At first, it might seem counterintuitive. But as I hover over part of my reading in Matthew 18 this morning, I’m thinking that if those of us in the church talked more about other believers’ sins, we’d have a closer, tighter, more transparent and authentic fellowship.

I’m not saying that we should all want the “gift of judging” others. I’m not saying that ours is to call out every sin we perceive in a brother or sister. Actually, it’s a pretty limited set of sins we’d be talking about.

And, I’m not saying that this would be a public calling out. I’m not talking about online posts, or offline gossiping or politicking. Not a crowd-sourced condemnation for the purposes of cancellation. Instead, it would be a private, loving, gentle conversation with the desire for reconciliation.

Oh, and one more thing . . . I don’t’ think it’s optional.

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” ~ Jesus

(Matthew 18:15 ESV)

Go and tell him his fault . . . That’s the command-to-obey I’m chewing on this morning. I’m not focused on the escalation (v. 16-17), just noodling on the initiation.

Long ago, I learned from some teacher or some commentary that what is translated as “if” could equally be translated as “since”. So, the possibility of a brother or sister sinning “against you” is really less about an unlikely “if” than it is an unsurprisingly “when.” Put a bunch of sinners saved by grace — who are battling the old nature every day when they wake up –together in community, and how likely is it that someone’s gonna sin against someone else? Pretty likely.

When that happens . . . go and tell them their fault.

Don’t go tell everyone else, keep it between you and them alone. And this isn’t about cataloguing all their faults; it’s just a conversation about that fault against you. Because it’s not about “giving it” to your brother, it’s about gaining your brother. It’s not about fracturing fellowship — that’s what sin wants to do. Instead, it’s about building up the fellowship. Reinforcing real relationship through reconciling, grace-filled conversations about things we’d just as soon avoid talking about. Things when not discussed will, over time, inevitably fracture the fellowship.

Seems to me that we (aka me) need to be willing to cross the fault line with one another.

Only by God’s grace.

To show a fractured world authentic unity for God’s glory.

Amen?