To hate and reprove sin, and at the same time to manifest pity and tenderness for the sinner, is a difficult attainment. The more earnest our own efforts to attain to holiness of heart and life, the more acute will be our perception of sin, and the more decided our disapproval of any deviation from right. We must guard against undue severity toward the wrong-doer. But while we should seek to encourage him in every effort to correct his errors, we must be careful not to lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. While there is need of Christlike patience and love toward the erring, there is constant danger of manifesting so great toleration for his error that he will consider himself undeserving of reproof, and will reject it as uncalled-for and unjust.{LP 321.2}

At hade og irettesætte synd, og samtidig vise medynk og ømhed for synderen, er en vanskelig evne. Jo alvorligere vi anstrenger os for at få hjertets og livets hellighed, des større begreb vil vi få over synd, og jo mere bestemt vil vi misbillige afvigelsen fra det rigtige. Vi må vogte os imod utilbørlig strenghed over for den fejlende. Men så længe vi forsøger at opmuntre ham i alt der retter hans fejl op, må vi passe på at ikke miste syndens overmådelige syndighed af syne. Når der er brug for Kristus-ligende tålmodighed og kærlighed imod den fejlende, er der stadig fare imod at vise en så stor tolerance for hans fejl, at han vil betragte sig selv som ufortjent for irettesættelse og vil forkaste det som unødvendig og uretfærdig.