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Reconciliation/Restoration · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking. Today we're doing a deep dive
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into something really central biblical reconciliation and
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restoration. Yeah, it's a big.
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One, we've got this stack of sources you shared, notes,
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research bits, and they paint, well, quite a picture of what it
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means for followers of Christ to live in peace, especially, you
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know, when things breakdown between people.
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That's right. And our job here really is to
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dig into all this material, pull out the key ideas.
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We want to get a handle on what biblical reconciliation actually
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means according to these sources, how it works and why
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it's presented as well, more than just a good idea, something
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really essential for anyone following Christ, like fighting
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those really valuable Nuggets, you know?
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So First things first, the why. The sources are really clear on
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this from the get go. Seeking peace with others isn't
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some kind of like optional extra credit in the Christian life.
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It flows directly, almost unavoidably, from a believer's
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own relationship with God. Yeah, the sources hammer this
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home. God's actions determine our
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actions. It's a powerful idea when you
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stop and think. About it, it really is.
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God through Christ, he already forgave us, brought us into
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peace with Himself, and He did that when we were enemies
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totally at odds with Him when we were, as one source puts it,
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100% of the problem. Right, the whole problem.
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Because God showed such incredible mercy, such love,
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sending his Son to make peace right where there was hostility.
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Well, the logic follows. If you've received that kind of
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peace, you're then compelled really to extend it to others.
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And it doesn't stop just there. The material brings up what it
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terms the ministry of reconciliation.
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That's from Second Corinthians chapter 5.
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It's like God and just fix things for us.
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He then turns around and says, OK, now you're part of the
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reconciliation team. He gives us this task he just
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performed. Wow.
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So what does that look like? This ministry?
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The sources say believers are like ambassadors for Christ.
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Ambassadors. We've been given this message,
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the message of reconciliation, and it applies broadly, sure.
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It means calling people outside the faith to be reconciled to
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God through repentance and faith.
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Definitely. But.
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And this is key for today. It also means living it out
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actively pursuing reconciliation within the church among fellow
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believers. Exactly, and the sources really
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stressed this point. For someone who believes
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reconciliation with other people ought to be an obvious, visible
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fruit in their life, it shouldn't feel like tacked on or
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unnatural. It should be a natural overflow,
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something that just comes out because you genuinely grasp the
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incredible thing God did for you in Christ.
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You model it. So that's not just nice, it's
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it's commanded. The sources say seeking peace,
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seeking reconciliation is mandated all over the Bible, all
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over. There's really no wiggle room
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presented here. No biblical out for saying Nah,
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not for me. And they're.
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Careful, too, to say what reconciliation is not, which is
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helpful because we mix it up sometimes.
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OK, yeah, be quick. It's definitely not just, you
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know, cutting ties and running when things get tough.
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One source calls that the antithesis of the gospel.
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Pretty strong words. And it's also not just like
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agreeing to disagree and then ignoring each other forever.
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You know, a mutual agreement and to remain at odds but just not
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talk about it, That's just avoiding the fight.
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It's not the peace the Bible talks about.
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OK, So what is it then according to this material?
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True reconciliation is being restored to normal relations or
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harmony with someone. Harmony OK, Yeah.
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They use that analogy harmony, like voices singing together.
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They're not all hitting the exact same note, right?
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People in conflict might still see things differently, might
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not agree on who did what or who's more to blame, right?
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Reality is often messy. But the goal isn't getting
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everyone to sing the same note or agree on every detail of the
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past. The goal is for the voices, the
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people, to complement each other again, to be at peace.
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The aim is to be at peace with one another and no longer at
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odds. That Harmony idea really helps.
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Picture it and you know, the sources bring in this incredible
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story that kind of puts flesh on these ideas, the story of Lee
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Hood and Rusty Weiber. Oh yeah, powerful one.
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Lee Wheat's sister Della Summers was murdered murdered by Rusty
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Weimer. You can only imagine the raw
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hatred Lee felt. The sources say he initially
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just wished he could kill Rusty himself.
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Yeah, intense. And the back stories are
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something else. Lee.
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He wasn't exactly squeaky clean himself.
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Had been in jail, what, 56 times?
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56 times. His life turned around when he
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became a Christian and Rusty Weimer, he's on death row.
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The sources describe him and just awful conditions.
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One says literally rotting in his cell, covered with half
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eaten food, pornography and roaches crawling all over him.
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Just grim. Unbelievable.
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And he comes to Faith there on death row through the ministry
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of this guy, Bob Mallester, who himself found Faith after his
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own life collapsed, lost his marriage, his job.
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So you've got these two guys, lives shattered, then touched by
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Grace Lee dealing with his sister's murder and his own
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past, Rusty facing execution, finding faith in the darkest
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place. And the sources say at least
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it's really wrestling with this, thinking about Jesus on the
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cross, thinking about the Lord's Prayer, you know, forgive us our
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debts as we forgive our debtors. And it hits him, even though
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everything inside him screamed against it.
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He realized he had to forgive. That realization coming straight
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from thinking about God's forgiveness.
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Well, it sets the stage for something pretty extraordinary.
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So we've got the why. God's grace compels us.
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Now the sources get super practical.
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Who makes the first move when there's conflict?
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Who starts the peace process? Right.
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The Who And the answer in these sources is, well, pretty direct.
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The believer initiates always, doesn't matter who, sin first,
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doesn't matter who. Seems more wrong.
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The believer is called to go first.
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OK, let's break that down. The sources look at 2 scenarios.
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1st if you send you initiate. Exactly.
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They point to Matthew 5 verses 23 and 24, and the picture there
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is striking. It really is.
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You're there, maybe about to worship, bringing your gift to
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the altar. The source likens it too, and
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suddenly you remember, oh wait, so and so has something against
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me because of something I did. The instruction.
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Leave your gift there. Go first, be reconciled, and
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then come and offer your gift. Drop everything.
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Go fix it. The urgency there is just
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arresting. The sources say there should be
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no reason for any delay. If you send you initiate, they
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point out, you're told to literally stop worshipping.
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Yeah, pause that core act of faith, because seeking
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reconciliation is that important.
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And think about the implication the sources draw out.
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How can you genuinely celebrate being reconciled to God
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yourself? Maybe in taking communion or
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just in worship? If you're OK with staying at
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odds with someone else? If you just don't care about
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that broken relationship, there's a hypocrisy there.
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Yeah, that gets deep. OK, so that's if I sinned.
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What about the other way around? Scenario 2 if they sinned
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against me. Still you the sources point to
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Matthew 18. The command is still to the
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believer who was wronged. If your brother sins against
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you, you go to him. Go and tell him his fault
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between you and him. Alone.
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Oh, he's still initiate. You still initiate and notice
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the process laid out. Go privately first, just the two
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of you. The point isn't to, you know,
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gather your allies first, build your case, rally the troops
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against them, or even run to the pastor right away, though
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getting counsel later might be needed.
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Step one is direct private, just between the two involved and.
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What's the goal when you go in that situation?
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The sources are really clear, yes.
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You're not going to just to go tell them how wrong they are or,
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you know, give them a piece of my mind.
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That's not it. Definitely not the.
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Purpose explicitly is aiming at reconciliation.
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You're trying to restore peace, not just vent or win.
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So you put those two together, you send, you go, they send, you
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go. And the principle that emerges
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according to these sources is pretty comprehensive.
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It doesn't matter who send, who did more, whatever, you're going
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to seek reconciliation. It's always proactive for the
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believer, right? The sources even paint this
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little picture. Imagine two people in conflict,
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both go get godly counsel, and both are told go make it right.
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Theoretically, they should bump into each other on the path both
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heading towards fixing it. Yeah, that's a good picture.
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And again, leave what? It's story just slams his point
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home. Rusty Wimmer committed this
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horrific sin against Lee's family.
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Undeniably, Rusty sinned against Lee.
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No question yet who initiated Lee?
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Did he chose to go first, writing that letter in the
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summer of 89. He lived out this principle.
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The believer initiates even when they're the victim of a terrible
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wrong. OK, so we know why we reconcile.
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Because of God's grace, we know who starts the believer always.
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Now how? How do we actually pursue this
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piece? The sources say it absolutely
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must be done in love. Yeah, in love, and not just like
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a vague warm feeling Biblical love.
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And the sources highlight two foundational principles for this
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love. First, there has to be this
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purposeful intent, a real aim to love God with everything, heart,
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soul, mind. The great commandment.
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Exactly. If that foundation is shaky, the
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sources say, trying to reconcile with others is going to be
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incredibly hard because your motives get tangled up.
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Your deepest desire needs to be loving God, pleasing Him, not
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just getting what you want. OK, that's foundation 1 is the
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second. 2nd is loving others as you already love yourself.
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Basically the golden rule. Due to others as you'd want them
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to do to you. Yep.
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Apply the same care patients, understanding to them that you
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naturally give yourself. Makes sense.
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Then the sources really zero in on 1st Corinthians 13, those
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famous verses about love. They present these
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characteristics not just as nice ideals, but almost as a
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diagnostic tool. They call it an indictment,
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revealing where we fall short, where we need to grow,
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especially when we try to apply it to reconciliation.
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It's worth spending some real time on these.
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OK, let's do it. All right, first up, love is
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patient. It bears pain or trials without
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just complaining all the time. It shows forbearance, restraint,
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even when provoked. So in a conflict, in a conflict,
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it means being patient even when you feel like forcefully
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expressing yourself, when the other person is difficult, when
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things move slowly, when they don't respond how you hoped, you
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hang in there patiently. Love is kind, and this is more
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than just not being nasty. It's actively sympathetic,
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considerate, gentle, agreeable. The sources make a great point
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here. Patience without kindness can
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just be tolerance. Yeah, just putting up with
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someone isn't really love. Right.
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Real love seeking peace. Find something genuinely kind or
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gracious to say, even when your gut reaction is to lash out and
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criticize. OK?
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Love is not jealous. In relationships, this means no
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rivalry. It actively works for the other
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person's well-being. It avoids, you know, pointing
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out their flaws or failures, especially when they're already
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down or struggling in the conflict it wants.
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Good for them. Doesn't feel threatened by them.
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Exactly. Then love does not brag and is
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not arrogant. It doesn't show off.
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It doesn't puff itself up, especially in a disagreement.
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Even when you were totally convinced you're right.
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Love does not assert itself or become overbearing.
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One source gets this powerful example being able to walk away
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from a conversation knowing you're right, but not demanding
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that others know it or acknowledge it.
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Wow, that's tough. It is Love lifts others up,
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avoids that one upping temptation.
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Next, love does not act unbecomingly.
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It behaves properly, appropriately, in a way that
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honors the Lord. So no rudeness, no cheap shots,
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even if you think it might help your case.
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Exactly. Even if being rude might get
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attention or seem effective in the short term, love sticks to
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what's right then a huge one for reconciliation.
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Love does not seek its own. OK, unpack that.
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It means love doesn't prioritize fulfilling only your own desires
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or insisting on getting your way in the conflict.
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It's described as an act of the will that seeks to serve and not
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be served. How does that play out in a
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tense talk? It means going into that
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conversation with a greater desire to understand than to be
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understood, putting their good and the relationship's health
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above your own comfort or need to win.
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Greater desire to understand than be understood.
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That's yeah, that changes things.
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It really does. Next, love is not provoked.
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It's not easily angered or stirred up into outbursts.
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Even if the other person is trying to push your buttons,
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Love Stays Gentle refuses to get sucked into that reactive cycle.
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Stays steady. Yeah, and then maybe one of the
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hardest love does not take into account a wrong suffered.
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Doesn't keep score. Doesn't keep score.
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Doesn't hold a grudge. It actively chooses not to keep
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bringing up past failures as ammunition.
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Doesn't return evil for evil. This is where the sources link
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it to. Love covers a multitude of sins.
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Not ignoring sin, but choosing grace over a Ledger of offenses.
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Then love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, it actually
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grieves over sin and its effects.
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Even if someone who wronged you messes up or suffers something
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that seems like payback, Love doesn't take secret pleasure in
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it. No smirking.
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No, told you so. Right.
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Instead, it wants their repentance, their restoration
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ultimately with God. And conversely, love rejoices
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with the truth. It's glad when truth prevails,
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even if that truth is difficult or costly.
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No hiding, no spin. No hiding, no sugar coating the
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truth, even when it hurts. As one source puts it, real
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reconciliation needs truth, even hard truth.
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Then love bears all things. It's tolerant.
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It endures difficult people, difficult situations, keeps an
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eternal perspective, trusting God's working through it.
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Gets you through. Helps you get through.
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Yeah, Love believes all things. Now, this doesn't mean being
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gullible. It means accepting trustfully,
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not jumping to judge motives, giving the benefit of the doubt
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until facts prove otherwise. And even if trust is broken,
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Love looks for ways to help restore trustworthiness if
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possible. Gives people a chance.
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Gives people a chance. Love hopes all things, even when
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things look bleak. Love expects God's plan to
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unfold. It anticipates the best for the
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other person, wants their good. It entrusts them and the
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situation to God even when we can't see the way forward.
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Keeps looking up. Exactly.
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And love endures all things when you feel like you just cannot
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take it anymore. Love remains steadfast.
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It keeps going, keeps acting in love, even returning blessing
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for cursing under hardship. Doesn't give up.
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Doesn't give up. And finally, love never fails
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this description. It's ultimate character.
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It won't crumble under pressure. It stays selflessly faithful.
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Keep seeking the others good, even at great personal cost.
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Wow. OK, going through that list
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that's that's an incredibly high standard, almost seems
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impossible. It does, and that's where the
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sources immediately connected back to the gospel.
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How so? They state that Jesus Christ did
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all of these things perfectly, every single one, and for
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believers, reconciled through him.
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When God looks at you, He sees Christ's perfect love.
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All of these things are credited to your account.
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So it's not about us achieving perfection and love to be
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accepted by God. Exactly.
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That's crucial for motivation. We're already accepted, already
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reconciled through Christ. The reason we work on these
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things, why we try to love like this in messy relationships,
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isn't to earn God's favor, then why?
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It's to become more Christ like, to please him, to be like him.
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It's a response, gratitude, obedience.
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And the sources are refreshingly honest.
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None of us have arrived. We're all works.
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Some progress here. OK, so if this love isn't
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something we naturally produce perfectly, where does it come
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from? How do we even begin?
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Good question. The sources point straight to
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God again. They say believers already have
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access to this kind of love because all of God's love has
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been poured out into your hearts through the Holy Spirit.
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That's quoting Romans 5.5. Poured out into our hearts.
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So the love is it's already there.
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That's the idea. The challenge isn't usually an
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empty love tank that we need to somehow fill up ourselves.
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The love needed for this hard work of reconciliation is in
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principle already present through the Spirit.
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So the struggle is the. Struggle, the sources suggest,
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is yielding to the Holy Spirit, letting that Love Actually flow
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out, especially when everything in us, our feelings, our pride,
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wants to hold it back or do the opposite.
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That brings up the whole feelings thing, doesn't it?
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If love is described this way as as patient, kind, not provoked,
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what if I just don't feel loving towards someone who really hurt
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me? Yeah, the sources tackle that
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head on. They're clear.
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Biblical love is not primarily based on your feelings at the
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moment. It's presented as a purposeful
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decision, an act of your will, like making a covenant
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commitment before God. You're commanded to act in love
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despite your feelings, not wait until you magically feel warm
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and fuzzy. Act despite feelings.
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That's demanding. It is, but there's a balance to
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the sources also say we are commanded to actually feel love
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for others, to love earnestly from a pure heart.
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That's from first Peter 1.22. So we should feel it too.
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Yeah, the idea seems to be you act in love by God's grace, even
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when feelings aren't there. But if those feelings
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consistently don't follow the actions, that's something to
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bring to the Lord. Confess it.
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Ask for help. Sincere love involves
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compassion. Actively working with the
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Spirit's help to align our hearts with God's commands.
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Trying to feel the right thing. OK, that makes sense.
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Act first, pray for feelings to follow.
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And the sources offer this really helpful question, right?
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For when things get complicated. Yes.
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When you're stuck, overwhelmed, not sure what the next step is
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in a messy reconciliation attempt, just ask yourself
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what's the most loving thing to do right now?
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Based on everything we just talked about from First
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Corinthians 13. Exactly.
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Grounded in that biblical picture of love, that question
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can often cut through the fog and show the next faithful step.
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And thinking back to Lee Wheat, his decision to forgive Rusty
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Wimmer, that wasn't about feelings initially, was it?
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Doesn't sound like it. The sources portray it as this
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profound act of will rooted in understanding Christ's love for
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him. He chose to act in biblical love
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to extend forgiveness despite the pain, despite the hatred
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he'd felt. That letter saying I love you
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wasn't just an emotional update. It was a declaration of a chosen
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commanded Christ, like love. OK, so we've covered the why,
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The Who, the how. Let's get down to the nitty
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gritty. What do you actually say?
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What do you do when you're sitting across from someone
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trying to make peace? Right, the practical steps and
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remember the goal that the sources keep reminding us.
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Seek reconciliation. Aim for that harmony where
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people can complement one another again.
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Even if you don't see eye to eye on everything.
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Exactly. The goal is explicitly not to
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seek to be right or to win an argument.
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That's huge. OK, so scenario one again, you
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send, you're going to ask for forgiveness.
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What are the sources say to do? 3 clear steps.
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One, acknowledge the hurt you caused.
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Not just sorry you feel hurt, but sorry I hurt you.
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Precisely acknowledge your actions caused pain, both to
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them and ultimately to God. You say the words.
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I'm sorry. Step 2.
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Confess your sin with specifics. Don't be vague, don't make
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excuses. Name the wrong you did.
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Shows you really get it. Own it and three.
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You ask the question directly. Will you forgive me?
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Put it out there. Request the mending.
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Acknowledge, confess, ask. OK, now flip side, they send
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against you. You're initiating.
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Like Matthew 18 says, this is the loving confrontation.
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What guides that? The sources give 4 crucial self
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check questions. You have to honestly answer yes
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to all four before you even approach them.
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It's all about checking your own heart first.
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OK, what are they? One, have you removed the log
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from your own eye first? That's Matthew 7.
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Right. Deal with your own stuff first.
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Yeah, have you seriously looked at your own part in this?
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Confessed your own sin to God? Dealt with your issues before
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you try to address theirs. Got to do that.
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First makes sense, yeah #2. Are you able to go with a spirit
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of gentleness? That's from Galatians 6.
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It means being led by the spirit, not going in angry or
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feeling superior or judgmental. Humbly recognizing you could
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mess up too. Gentleness OK 3.
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Have you really thought through how they'll receive this?
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Have you considered that this is probably going to be painful for
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them to hear? Put yourself in their shoes.
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Exactly. Go with compassion.
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Understand as the source says, discipline is never enjoyable in
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the moment. Thinking about their potential
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pain should shape your whole tone and approach.
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Empathy. Got it.
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And the fourth question. Are you going with the genuine
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goal of restoring them to God and for the good of the church
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community, or is it mostly just because they annoyed you or
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crossed your personal preferences?
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Motive check. Big time.
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Is your main concern their sin against God and their spiritual
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health, or just how their actions impacted you?
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That distinction is critical, the sources say.
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Wow. Log gentleness, Empathy,
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restoration mode if you got to pass all four checks before you
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go. That's the standard presented.
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And there's a practical tip too, right for this scenario?
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Yeah, before you even have the confrontation, the sources
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advise. Pray, ask questions and try to
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understand their perspective first.
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Don't just assume you know the whole story.
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Right. Resist the urge to go in with
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both barrels as they put it. Seek understanding before you
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confront. It helps make sure you're
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addressing the real issue and doing it in that loving, gentle
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way we talked about. That careful approach really
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ties back to those First Corinthians 13 qualities.
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Patience, kindness, not seeking your own.
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Exactly. It's love in action.
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OK, so after reconciliation or maybe alongside it, the sources
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bring up restoration. They're related but distinct.
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How many different reconciliation is achieving
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peace? Getting that dislocated shoulder
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back in the socket? Using that earlier analogy,
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immediate relief pieces made Restoration is well, it's more
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like the physical therapy after the shoulder is back in.
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The healing process. Yeah, restoration means to put
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the relationship into its proper condition, making it healthy and
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functional again. The sources use another picture,
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mending Nets like the disciples did, putting things back
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together properly after they've been torn.
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Mending Nets OK. But here's the key thing.
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The source is stress. There's no blanket answer for
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what restoration looks like. It's not one-size-fits-all.
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Not at all, it's super context dependent.
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Depends on the people, the sin, the history.
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And critically, restoration may not mean returning the
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relationship to what it was before.
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Doesn't necessarily mean going back to the old normal.
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Right. Sometimes after serious hurt or
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broken trust, the proper condition might look different.
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Maybe new boundaries are needed, a different kind of interaction,
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even after peace reconciliation is achieved.
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So how do you figure out what Restoration should look like?
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The sources give some questions to wrestle with.
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They do several practical ones. Do we need to go back to what we
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were before? Really question that assumption?
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Maybe yes, maybe no. Second, what is your conscience
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say? And that's your conscience
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informed by Scripture, not just your feelings or preferences.
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What is God's Word applied here seem to indicate?
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Scripture informed conscience. Got it. 3rd what do other godly
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counselors say? Get objective input.
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Wise believers who aren't emotionally entangled can offer
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perspective. Seek counsel.
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Makes sense? 4th What other biblical passages
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and principles apply to your specific situation?
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Are there other commands or truths that bear on this
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particular kind of relationship or offense?
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Dig deeper into the word. Yeah.
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And 5th should changes be made to the relationship?
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If yes, why? The sources say the reason for
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considering changes is crucial. Is it out of lingering
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bitterness or out of genuine wisdom, safety or prudence
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needed after what happened? Motive again, always back to the
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heart. Always.
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And one more really vital point about restoration and
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forgiveness. It does not mean pretending that
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past wrongs never happened. Doesn't erase the past.
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No consequences can still exist. Forgiveness doesn't
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automatically remove all consequences.
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They point to King David in Psalm 51.
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He was truly repentant, truly forgiven by God for his terrible
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sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. Yeah, a classic passage of
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repentance. But he still faced heavy
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consequences in his family and Kingdom afterwards, and he
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didn't blame God for them. The sources even say you can be
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at peace with someone and still press charges, meaning biblical
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reconciliation doesn't necessarily negate legal
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accountability or natural consequences.
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That's sobering. Peace doesn't mean no
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consequences. It seems not according to these
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sources. And the Lee White story again.
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Their reconciliation was profound.
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They became brothers, at peace with one another.
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But the restoration wasn't back to what it used to be.
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They had no Before Rusty murdered Lee's sister, their
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relationship was restored, the sources suggest, to what it
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should be in God's eyes, brothers in Christ reconciled to
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God and therefore to each other, a new reality.
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A powerful picture of restoration not meaning return,
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but transformation. And remember the consequence Lee
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faced. Oh yeah, his own family.
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His own family kicked him out, cut him off for forgiving Rusty.
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Unbelievable. It shows that even when you
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pursue reconciliation faithfully, there can be
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fallout, painful consequences that then require you to apply
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these same principles all over again in those new broken
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relationships. It doesn't always end neatly.
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Which leads right into that really tough question the
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sources address. What happens when you do your
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part? You follow the steps, you go and
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love, but the other person just refuses?
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They won't repent, won't talk, won't reconcile.
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Yeah, that's a hard reality. The sources approach this based
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on whether the other person claims to be a believer or not.
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OK, so first, if they're not a professing believer, someone
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outside the faith? Then the sources say
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reconciliation, while desired, is not always possible from
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their side. Our responsibility comes from
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Romans 12.1 heen. If possible, so far as it
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depends on you, live peaceably with all.
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So far as it depends on you, what does that actually mean?
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Doing your part in that situation.
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It means you keep acting in love towards them as much as you can.
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You remain ready to reconcile if they ever change their mind.
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You pray for them. You do everything your side of
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the equation requires according to biblical love.
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You stand ready before God. Even if they never respond.
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Even if they never respond, you fulfill your calling before the
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Lord. That sounds incredibly painful,
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especially with family. Oh, absolutely.
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The sources acknowledge the deep heartbreak using the example of
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parents whose adult kids just walk away, cut off all contact.
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The question for those parents before God is, have you done
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everything you can to be at peace, everything you can to
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reconcile? If the answer is yes, then
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you've done what God requires of you, even amidst the ongoing
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pain of the brokenness caused by the other person's choice.
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OK. But what if the person refusing
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to repent or reconcile is a professing believer, someone in
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the church? Then the situation changes.
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If those initial private steps from Matthew 18 fail, going
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one-on-one, then maybe with one or two others, the next step
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outlined is to pursue church discipline.
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Church discipline? That sounds harsh to modern
27:27
ears. It can, but the sources frame it
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as a loving process, like loving parents disciplining a child.
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The goal isn't primarily punishment or kicking them out.
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That's the goal then. It's aimed at restoration,
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bringing them back to repent, back to fellowship with God and
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his people. It becomes, as the sources say,
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an ecclesiological issue, a church matter.
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You need to work with your church on this, following that
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biblical process. So it's a serious but ultimately
27:56
loving and restorative step for a believer who refuses
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reconciliation. That's how it's presented here,
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yeah. But regardless of the outcome,
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whether dealing with an unbeliever who refuses or a
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believer who requires church discipline, or even if
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reconciliation is achieved but it's messy, there's a final
28:13
point of encouragement in the source.
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Yes, and it's really important they state that God can be 100%
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pleased or fully pleased with you based on your efforts,
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regardless of how the circumstances turn out.
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So God looks at our faithfulness and trying.
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Exactly. Our role is to do everything
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that depends on us to live peaceably, to apply these
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principles of love and reconciliation faithfully.
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Then we have to trust the Lord with the results which are
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ultimately in His hands, not ours.
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That takes the pressure off needing a perfect outcome,
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doesn't it? Focus on faithful process.
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Trust God with results. Like Lee Hogue with his family,
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he achieved reconciliation with Rusty but faced new brokenness.
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His call was still the same, act in love, seek peace as far as it
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depended on him, and trust God with his family's response.
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Powerful stuff. OK, based on everything we've
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dug into from these sources today, here's something to maybe
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queue on. This week, we talked about how
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biblical love means going into those tense conversations with a
29:10
greater desire to understand than to be understood.
29:13
That one really stood out. Yeah.
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So the question is, how might applying just that one
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principle, prioritizing understanding over being
29:20
understood, how might that reshape even 1 strained
29:24
relationship in your life this week?
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What could change if understanding became the primary
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goal? That's a good challenge.
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Yeah. We've covered a lot.
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The why being God's grace, The Who, being the believer,
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initiating the how through that detailed picture of biblical
29:39
love from First Corinthians 13. Yeah.
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And the what the specific steps for seeking forgiveness or
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confronting gently, then distinguishing reconciliation
29:48
from restoration and navigating that complex process.
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And finally, facing the tough reality of what to do when
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reconciliation is refused, Whether by believers or
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unbelievers, and finding encouragement in our
29:59
faithfulness to God's call regardless of the outcome.
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It's definitely rich, definitely challenging, and super practical
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for anyone trying to live out their faith when relationships
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get messy, which, let's be honest, happens to all of us for
30:13
sure. Well, thanks for joining us for
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this deep dive into the sources on biblical reconciliation and
30:18
restoration. We really hope digging into this
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has given you some valuable things to reflect on and maybe
30:23
even apply. Yeah, good stuff to think about.
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Until next time on reformed thinking, outro music fades in.