Guilting

As a leader of a group there is no love in placing guilt on the conscience of those who you profess to love.

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Acts 24:15,16

15

and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 16

So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

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Each believer deals with their own conscience. It is a daily struggle to overcome the worry of each day. As each person grows from the same vine, they still grow independently, and in time bear fruit that is unique and glorious to the Lord.

As a leader or a fellow believer, you witness one of your spiritual family needing correction, it is good to take them aside, with one or two others, and bring them into correct understanding, yes. But that is not to be interpreted as an opportunity to judge them. It is self righteous and hypocritical, to judge another by their acts. And worse than this, to use passive aggression to place guilt on another to justify your own development on the vine.

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Proverbs 9:10-12

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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11

For through wisdom b your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.

12

If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;

if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.

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The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. And by that fear, we make an attempt to approach all things by the fruits of love. That includes instruction and our actions. We are not here to mock people, create fear, or rely on fear to subjugate or manipulate others into what we consider good practice. This type of leadership leads people to doubt, which we then will be judged for.

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Matthew 18:6,7

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“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

7

Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!

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Guilt is powerless, and wicked. There is no life in it, and it bears no good fruit. If we are taught to remain in guilt, why did Jesus die for our sin? No, we are free. Not to continue to sin, but to grow in faith, to desire what is righteous. This is our reconciliation to the Father through the authority of His son. We all grow at a pace that is not overwhelming, but a constant progression. Love is gentle, kind, and nurturing. Guilting fellow believers is false ministry.

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