How can I keep from enabling someone else to sin?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible teaches that our actions, including sinful ones, are solely our responsibility . No one will answer for what we have done except us. But the Bible also shows that we are capable of influencing those around us, either toward good, godly actions or towards sinful, destructive choices. When we sin because of pressure from others, the root cause is that we value others’ opinions more than God’s opinion , which is a form of idolatry. We should never pressure others into situations that could result in sinful behavior but rather, set a good examples . As believers, we are called to pursue a life that pleases God rather than living in sin. . Doing so sets an example for other believers and prevents us from influencing them to sin . God’s redeeming, transformative power is ultimately what will help us turn from a life of sin to a life that follows after God in goodness. Because He has empowered us to live righteously , we should do so and, by our own example, encourage other believers to do the same.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Proverbs 22:24 tells us that spending a lot of time with angry people can influence us to become angrier. We should be careful both not to be influenced to sin by others and also to not cause others to sin.
• Psalm 145:8: God is slow to anger and abounds in love, even when we are stuck in sin. It is important for us to recognize our sin and to repent, turning back to Him.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Matthew 12:36 tells us that on the day of judgment, we will give an account for every careless word we have spoken. We are responsible for all we say and do.
• Matthew 15:18-19 indicates that the state of our heart can lead us to choose to sin.
• Luke 4:8: We are to only worship God, not prioritize the opinions of anyone else.
• We are not to live in sin or to continue in our sinful choices once accepting Christ as our Savior (Romans 6:1-2).
• Romans 8:37: God’s power helps us to overcome and conquer the sin and pressure to sin that we face.
• As the apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:33, those who keep bad company will be influenced by the choices of those companions . We should never be that bad company by influencing others to sin; we recognize that sin leads to destruction.
• Galatians 6:7-9: We can feel the consequences of sin, sometimes very heavily. These consequences can be a way to help other believers turn from sin in the future, thus not enabling sin to continue.
• We should set good examples for other believers by the choices we make and by avoiding sin (1 Timothy 4:12).
• As Paul advises Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:22, we should not take part in the sin of others.
• First John 1:8-9 assures us that if we confess our sins to God, He will be merciful and forgive us all our sins.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

We are responsible for our own choices, both good and sinful, as are others. No one is culpable for anyone else’s choices . However, we are responsible for the influence we have on others. By pressuring others towards decisions that don’t honor God, we are influencing them to sin . Our life should never provoke others to sin . Instead, we should pursue righteousness and God-honoring choices. The consequences of sin that we experience can be used as a way to discourage further sinful behavior. We should pay attention to these consequences. They should remind us that sin leads to destruction, and we should repent and turn back to God when we fall short. We should also not keep others from feeling the consequences of their personal sinful choices but should make sure that our influence was not the driving force behind those choices. Instead of influencing others to sin, we must help them grow in wisdom through the consequences they face, point them back to God who will extend mercy and forgiveness to all who repent, and give them a strong example of what living apart from sin looks like.

UNDERSTAND

• Each person is responsible for their own choices, sinful or good, and will answer for them before God.
• We are capable of influencing believers around us to either choose sinful actions or righteous actions.
• We should help each other live for righteousness and remind each other of God’s grace and forgiveness when we do sin.

REFLECT

• How can you ensure that your words and actions consistently reflect a life pursuing righteousness rather than enabling sin?
• How do you feel pressure to prioritize others' opinions over God's truth, and how can you resist this temptation?
• How can you rely on God's strength to overcome areas in your life where you may be a negative influence on others?

ENGAGE

• How can we as believers encourage others to live lives that reflect righteousness instead of leading others toward sin?
• What practical steps can we take to lovingly confront sin while also reflecting and pointing to God’s grace and forgiveness?
• How do the biblical principles of accountability and influence shape the way we interact with one another in our daily lives?