Our Duty

 Genesis 42-43; Psalms 5; Luke 17 

“…’If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent’, forgive him.’ The apostles said to the Lord, ‘increase our faith!’…’So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

Luke 17:3-5, 10

In the individualistic western culture marked by moral relativism, Jesus’ call to rebuke our brother for sin could be more challenging than his call to forgive our brother’s sin seven times in a day. We find it challenging to confront sin in one another’s lives. However, Jesus treats this call to both rebuke sin in one another and to forgive one another as simply our duty as servants of God. Rather than requiring great faith, Jesus’ focus is on duty as the motivation for mutual accountability and forgiveness in our relationships. This is every day, expected behavior of Christ-followers.

Who is God calling us to forgive?

Are we open to rebuke from others in our lives when they notice attitudes, behavior, or words that grieve God?

“Lord Jesus, I choose to forgive and not ignore sin in my life and in the lives of others, for your glory.”