One of my children was not displaying appropriate dining etiquette and I had to reprimand him for that. Then I asked his sibling whether he noticed the "wrong act." The answer was affirmative then I asked: "Why didn't you correct him since you knew it was wrong?"
With the lack of response it struck me that ignoring a person's wrong doing is not the same as discouraging them. In fact, that is a classic example of where and how "silence is consent."
The Bible is clear on what we should do...although we must not have a "holier than thou" attitude, we must also not ignore "wrongdoing." God expects us to be our brother's keeper.
Galatians 6: 1 - BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also. (Amplified)
Ephesians 5: 11 - Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] expose and reprove and convict them. (Amplified)If & when you see, or even hear of, a brother or sister's "wrongdoing," do not ignore them.
If you ignore them, you are encouraging rather than discouraging them. Please let us all prayerfully help one another become better Christians...and we'll all be the better for it.
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