A friend and an enemy are two very different things.
Of course. That’s obvious. If a friend gives us an apple, we polish it and chomp away. From an enemy, we view the fruit very differently. We slice it, check it for a razor blade, even test the fruit so we know it’s not poisoned. Even then, to eat it is a rock on our stomach. It’s from our enemy.
When we’re wronged by a friend, it’s the same. We treat the insult differently than that from an enemy. Our view of the deed is softened by our connection. We see our memories of good times shared, and we search for reconciliation. We want things to return to a right station, rather than remain divided. If the same is done to us by an enemy, we are ready with claws unsheathed. We intend to bring blood.
The difference is love, for it softens our hearts, grants us a forgiving spirit, and gives us a tender touch.
With our Christian brothers, it should be the same. If we are wronged in the church, or if someone falls away from the teachings of Christ, they haven’t become an enemy. We should treat them as we would a friend.
2 Thessalonians 3:15 gives us a better attitude toward our fallen brother:
“Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”
Let’s take that verse literally. Brother. One who shares kinship with us, who carries a bond that cannot be severed. No matter what happens, we’re family, bound together through Christ our Lord.
We can write an enemy off the books, cast him aside, and move on with life. Our siblings, however, are intrinsically part of who and what we are. No matter how many mistakes they make, we don’t give up hope that they will come to their senses and be at our side once again.
A friend and an enemy are two very different things. Let’s treat our church family as friends. It’s the right thing to do.
When Christ lives in us, our view of the people around us is tempered by his love.
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