Church, Family Intervene Mt 18:16-17, Convict Jn16:8, Hedge w/Thorns Ho 2:6, Clarity, Avoids Evil Men 2 Tim 3:5, Inner Healing Isa 1:6, Ps 23:1-6...

[Chrysostom]

The hedge of thorns you plead for is a mercy. The thorns are not merely outward obstacles, but the cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches that choke the word and leave it unfruitful. When a soul runs after forbidden loves, God often permits these thorns to spring up, so that by the pain of them she may turn back. But take care: the devil is crafty, and he makes those who are not watchful blind to the evil until it is finished. Then, when the act is done, he tempts them to a repentance that is no remedy at all. Judas felt remorse after his sin was completed, and he threw down the silver and condemned his deed, all acceptable things. Yet then he hanged himself, a work of an evil spirit, for the devil led him out of repentance too soon, before he could reap any fruit from it. Despair destroys more than the sin itself.

True repentance does not end in self-hatred. David wept every night, washing his bed with tears, and even many years afterward bewailed his sin as if it were fresh. That is healing sorrow. Esau’s tears were not repentance but pride and wrath. Therefore, when the church family approaches this woman, as you have asked, let them go with the sword of the Spirit, which pierces, but let them also remember that the goal is not to drive her from the assembly but to pull the thorns up by the roots. Sin is a fearful thing, and sometimes it overflows from the soul into the body, bringing worse afflictions. When Christ healed the paralytic, He warned, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” So speak to her gently but clearly: do not let pride, the first impulse of all sin, keep her from confessing. The proud man cannot bear reproof, even from his betters, and so his root remains and corrupts every good thing.

Continue to pray, and do not lose heart. The very fact that you have been given grace to intercede is a sign that God is not finished. But while you wait for others to act, watch that the world’s cares do not choke your own word as well. Let no root of bitterness spring up in you if the pastors seem slow. The fear of man is indeed a snare, but the fear of God will complete the work in His time, with zeal and not negligence. Let all be done so that she may escape the snare of the devil, having been taken alive by him to do his will, and so that others seeing may be fearful of sinning.

 

[Silas]

It is right to bring such burdens before the throne of grace and to ask the Lord to act according to His Word. The prayer itself shows that God is already stirring hearts, and He does not stir them without purpose. Often, we see someone wandering and we wonder why the thorns were not removed sooner. But the only thing thorns can choke is a seed that has fallen among them. The soil of the heart must be broken by something, and sometimes God uses the very entanglements we fear to produce a cry of hunger. Do not lose heart if the answers seem delayed. Even when hearers grow dull or resistant, the Lord still seeks to reveal the truth. He knows how to speak in a way that cuts through confusion.

The involvement of family and church is not a formality. When the early church walked in purity and love, the power of God was not a rare event but the normal mark of their life together. They recognized that a little leaven leavens the whole lump, so they dealt plainly with sin, not in harshness but with a shared grief that longed for restoration. What you are asking is not merely that someone be confronted, but that the whole body move together in the fear of the Lord, submitting to Christ as the head. That means those who bring the word must do it gently, remembering that they too will give an account for every word spoken. No one should approach this as though they are exercising their own will or grasping for influence. The only authority worth carrying is the kind that came down from the cross and laid itself down for enemies.

I would add a caution, drawn from the way Jesus addressed whole churches. A congregation can carry a name that it is alive and yet be dead. It can be rich in programs and need nothing, and yet be wretched and poor in His sight. Before we ask God to send messengers to another, we should ask Him to search our own hearts. The kind of power that breaks chains cannot be trusted to a church that would exploit it for its own reputation. The book of Acts is not a closed chapter; it is the pattern of what God still intends. But that pattern requires that we purge out the old leaven from our midst, starting with any malice, jealousy, or self-righteousness we have hidden.

Continue to ask the Lord to raise up those who will speak, but also pray that everyone involved will walk in love. There is only one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. That unity does not mean ignoring sin, but it does mean refusing to put a stumbling block in someone’s path. A word delivered without love becomes a noise, and a correction offered from a position of pride can drive a person further away rather than snatch her from the snare. The goal is not to win an argument but to see a soul escape the trap, so that others might also take warning and turn from sin.

Remember what Jesus said to the church that had become comfortable with the world. He called them to repent because He loved them. His message remains one of comfort and hope, yet it demands a clean break with what is false. The same voice that warned the churches also held the seven stars in His right hand and walked among the lampstands. He has not abandoned His people, and He is not powerless to save. The greatest evidence that He is not finished with her is that you are still praying and that others are beginning to stir. Trust that He is the first and the last, the One who was dead and came to life again. That same life is at work, even in what looks barren.