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When One Has Sinned Against Another
When One Has Sinned Against Another By Derek Long
Sin is a violation of God’s law (1 John 3:4; 5:17). Certain violations of God’s law are against our fellow man as well. God commands us to love our neighbor and when one violates certain commands of God they are failing to show proper love for their neighbor (Romans 13:8-10). When a person has been sinned against, God’s word teaches they have a responsibility to rebuke the sinner and forgive the sinner if he repents (Matthew 18:15-17; Luke 17:3). What are some things God’s word teaches a person who sins against another ought to do?
When one has sinned against another, we need to recognize our sin is primarily still against God. Potiphar’s wife tried to get Joseph to lie with her but Joseph refused. If Joseph had lain with Potiphar’s wife, he would have sinned against Potiphar and others. However, notice what was paramount in the mind of Joseph, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Joseph realized sin against another was equally sin against God. David acknowledges his sin to God and says, “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight” (Psalm 51:4). Regardless of if David’s sin impacted many other people, David remembered his sin was primarily against God. Since sins against another are equally against God, we need to take such sins seriously and we need to seek God’s forgiveness of such sins.
When one has sinned against another, we need to make it a priority to reconcile with the one we have sinned against. Jesus speaks of a situation in which one individual had sinned against another and was about to worship God. He says, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your
gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). Sins against another are capable of hindering our relationship with and service toward God (1 Peter 3:7). God does not allow one to sit back and wait on the other person to come to us when we know we have done something against them. God expects both parties to take the initiative in seeking reconciliation and peace (Romans 12:18). Attempting to make things right with God without first attempting to make things right with the other person is not acceptable in God’s sight.
When one has sinned against another, we need to recognize the difficult situation we have put the person we sinned against in. God’s word commands a person to forgive another as God forgives us (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13). God’s word also warns us against placing a stumbling block in front of another (Matthew 18:6-7). Forgiveness is sometimes a challenge for some people to extend. The fact it is challenging does not excuse them from their responsibility to forgive anyway. The fact it is challenging though should cause us to
think about how when we sin against another we may be placing a large stumbling block in our brother’s way.
When one has sinned against another, we need to seek to make it evident we are serious about giving up our sin. God can tell what is in the hearts of man (1 Samuel 16:7). A person who has been sinned against cannot tell what is in a person’s heart. If someone has sinned against us and they say they repent, we need to be willing to forgive them. If they fall back into sin, it does not mean they were not serious about changing but may have simply been overcome again (2 Peter 2:20-22). If one has sinned against someone else, one way we can make it easier for a person to forgive us is if they can see things which show we are serious about changing. Godly sorrow produces repentance and a zealous longing to be right with God (2 Corinthians 7:10-11). If someone sins against someone else, they should want the other person to help them with overcoming the sin they have been guilty of. One reason why it is important to, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another,” (James 5:16) is so we have the encouragement and help of fellow Christians to overcome sin. A person who does not want others to help and check up on him needs to consider how serious he is about overcoming the sin he engaged in. Accountability to others may help us find victory over a sin we have struggled with for some time. The person who has sinned against another needs to focus on his responsibility to repent. The person who has been sinned against needs to focus on their responsibility to forgive. When both parties focus on doing what they are supposed to be doing rather than what the other party needs to do, reconciliation will be much easier to arrive at.
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