It seems so hard to tell someone you love, NO!

You know what I mean. I love my wife and I would give her pretty much anything she'd like, without limits. For our children we change plans, bend rules, and look the other way most times to allow them what they desire sometimes. It's a human response, to seek acceptance and avoid conflict, but is it the right response?

Well - sometimes it is. Jesus tells us blessed are the merciful. He instructs us to turn the other cheek. He criticized those who abused the law by using to club someone else, pointing out that in the keeping of the law in this manner that those who use it to condemn others had forgotten love and mercy. Judge not, lest ye be judged he implores.

In Luke, Jesus praised the "good Samaritan" who was willing to help another with even a word spoken - and without any apparent gain or profit to himself (indeed, at his own expense!) Paul and the apostles taught that we should prefer one another over ourselves, and that we should even be willing to suffer loss. As much as lies within us we are to live peaceably with everyone. How often to forgive another? Seventy times seven. How much more to forgive one who we love?

And - sometimes it is not. Jesus spoke of turning families against each other, mothers against daughters. He loved the whole world but clearly says he will reject those who practice lawlessness. He even says this to those who believe they are sincerely trying to follow his will, but do it in their own way.

Of course we think of David moving the ark, and Uzzah's touching it. Of Aaron's sons serving in the temple and what became of them. The Jews who attempted to cast out devils in God's name. The bible has many who felt they were serving God but had done it in their own way and faced God's wrath.

Further, how about Saul who claimed to have kept the spoils of a nation for God's people to worship God with. He should have refused them, if it was true. Or Aaron when the people asked for an idol to worship. He should have told them no! Or the people asking to go back into Egypt - in that case God was ready to say more than no!

It is so silly when we find someone who is living in sin and we try to instruct them in the word only to hear "you should accept me as I am, you are not acting in a very Christian manner!" While we would like to just put our arms around them and tell them it is all right, if we honestly love them that last part will not leave our lips.

Because it is not "all right". The distinction we need to see is that WE should be willing to suffer loss. WE should be merciful. WE should be forgiving. But WE are not GOD. Consider the opposite, which is also true: when one sins against God, there is no way to harm them more than taking the path Jonah did.. You remember - if you really hate someone, tell them they are fine in their sins. That is what Jonah wanted to do - his biggest fear was that they would hear the truth, as painful as it is, and - gasp - repent! He ran away rather than preach, and when compelled by God to deliver his message his greatest fear came true.

The point is, if we love someone and they are sinning against us, we should be quick to forgive. But if they are sinning against God, we should be quick to point out God's condemnation of them. If we allow them to think it is all right, we are cowardly, hateful, and lovers of self more than lovers of God - or them !