you, no! I believe that the church
could accomplish this in only one year if all the churches united throughout
the country and would speak out fully, in the fear of God, and without any fear
of man. No person, who ever expected to
be elected to office again, would ever again advise breaking the Sabbath. But now, as long as the church is divided
and not interested, there are so few who speak out that Congress despises and
ignores them. Thus, it turns out that
the church winks at Sabbath breaking, and they are without excuse until they
speak out and rebuke their rulers, in the name of Jehovah, for breaking His
holy law.
2.
Intemperance and selling hard liquor.
Suppose
every man in this city that sells alcoholic beverages were continually subject
to the rebukes which God requires.
Suppose everyone that passed by his store or tavern were to reprove him
for his sin, how long could he sell liquor?
If only the church were to do it, if that deacon and that elder would do
it, and every Christian would follow him with rebukes in the name of the Lord
for poisoning men to death with liquor, he could not continue doing it. Such a strong and decided testimony would
soon drive him from his trade of death.
In self-defense, he would have to yield to the pressure of solemn rebuke.
3.
Lewdness.
This
widespread evil should be universally rebuked.
It
should be rebuked unsparingly, not only from the pulpit, but also by the press,
and in the street, until it is driven out from its strong holds, and forced to
hide in the chambers of hell where it belongs.
4.
Slavery.
What! Shall men be allowed to commit one of the
most God-dishonoring and most heaven-daring sins on earth, and not be
reproved? It is a sin against which all
men should bear testimony, and lift up their voice like a trumpet, until this
giant iniquity is banished from the land and from the world.
VI. I will now consider some of the difficulties
that are sometimes raised to prevent this duty from being performed.
1.
It is often asked, “Is it a duty to reprove my neighbor when there is no chance
that it will do him any good?”
It
may be very important to reprove sin in many situations where there is no
chance that the individual whom you reprove will benefit. This is especially true in situations where
your silence would he taken for approving of his sin. This is also true when his rebuke may prevent others from
committing the same crime. Whenever the
offender comes properly under the description of a scoffer or a swine, there
God has made an exception, and you are not required to reprove. But in other situations, the duty is yours,
the consequences is God’s.
2.
It is asked, “Should I reprove strangers?”
Why
not? Is not the stranger your
neighbor? You are not to reprove a
stranger in the same way that you would rebuke someone you know very well, but
the fact that he is a stranger is no reason why he should not he reproved if he
breaks the command of God. If a man
swears profanely, or breaks the Sabbath in your presence, his being a stranger
does not excuse you from your duty and your responsibility to administering
reproof, or to try to bring him to repentance and save his soul.
3.
It is asked, “Should we reprove a person when he is drunk”?
Generally
not, for when a person is drunk he really can’t think straight. There may be situations where a rebuke is
used to warn others. But as far as the
drunkard is concerned, generally it is not appropriate. There are many
situations however, where reproof to someone even when drunk, has taken such a
hold on his mind as to sober him and turn him from his beastly sin.
4.
“Shall we reprove great men, and those who are above us in society, and who may
look down on us and on our reproofs with contempt”?
A
person’s position in society does not alter your duty. “You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and
not bear sin because of him.” You should
bear in mind the relationship in which he stands and treat him
accordingly. Still, if he sins against
God, it is your duty to reprove him in an appropriate manner.
REMARKS.
1.
Do not talk about people's sins, but go and reprove them.
It
is very common to talk about people's sins behind their backs, but this is
wicked. If you want to talk about any
person's sins, go and talk to him about them, and try to get him to repent and
forsake them. Do not go and talk to
others behind his back, and let him to go on in his sins, unwarned, to hell.
2.
Few professing Christians today are sufficiently conscientious enough to
practice this duty.
I
suppose there are thousands in this city, who never think of doing it. Yes, professing Christians live in habitual
disobedience to this plain, and strongly expressed command of God. Then they wonder why they do not have the
spirit of prayer, and why there are no more revivals! Wonder!
3.
Do you see why only a few enjoy religion?
Most
so-called Christians live in habitual neglect of this command, making excuses,
when God has said there shall be no excuse.
How can they enjoy religion?
What would the universe think of God, if He should grant the joys of
religion to such unfaithful pew warmers?
4.
We see that most professing Christians today have more regard for their own
reputation than for God’s requirements.
The
proof is, that rather than run the risk of being called censorious, or of
gaining enemies by rebuking sin, they will let men go on in sin, in spite of
the fact that God says, “You shall surely rebuke your neighbor.” “But I shall offend him if I reprove his
sin.” He says. “Rebuke him anyway.” Jehovah replies. Their failure to obey this command shows that they have greater
fear of men than of God. For fear of offending
men, they run the risk of offending God.
Yes, they would rather disobey God in one of His plainest and strongest
commandments, rather than incur the displeasure of men by rebuking their sins.
5.
No one has a right to say to us, when we reprove him for his sin, that it is
none of our business to meddle with him.
Often,
transgressors tell those who faithfully reprove them that they had better mind
their own business and not meddle with what does not concern them. They are called meddlers and busy bodies,
for interfering in other people's business.
In the South, many have worked themselves up into a great rage because
the Northerners are trying to convince them of the wickedness of slavery. And they say it is none of our business,
that slavery is their own business, and they will not allow anybody else to
interfere with them. They want us to
leave them alone, and will not even allow us to talk about the subject. They also want our Northern legislatures to
pass laws forbidding us to rebuke our Southern neighbors for their sin of
holding men in slavery. God forbid that
we should be silent. Jehovah himself
has commanded us to rebuke our neighbor no matter what the consequences
are. And we will rebuke them even if
all hell rises up against it.
Should
we to hold our peace and be partakers in the sin of slavery, by our silence, as
we have been? God forbid. We will speak about it. We will bear our testimony against it. We will pray over it; and we will complain
about it to God and man. Heaven will
know, and the world will know, and hell will know, that we protest against that
sin and will continue to rebuke it, until it is broken up. God Almighty says, “You shall surely rebuke
your neighbor.” and we must do it.
So
the drug dealer is all the while pleading, “It is none of your business what I
do. Please mind your own business and
leave me alone.” But it is our business
to reprove him when he dispenses his poison, and it is everybody's concern, and
every man is required to rebuke his crime until he gives it up and ceases to
destroy the lives and souls of his neighbors.
6.
We see the importance of consistency in religion.
If
a man claims to love God, he should have enough consistency to reprove those
that oppose God. If Christians were
only consistent in this duty, many would be converted by it, a right public
sentiment would be formed, and sin would be rebuked and forced to retire before
the majesty of Christian rebuke. If
Christians were not such cowards, and completely disobedient to this plain command
of God, one thing would certainly come of it.
Either they would be murdered in the streets as martyrs, because men
could not bear the intolerable presence of truth, or they would be speedily
converted to God.
What
shall we say to such professing Christians?
Afraid to reprove sinners! When
God commands, they are not prepared to obey!
How will they answer it to God?
Now,
beloved, will you practice this duty?
Will you reprove sin faithfully, so as not to bear sin because of your
neighbor? Will you make your whole life
a testimony against sin? Will you clear
your souls, or will you hold your peace and be weighed down with the guilt of
all the transgressors around you and within the sphere of your influence? God says, “You shall surely rebuke your neighbor,
and not bear sin because of him”.