It Is Time To Forgive And Affirm Love

But if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but to some extent-not to exaggerate it- to all of you. This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person; so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him ( II Corinthians 2:5-8).

A man in the church at Corinth did something unforgivable, causing the church to grieve. There is nothing more heartbreaking than a grieving church. If you don’t believe me just think of the funeral of a faithful pastor. It’s a sorrowful occasion, even though it’s a celebration of life. Church grief is the worst grief, especially when the cause is sin. The church at Corinth is grieving, and when Paul hears of their grief he also grieves. Paul’s is not overwhelm with grief, knowing that this kind of grief is not what the church needs. What the church needs is someone strong enough to pull them out of grief.

He tells them that their rejection of the man is punishment enough for what he did. It is now time for them to offer the man forgiveness and comfort, unless the man is consume with guilt and sorrow. Paul wants the church to confirm their love for the man.

There is someone in our lives that we need to forgive, unless they like the man in this text suffer excessive guilt, grief, and sorrow. If you love the person who hurt you, prove it, reaffirm your love.