"SHOOT THE WOUNDED!"

Bam! There it is. This statement, "shoot the wounded", was made by a friend of mine recently and realyl encompasses the modern mentaility of the many Christians toward sinners, or more regularly, backsliders.

Do we carry a "shoot the wounded mentality?" Could it be that the very place we should find help in struggles and faults is the very place we put on a facade so we don't get shot by other church members?

I am inclined toward a few very immediate observations.

A- The Bible makes a consistent and successful effort to communicate the faults of Godly men and women. From King David's adultary to Tamar's deception, we find that the God-inspired writers of the scriptures found understanding human fallibility important to having favor with God. What I find more interestingly is that God doesn't immediately revoke His calling or blessing when His chosen fall.

B- Romans 3:23 tells us "for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God". Romans 5:8 tells us that "while we were STILL sinners, Christ dies for us." The implication here is that we all are and continue to be influenced by sin. I believe in sanctification (a process of movgin out of sinful motive and addiction) but not without maintanence. This term in Romans 5:8 "eti" (which means still or yet) is used to reference present. So it is saying that even though we remain sinners, Christ's sacrifice covers us. So we are all on the same level.
Why is this important? Romans 2:1 states that the measure in which we judge others, we will be judged. Now if our measure in Christianity is to "shoot the wounded" or condemn the fallen, sooner or later, we will be shot and condemned.

C- We are a lazy people. It appears to be our nature. This is the attitude we approach reconciliation and restoration with our peers. Reconciliation is tedious work. There is time, rebuilding, pain, adjustment, worry, confusion, and in some cases, resentment. It is much easier to "shoot" and break away.
I think of how many people of God lost it all after the revelation they had sinned. But God doesn't treat us with that laziness. He gives grace. When David sinned, he didn't cease to be king. Paul declares that he is the chiefest of sinners and uses the entire 7th chapter of Romans to express how wretched he tends to be, but God stil uses him.

I think our sin should become less of a problem the closer we get to God. We should flee youthful passions and lusts" but it is rediculous to think that we always succeed. But if we can get better day by day, gain more control of our addictions, and purge our evil motives, we will find that our sin is more easily avoided.

But this all starts with honesty and transparency. We cannot expect someone to succeed against sin if we are pressuring them to hide for thier lives everytime they come to church. Church should be the first place people express faults, troubles, and issues. Lets get back to that.