RESTORING THE ERRING We begin by making some assumptions that need to be addressed in other articles.  Firstly, we observe that saved  people do not become locked in robots regarding  salvation.  We believe lost and saved people are not predetermined by God to go to heaven or hell.  If this were true, God would be a respecter of   persons and not very loving toward the majority created in His image.  All have a gift from God called “free will.”  Christians can still sin.  Lost people can choose to be saved by expressing faith in God by obeying His will.  Saved people can make it their business to maintain their “saved” relationship with God through a living faith, or they can choose to be careless and become unfaithful and lose their saved relationship with God through Christ.  Man is given the freedom and power to choose his own eternal destiny. The second assumption is that if saved ones like Aaron, Judas, Peter, or the Nation of Israel sin, it is still possible for them to repent and be restored fully to their “saved” relationship with God through Christ.   These are restored fully and in every way are equal with all other Christians.  In other words they do not become viewed as second class.  God’s grace is this big.  We would understand that if a Christian sins and chooses to continue in that sin and will not repent that God’s grace will not stretch that far.  These sins make the grace of God of none effect to the erring (Rom. 4:14). In our respective congregations, Who are the Erring?  Christians can be overtaken in any trespass, sin, or fault.  It is clearly the responsibility of the spiritually strong person to involve themselves in the well being of the overtaken one (Gal. 6:1; Phil. 2:4).  These spiritually strong ones are found in the church family and have an    ongoing relationship with both strong and weak members of the congregation. Christians in the first century could leave  the passion of their first love for Christ and his church and so can Christians today (Rev. 2:4) and such can be restored.  The erring one is to be disciplined by the spiritually strong.  After teaching, the spiritual are charged by God to “withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly” (2 Thess. 3:6).  This is done for two reasons.  Both reasons are done because the spiritually strong love God.  We love God and this erring member this way to help them see clearly the seriousness of their condition and that they through the teaching of God’s word must repent and be restored.  Secondly, we love God and His congregation made up of strong and weak members by reminding ourselves that God says what He means and means what He says.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 111:10).  Often in their immature, childish, and foolish rebellion, the erring do not see the big picture.  The erring are to be approached, not in a harsh or judgmental sense, but in the spirit of gentleness, and in humility, soberly considering themselves and what they are doing (Gal. 6:1).   What is the Condition of the Erring before God?  If the erring deny that they are guilty of sin, the spiritual must ask if this person is self-deceived (1 Jn. 1:7-9).  If the erring one, however, simply confesses their sin, then this puts the problem away and all continue to grow spiritually together in Christ.  The erring need always to be careful regarding the sin of pride, which often compounds  problems relating to sin.   The unrepentant erring make shipwreck of their faith and bond with God (1 Tim. 1:19-20).  According to God these are in a worse condition than they were in before they were saved by the blood of Christ (2 Pet. 2:20-22).  Christians are charged by God to care about those who want to wander away from God.   What responsibility do Christians have to the Erring?  My human side is somewhat lazy and self- protective and wants to say just let them go; however, my God reminds me of His love in pursuing me so that I might be saved.  Jesus places a burden upon His people in His church.  We are to go and make it clear to them regarding the sin they are caught up in (Mt. 18:15-17).  Unfortunately, many    Christians refuse to do this prescribed work of Christ regarding the erring.  These are weak and do not understand the fullness of the love of God.  James 5:19-20 instructs us, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”  Christians are always responsible for those who are lost and for those who have been saved and then choose to wander away from the truth.   The Attitude of the one Involved in the Restoration of the Erring is to be evidenced in the Power of Humility.  It is not an attitude of demands, or intimidation, or manipulation.  Those things can sometimes work, but the attitude of Christ is to be evidenced in this work with the erring.  Christians are attracted to the leadership and direction of Christ because He gently invites us who are laboring and heavy ladened to come unto Him.  Jesus then chooses to share his responsibilities with us as Christians and with joy we are yoked to Christ who is our gentle and lowly in heart (Matt. 11:28-30).  Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking, and all malice are to be put away from God’s people.  It is to be replaced with one another relationships experienced as tenderheartedness, and forgiveness (Eph. 4:31-32).