Page 20 - September 2025 - Truth & Tidings

believers at Corinth in their ministry of or saving the assembly. The mind of Christ
giving, said, “if there be first a willing will first of all help me to value my brother
mind” (2Co 8:12). This introduces a crucial for whom Christ died. It will remind me
question: Do I really want to fully forgive that it took nothing less than His work on
and be reconciled to my brother? Am I the cross to establish the bond of fellow-
waiting for my proverbial pound of flesh ship between believers. We have been rec-
for the wrong done? Do I want him to suf- onciled not only to God but to each other.
fer a little before I reconcile? The Spirit of Sin’s ultimate work was to make us each
God envisions believers as being so desir- our own little “god,” striving for control
ous of reconciling that if we take both Mat- over others and “hating one another”
thew 5:23 and 18:15 we see an interesting (Titus 3:3). Only the “kindness and love of
similarity. In Matthew 5, I have offended God our Saviour” (v4) was able to make
my brother and am told to go to him and the radical change needed.
be reconciled. In Matthew 18, my brother But having the mind of Christ also
has offended me, and I am told to initiate means that I will seek, with the help of the
the process by going to him. So, whether Spirit of God, to choose not to remember
I have done the offending or I have been the wrong done to me in all my interac-
offended, I am to initiate reconciliation. tions with my brother. I will reflect on how
The picture is of two brethren, the offender
and the offended, rising up and rushing often I have had to confess the same sins
to my Father, how often I have grieved
to each other to resolve the problem and
warmly embrace. So, the first obstacle to Him, and how often He has forgiven and
overcome is my willingness to take the welcomed me back. When I am conscious
step toward genuine reconciliation. of this, it makes any offense done to me
dissolve in a sea of tears for His goodness.
But next, how do we overcome our
creature weakness – the memory we One final item should be mentioned.
carry of the offense, our wounds that cry What if my brother does not want to rec-
out for retaliation? Paul established a oncile? I am never responsible for another
general principle that should control all believer’s response, only for my own. I
our interaction with fellow believers. It am called upon to forgive, and embraced
is a high standard, and it can be costly: in that spirit of forgiveness is the goal of
“Let this mind be in you which was also reconciliation. If, however, the offended
in Christ Jesus” (Php 2:5). To think of oth- party chooses not to accept my apology
ers as Christ thought of us is the ultimate and fails to forgive, or if reconciliation
and only effective cure for our creature is refused, I am to maintain a spirit of
limitations. God intends us to rise above forgiveness and a readiness to reconcile
what is natural and reach for that which at any future time. A refusal to reconcile
is spiritual. is likely an indication of an unforgiving
What does it mean to think as Christ spirit. That believer must be left, prayer-
thinks? What relevance did it have to the fully, with the Lord.
assembly at Philippi? The adoption of this “It must needs be that offences come”
mindset would enable them to “work out” (Mat 18:7), and if they do, we can view
any problem that existed in interpersonal them as opportunities to display Christ
relationships (Php 2:12), thus preserving to each other.

276 TRUTH kTidings September 2025