RESTORATION NOT CONDEMNATION

My dear reader, Please, permit me to share this

personal experience with you. A sister in the Lord who was
an executive member cum prayer warrior was caught in
examination malpractice. After getting her out from the
security detention, all the fellowship executive board seems
to be interested in is to suspend her from executive board
and prayer warrior’s meeting. My spiritual colleague and I
planned visiting the sister so as to encourage her to pick up
and move on but, she turned us down. She after all the
embarrassment and shame decided to end the kingdom
race. But, later I called her on phone and spoke with her at
length on the danger of backsliding from her faith and she
by God’s grace agreed to make atonement and continue the
race. After some weeks I received news that the fellowship
members are saying that I am encouraging sin. Beloved, if
trying to restore a beloved sister who has fallen victim of
the trap of the enemy mean that I am encouraging sin, so be
it.

Let us briefly look at what the Scripture has to say about

this:

“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in fault, ye which are

spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted”. Gal 6 Vs 1
(KJV)

We have to remember that we are all vulnerable to sin. If

we go to a backsliding person with the attitude that we are
way above him, he/she certainly won’t respond to our help.
It was from experience that apostle Paul wrote:

“For the good I would I do not: but the evil which I

would not, that I do”. Rom 7 Vs 19 (KJV)

Sin has no power over us but we still have the capacity

to sin within us. Someone who is already hurting is as
fragile as a glass. He/she doesn’t need our condemnation
but restoration. So, when a brother or a sister has been over
taken by sin let those of us who are “spiritually sound”
restore him/her in the spirit of gentleness, humility and love
being mindful of our own faith.

We are not commanded to condone sin but, we are

commanded to love sinner. I have learnt how to pray for
fellow brethren who are backsliding, facing challenges or
are still struggling with one sin or the other because God
has made me to understand that, it is best thing I can do for
them. After all, I am not better than them either.

Reading through the Nigeria daily news paper this

morning at www.nigeriaworld.com I saw some disgusting
article about Nigeria such as: Nigeria: 48 years of
Toddling, Forty eight years of sporting disaster, just to
mention but a few. I kept on wondering if this is all the
writers can tell our dear country Nigeria at her 48th
birthday. My dear reader, think of this; if you are the one
celebrating your birthday, 48th birthday for that matter and
all people and friends can offer to you are messages of
criticism and condemnation, how will you feel? Would you
be encouraged to do better or be discouraged? Is it not even
a great achievement for one to have survived 48 years of
great challenges? How many of us instead of spending our
time thinking of expensive words to use in criticizing and
condemning Nigeria, have thought of what we can do to
restore our dear country Nigeria from her “falling state”.
While I encourage constructive criticism, let us be mindful
of the way we criticize and call this great country Nigeria
(GIANT OF AFRICA) names because Nigeria will directly
or indirectly respond to what we say about her.

Nevertheless, I must not fail to commend the articles of

patriotic writers like: Monday Irem who wrote and I quote:

Happy birthday, dear country at 48

“Nigeria as a nation-state is 48 years old since it
attained independence on October 1, 1960, under the
administration of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, when we
were practicing parliamentary system of government.

In 1963, Nigeria became a republican nation under the

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe administration.

In comparing Nigeria with other countries that became

independent at the same time we did, I dare say that
Nigeria is doing better in all aspects.

We should not think of what the country can do for us,

but we should all think of what we can do for our dear
country.

Nigeria has all it takes to satisfy her citizens.

What makes Nigeria unique despite the political crisis
are the human and natural endowments.

We should realize that nobody will make Nigeria a

beautiful country to live in except Nigerians themselves.

Therefore, I implore Nigerians to halt unhealthy

criticisms and rather campaign for the development of
our dear nation.

We should also use the available resources to improve

the standards of the living of the citizens.

The Federal Government should also focus on the

problems of the Niger Delta region, with a view to
solving them”.

God Bless Nigeria, God bless us all, God bless our

leaders.

PRAYER: God! Help us to understand more the principles of

restoration and make us an instrument of restoration in the
mighty name of our Lord Jesus name- AMEN

This article was written by Bro. Ogugua Chinedu Emmanuel and

dedicated to our country Nigeria on the occasion of her 48th
birthday