Living in the Image of God M03S12
To respond to a sin by an associate, provide them an opportunity to repent, even if the person has sinned and repented previously. Provide the opportunity diligently and with persistence. If they repent, accept the matter as resolved. However, if they refuse to repent, separate from them to protect yourself from sin.
We discuss Christ teaching to explain the individual responsibility regarding another person (an associate) that has committed sin. He teaches that you should provide the associate with an opportunity to repent. You should do this even if the person has sinned and repented previously. Also, you need to provide the opportunity diligently and with persistence. Christ describes several steps for escalating your effort by involving an increasing number of people. If the person repents, you should accept the matter as resolved. However, if they refuse to repent, then you should separate yourself from them.
The essence of the message is that a sin by an associate threatens your continued association with them, because you need to separate yourself from any person, thing, or event that may cause you to sin (see previous discussion under Individual Responsibility Regarding Sin). First, you should seek to help the associate to remove the sin. You should do so with diligence and persistence. If the associate repents, then accept. However, if the associate refuses to repent, then separate from him or her to protect yourself from sin.
We discuss specific steps based on Christ teaching for seeking to convince the associate to repent.
Providing Opportunity to Repent
Christ explains several potential steps for providing the associate an opportunity to repent. First, explain the sin to the person privately [Matthew 18:15]: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”
If that fails, try again in the company of a few others: “But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses’” [Matthew 18:16]. Subsequently, speak to him or her in the presence of an expanded audience, if necessary: “If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector” [Matthew 18:17].
Do this the same way even if the person sinned and repented previously; not minding the number of previous occurrences. If the associate repents, consider the matter resolved and accept. However, if the associate refuses to repent, then separate from him or her to protect yourself from sin. The purpose of the interaction is to provide opportunity for the associate to repent. If he or she repents, accept and continue to associate with them normally. However, if he or she refuses to repent, separate from them.
Number of Previous Occurrence
Christ explained that your effort at providing opportunity for repentance should not be hampered by previous occurrences of sin and repentance by the associate. You should engage to provide them the opportunity to repent, even if they sinned and repented previously: “Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them” [Luke 17:4]. Also, do this with diligence and persistence each time.
Summary of What We Learned
To respond to a sin by an associate, provide them an opportunity to repent, even if the person has sinned and repented previously. Provide the opportunity diligently and with persistence. If they repent, accept the matter as resolved. However, if they refuse to repent, separate from them to protect yourself from sin.