Yet Count Him Not As An Enemy

Dear brethren,
Today's readings:

1Kings 5; 2Chronicles 2; 2 Thessalonians 3

2Th 3:14 — 2Th 3:15 (KJV)
And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

This is one of those passages that doesn't get applied enough! And what is even more regrettable is the frequent failure to apply, in conjuction, v. 15.

The word "ashamed" is really better rendered in the original sense of to "turn about", in other words to bring about change. Thus this method of "isolation" is for the purpose to encourage repentance of the individual. The message sent is that we cannot be as before, while the transgressing party has not turned back. It cannot be "business as usual".
But this isolation does not mean cutting of contact! On the contrary, we are to "admonish" and not as to anyone but as a brother.

The key to it all in fact, is this contact. How well do we know our fellow brethren? How frequent is our interaction with one another? How much do we mean to one another? Because if we do not put in the effort, when we are together, how will it work in our effort to isolate? The isolation is probably welcome! And this responsibility lies on EACH AND EVERYONE of us! It is not just the responsibility of the elders, teachers and other mature members, but everyone has to make the effort to connect with brethren. We all know it takes effort for relationships to work, and it can be as simple as a causal text message. But it has to start somewhere and continue to grow. And I cannot begin to describe how powerful it is especially when it comes from the young in faith.

So let us continue to be pro-active, to build our bonds one with another, to develop the strong safety net for one another, that if we should fall, none of us should fall through the cracks but bounce back into the fold.