Joshua 7 is another tough chapter to read. There are so many questions that come to us as we read this chapter. Why Lord did Achan have to die for theft? Why Lord did his wife and children, have to die? Why Lord did even the animals, have to die? As in the last chapter, we will not have the answer until we see Jesus again. However, there is an essential lesson for the Church: we cannot enable a follower of Jesus Christ to sin.
There are at least four ways we enable others to sin.
Sometimes we allow a brother or sister in Christ Jesus to carry out sinful activities because of ignorance. Achan could not have carried the gold, silver, and a beautiful robe without anyone noticing it. But those who saw the goods with Achan were unaware that he was stealing.
Sometimes we allow a follower of Jesus Christ to sin because of fear. We may be afraid of ruining our family’s reputation or losing our income or something else.
Sometimes we allow a fellow believer to sin because we too derive pleasure from the fruit of their sin. Their sin might bring us a financial gain, just like Achan’s theft meant riches, though temporarily hidden, for his family.
Lastly, sometimes we enable a follower of Jesus Christ to sin because of fatigue. We are just too tired to tell them the truth over and over again.
We learn in Joshua 7 that God holds all of us accountable when someone in our local body of Christ intentionally sins. Similarly, if everyone in a family is followers of Jesus Christ, then God will hold the family accountable if they ignore a family member’s intentional sin.
So if you see a brother or sister in Jesus Christ sin, then remember Jesus’ words, “If a brother or sister sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. . . . But if they will not listen, take one or two others along so that ever matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. . . . If they still refuse to listen, tell it o the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as an unbeliever.”
