How do you help a brother or sister that sins?

[Hobie]

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We find many threads on what to do if you see a brother sin, usually to rebuke or point him out, but some times to just ridicule or worse things. But how about helping a brother or sister that has sinned, what do we do?

We had to help a brother in such a situation this week and it was amazing, and very uplifting to say the least. What would you do to help bring a brother or sister back before God and find forgiveness and be cleansed of all unrighteousness, especially when they know they have sinned...

 

[Josheb]

I will suggest the first step is to show them their error and then listen. One of three things typically happen.

1. A response consistent with sincere confession and repentance
2. A false response that sounds like a right response, but it is not manifested in their conduct.
3. An opposition to correction characterized by a variety of other sins (such as self-justification, blaming others, excuse making, attempts to change the subject, etc.).

But I think it also important to note 1 John 1:9 was written in the context of community. I don't expect strangers telling strangers about a stranger's sin to change a stranger.

 

[makesends]

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We find many threads on what to do if you see a brother sin, usually to rebuke or point him out, but some times to just ridicule or worse things. But how about helping a brother or sister that has sinned, what do we do?

We had to help a brother in such a situation this week and it was amazing, and very uplifting to say the least. What would you do to help bring a brother or sister back before God and find forgiveness and be cleansed of all unrighteousness, especially when they know they have sinned...

Partly, this depends on what is meant by 'sinned', or what kind of sin, how severe, how enslaved to it, etc. I daresay we all sin daily in ways we are not aware of, some of them publicly (such as a habitually angry, or easily angered person), and some of them privately, yet enslaved, such as gluttony. I've been reprimanded for not taking measures to avoid getting sunburned, by people who reason that my body being the temple of the Holy Spirit, I've sinned by damaging it in some way. Where is the line to be drawn?