And if your brother sins (against you), go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

 Good morning. Jesus now talks about the man who had 100 sheep and one had gone astray. He leaves the 99 and goes to search for the one that is straying. Too many times we are more concerned about keeping the 99 from straying than we are about retrieving the one that did. Thus it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish. This would be an example of why I do not like the term “permissive will”. I prefer something like the "permissive boundaries" of God. It is within the boundaries that God will permit, though it may not truly be His will (desire). God permits it, but it is not His will. The word "will” implies desire. There are, however, limits to what God will permit. Just like God permits sin, but it is not His will. And if your brother sins (against you), go and reprove him on Facebook 😡- no, in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. Actually, a person can only sin against God. If he doesn't listen to you, bring one or two more with you to confront him. If he still does not listen to you, tell it to the entire church. If he does not listen to the church, then let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax gather (The lowest of the low). This is what some groups use as the basis for their shunning of members. It is an effective tool if used wisely. Of course in movies, we only see it used vindictively. Father thank You that You care deeply for us. You only want the best for us.

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