The Doorpost: Keeping quiet can be sinful

You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.
Leviticus 19:17

Keeping quiet may not be loving. It can be sinful. When we are silently hoping for bad things to happen to someone because of what they have done or what they are doing, we are hating them. We should speak to them to save them from harm.

In Ezekiel 3:16-21, the Lord told the prophet that if he failed to deliver His warning to the people, the guilt for their disobedience would fall on him. Hebrews 3:13 tells us to “exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Ephesians 4:15 says to speak the truth in love.

James 5:19-20 encourages us, “if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

Do you need to “speak frankly” with someone?

Heavenly Father, please give each of us the love and courage to not sin by remaining silent.