Sexual Sin

Oh! How the Mighty Have Fallen…

/ pastorlynnmalone / 1 Comment

Bad news breaks hard, and unfortunately, bad news has been breaking hard for the Church for a few weeks now.

A Run of Bad News

First, return to late April. News broke of the suicide of a pastor’s wife in South Carolina (click here for a deeper dive into the story). Pastor John Paul Miller’s wife, Mica, allegedly took her own life after filing for divorce from her husband. The story reveals a tumultuous and allegedly abusive relationship between the pastor and his former wife. Newsnation has a series of reports on the entire ordeal (it can be found here). No matter the issues involved, it is a sad, sad story.

Second, on June 13th, it was announced that Dallas area megachurch pastor Tony Evans was stepping down from the church he helped found nearly 50 years ago over an “unnamed” sin. Dr. Evans had also built a flourishing media ministry through his Urban Alternative ministries. Dr. Evans was/is quite the celebrity among evangelical Christians, and the loss of his pulpit and ministry influence is a sad, sad story.

Third, news broke on June 18th, that Rev. Robert Morris, founding/senior pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, TX, had resigned his position as a result of accusations of sexual abuse and assault reaching back over 30 years ago. Rev. Morris had, in his own right, established a growing media ministry and exercised a strong influence among evangelicals just as Dr. Evans. Again, for his congregation and for the Church, his is a sad, sad story.

Finally, on a note not related to the Church/church, but closer to me personally (and reflective of the destructive nature of sin), I saw reports that a former co-worker had been arrested for crimes of a sexual nature. The accused and I worked together at the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office in another lifetime. I haven’t seen or talked to him in years, but the breaking news brought an overwhelming sadness to my heart because it, too, is a sad, sad story.

Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty! Although, both Evans and Morris resigned as a result of the allegations, so there is that. Rev. Miller (who I think has been relieved of his duties as pastor) hasn’t yet been charged with any crime, and my friend is yet to be tried for his alleged crime.

King David’s Lament

In each of these instances, I am reminded of David’s song in 2 Samuel 1:

19 “A gazelle lies slain on your heights, Israel.
    How the mighty have fallen! (2 Samuel 1: 19 NIV)

David, ever the song writer, expressed his deep emotion regarding the death of his adversary (King Saul) and his friend (Jonathon). Though many have since uttered the phrase in celebration over the fall of the famous or influential, David sang it as a deep lament.

I won’t rehash David’s relationship with King Saul or Saul’s son, Jonathon, here. You can read 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel:1 for the full story. Let’s just say David’s relationship with King Saul was challenging. King Saul sought numerous times to have David killed and David had numerous occasions to kill Saul and assume the throne he knew to be rightly his. Yet, David chose to wait for God’s timing and he never failed to view Saul as the Lord’s anointed.

Upon hearing the news of both Saul and Jonathon’s demise, David’s heart broke because to him, it was not a time to celebrate, but it was, in fact, a sad, sad story.

Unfortunately, there are many outside the church who are celebrating the fall of the mighty. It gives them an opportunity to point to Christians and say, “Look, just a bunch of hypocrites!” Unfortunately again, they would be correct. We are, for the most part, a bunch of hypocrites. That’s why we need grace. That’s why we need Jesus. That’s central to the message of our faith. Too many outside the faith don’t understand that fact, and that, too, is a sad, sad story.

There are also some within the church who celebrate fall of the mighty. The celebration comes from those mostly outside the evangelical community who have an opportunity to say, “See, I told you so! Just a bunch of hypocrites.” And, they would be correct. It affords them a chance to say, “At least I’m not like that publican, over there” (Luke 18:9-14). Nothing like attacking our own. Why do we do that?

Lessons to Learn

I’m going to choose to learn some lessons from David in these particular situations.

Reserve Judgment

First, I’m going to reserve judgment. I’m not going to judge either the person or circumstance. David consistently withheld his own personal judgment in regard to his relationship with King Saul. He knew that God would judge Saul and his circumstances in His own time. David trusted God enough to wait. If David can do that, so can I.

I wait to offer any judgment because I remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount:

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7: 1-5 NIV)

There’s just something about that whole log and speck thing that slows me down when it comes to rendering judgment in any way. I’ve come to believe that we all have logs in our eyes…everyone of us have LOGS in our eyes. The log in your eye only looks like a speck to me because of the log in my eye, and the speck you see in my eye only looks like a speck because you can’t see around the log in your own eye.

The truth is I don’t want to be too hard on others because it means others will be too hard on me. We Christians believe in this little thing called forgiveness, and we work toward reconciliation and restoration, or at least we’re supposed to. Forgiveness is hard (especially in some of the circumstances above), but it is nonetheless demanded by those of us who follow Jesus.

Yes, accountability is necessary, and accountability will work itself out through the legal process (as it should). There are always consequences to sin. I suspect that each person whose name is in the news recently is experiencing that accountability first-hand. I’m willing to let that process play out without rendering judgment against the persons. I trust God enough to do that.

Respect the Person

Second, I’m going to respect the person. Honestly, I don’t know Pastor Miller. Never heard of him before the news of his wife’s suicide made national headlines. I feel reasonably certain there are folks who are standing with him during this tragic time, and that he has had a positive impact on lives under his care as a pastor (maybe not…I really don’t know). As far as I know, he hasn’t been implicated in any way in his wife’s death, but the “gossip” is rampant that it was his abuse that drove her to it.

I’ll choose to believe that no matter what, he has had a positive impact on someone, and I’ll celebrate that in the midst of my own sadness over the circumstance.

The same is true with Evans and Morris. Both have had a profound impact of the evangelical church over the past 20 years. They have positively impacted many lives through the ministry the Lord entrusted to them. I will choose to look at that impact and celebrate the goodness of God in those circumstances, even as I lament the sadness of their current circumstances.

And, I don’t know what my former co-worker’s life has been like over these past 35 years. But, I remember him as dedicated public servant who was funny and hard-working, and didn’t have an evil bone in his body. I’m going to celebrate those memories even as I lament the sad, sad nature of the tragic circumstances surrounding his arrest.

Our Work to be Done

The sad news of the past few weeks also serves to remind me that the Church/church has work to do.

Accountability

First, we in the church must practice accountability better, and we must submit ourselves to be accountable to one another. I’ll confess this has been a challenge for me in recent years (since I left vocational ministry). Previously, there were built in relationships that helped shape accountability in my life. As vocational ministry has grown smaller in my rearview, those relationships have likewise faded.

We must be intentional in accountability. That’s one reason I’m a Wesleyan. Wesley’s model of accountability (bands, classes, societies) is an effective model of discipleship when executed properly (and when submitted to properly). The practice of accountability is part and parcel to our pursuit of holiness, and we Wesleyans, if we’re not pursuing holiness, should be doing nothing else.

Prayer

Second, we must pray for those in circumstances like these. I think it was Oswald Chambers who said praying for others is the surest way to discover one’s own salvation. Not only to discover it, but also to live out the holy life to which one is called.

We must pray for every person involved in the situations…for the accused, for the victim/accuser, for their families, for the church. Praying for them helps us not lose sight of the hurt that affects everyone, and it reminds us that both victim and accused are people of sacred worth who are made in God’s image.

Naming Sin

Finally, we must name sin for what it is. Excuse me for saying it this way, but we can’t “poo-poo” sin. We can’t make light of it. We can’t sweep it under the rug. We can’t call it by any other name. Sin is destructive. It destroys lives and there are four very recent examples that leave very little doubt.

Sexual sin appears to be the Devil’s chosen means of destroying Jesus’s Church (and people in general). Folks, we’ve got to put guardrails in place to protect ourselves and the Church from sexual sin (well, all sin, but particularly sexual sin). The Devil has control of the culture and he is using that control to bring down the Church. We have to open our eyes to that reality.

For the Church to call out sin is not to render judgment. The Bible is relatively clear on the matter of sin and for the Church to call it out as such is to be faithful to Scripture. Judgment is the Lord’s, but the Lord has given His Church His Word. It is His Word that renders the judgment, not us as individuals.

I know this post may elicit some negative feedback. That’ll be okay. I won’t judge those who do. I’ll take it all in stride and include it as part of my continuing lament for the current climate of culture and news.

I’ll also remember that someone could someday be saying about me, “Oh! How the mighty have fallen.” Except I’m afraid they’ll be celebrating when they say it.

Until next time, keep looking up…

The Fragile Nature of Our Witness…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

The nature of our Christian witness is a fragile thing, indeed!

I was reminded again several times over the past week as news rolled in of notable figures among the “family values” crowd who were “caught” in situations that were, shall we say, less than affirming of the values the persons generally espoused.

The news broke early this week that Governor Kristi Noem (R-South Dakota) has been engaged in a not-so-private affair with a former Donald Trump aide. Shortly thereafter, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) was caught in a “handsy” exchange with an Aspen, CO bar owner. Finally, Timothy Ballard, who is the founder and now former CEO of Operation Underground Railroad (a sex trafficking rescue organization) and also the inspiration for the summer hit movie Sound of Freedom, was accused of multiple instances of sexual misconduct. Let’s just say it has been a bad news week for the Christian witness.

I’m not going to throw rocks at any of the three with this blog. There are already enough people lined up doing that. I’m also not going to throw rocks because most of these accounts are just “allegations” and not substantiated (except in Boebert’s case where there is actual video). Besides, if anyone were to look too deeply into my closet, they might find plenty of skeletons at which to throw stones, so there is that…

It really does make us (Christians) look like hypocrites though, doesn’t it? Well, yes it does, and that’s because that’s what we are! No, not all of us engage in (or get caught in) sexual sin, but let’s just tick off a list of actions and attitudes we know to be contrary to the will of God and see how many apply to us. Yes, sexual sin certainly seems to top the list of bad actions a Christian can engage in to destroy our witness, but every act of pride, selfishness, egotism, gossip, greed or jealousy (you can continue the list for yourself) that is observed by those both within and without of the faith serves to diminish our witness.

We have all gotten caught in the “do as I say, not as I do” trap before. That is likely what happened to the aforementioned parties. Reminds me of when Jesus was warning the crowds about the scribes and Pharisees. Remember what he said?

2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 

Matthew 23: 2 – 3 (NLT)

Jesus would go on to call the Pharisees and scribes “hypocrites” six times in the 23rd chapter of Matthew. He would also throw in a “blind fools” for good measure. So, not a happy expression of satisfaction for those who were part of the “do as I say, not as I do” band of brothers. I wonder if Jesus doesn’t think the same thing about us when we fail so miserably to “lead a life worth of your calling” (Ephesians 4: 1)? I don’t believe it means he loves us any less, but I do believe it breaks his heart, and honestly, the last thing I want to do is break the Savior’s heart.

All I can say is “Thank God for grace and forgiveness!” I (we) need both. Forgiveness is one of the central traits of our Christian faith. We say so every time we recite the Apostle’s Creed–“I believe in the forgiveness of sins…”

When we say that, it is our acknowledgment that we believe in sin, too! That is both original sin, and sin in our individual lives. The doctrine of original sin simply means that because of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, humanity is tainted with the stain of sin. Does that mean that I am guilty because of what Adam did? In a way, yes, but more to the point, it means that what Adam did, every one of us would have done had we been standing in the Garden. 

Even in our more noble moments, ulterior motives often affect our desire to do good. This bothers us, but probably not as much as it should. We know there is a line between right and wrong, and we often know when that line has been crossed, but we cross it anyway. Yes, our Christian witness is a fragile thing, indeed!

It would be real easy to launch into a deep explanation of sin from a biblical perspective, but let’s boil it down to its simplest form: sin is whatever is contrary to the will of God. What’s more, the Apostle James says that if we know what we should do and don’t do it, it is sin (James 4:17). So, when we know we should live a holy life, a life worthy of our calling, a life in faithful obedience to Jesus Christ, and we don’t do it, we are sinning. Either way, we need His forgiveness. Do we believe in the forgiveness of sins?

Confessing that we believe in the forgiveness of sins is at one and the same time our confession that we believe we have sinned, but it is also our confession that we believe God has dealt with sin, both in our lives and in His creation.

How? Because God is holy, and completely pure, He must deal with sin in a way that overcomes it once and for all. Sin must be dealt with in one of two ways. God must punish sin, or He must forgive sin. We say that we believe that God chose to forgive our sin.

I see the compassionate heart of Jesus in his encounter with the woman caught in the act of adultery as an excellent example of his practice of forgiving sin (even sexual sin). You remember the encounter, right? You can find it in John 8: 1 – 11. Here’s how the encounter begins:

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

John 8: 1 – 4 (NLT)

This encounter shows, in a compelling way, the forgiveness of God. Jesus granted forgiveness to this woman caught in the act of adultery. According to the law of Moses, she was to be stoned to death. The law was very clear. Yes, the Pharisees were attempting to trap Jesus. No, there was no man dragged before Jesus for condemnation (another point of law). Yes, we would love to know what Jesus wrote in the sand. No, it wouldn’t change the end result. What we really need to capture is the power in the compassion of forgiveness revealed in his conversation with the crowd and with the woman, for in this conversation we see the grace that God has extended to all of us.

The compassionate heart of Jesus looked at this woman, and what he saw was one who needed redemption, not condemnation. Please don’t misunderstand. Forgiveness is not overlooking sin. Jesus could forgive this woman because he knew he came to pay the penalty of sin once and for all. It was with the full view of the cross in front of him that this woman was before him that day. And it was his blood about to be shed that opened the heart of God to grant forgiveness to this woman. 

Forgiveness is not a compromise on God’s part. It is God’s way of dealing with sin. Because Jesus paid the penalty for sin, and satisfied God’s holiness, forgiveness is available. Because Christ took the punishment, bearing our sins on the cross, God can forgive us. Forgiveness means that Christ has taken our place, and extended to us God’s grace.

And this is no cheap grace Jesus offers. Jesus did not simply say to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you,” but added, “Go and sin no more.” With that statement, Jesus brought forgiveness and laid the blessing at her doorstep. It was his challenge to the woman to live a life above the one she was living. With Jesus’ forgiveness came the challenge, “You can live a better life.” You can live a life above this sin. I am freeing you to claim that life.

We’ve all seen the Peanuts comic strips with Lucy holding the football and inviting Charlie Brown to kick. Every time Lucy held the ball for Charlie, he would approach the ball and kick, and Lucy would always pick up the ball and Charlie would go head over heels and land flat on his back.

One particular strip opens with Lucy holding the ball, but Charlie Brown would not kick the ball. Lucy begs him to kick the ball, but Charlie Brown said, “Every time I try to kick the ball you remove it and I fall on my back.”

Finally Lucy breaks down in tears and admits, “Charlie Brown I have been so terrible to you over the years, picking up the football like I have. I have played so many cruel tricks on you, but I’ve seen the error of my ways! I’ve seen the hurt look in your eyes when I’ve deceived you. I’ve been wrong, so wrong. Won’t you give a poor penitent girl another chance?”

Charlie Brown, moved by her display of grief, said, “Of course, I’ll give you another chance.” He stepped back as she held the ball, and he ran. At the last moment, Lucy picked up the ball and Charlie Brown fell flat on his back.

Lucy’s last words were, “Recognizing your faults and actually changing your ways are two different things, Charlie Brown!”  

Jesus makes the same challenge to us. Receiving his forgiveness challenges us to look at our lives, to face our sin, and seeing the nastiness of it, to claim the promise and the power to live the full life Jesus offers.

The challenge of Jesus leads us to repentance. Repentance is not simply being sorry, but being sorry and changing our minds about sin. Repentance is the human response to the grace of God in forgiveness.

We, like that woman, are before Jesus condemned for our sin, but Jesus looks upon us with eyes of compassion, and because of his shed blood, says to us, neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.

The gift of forgiveness is not merely for our own benefit, but so that we might extend the same forgiveness to others. When we make our confession that we believe in the forgiveness of sins, we are confessing that we not only receive forgiveness, but we live as forgiving people. 

Someone once said that “forgiveness is the most enjoyed but least employed of all the Christian virtues.” We like to say we’re forgiving in our attitude, but we’re really more like the woman who was bitten by a rabid dog, and it looked like she was going to die from rabies. The doctor told her to put her affairs in order, so the woman took pen and paper, and began writing furiously. She wrote and wrote and wrote. Finally, the doctor said, “That sure is a long will you’re making.”

“Will, nothing!” she snorted. “I’m making a list of all the people I’m going to bite!”

Forgiveness rights the wrong, not because the wrong has been undone, but because the one wronged surrenders the right for revenge. That is what Jesus Christ did on the cross. He surrendered his will to the Father. That is what he calls us to do. Archibald Hart says it this way: “Forgiveness is surrendering my right to hurt you for hurting me.”  

Jesus also confronted the crowd and forced them to face their own sinfulness. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone…” That was Jesus’ way of saying, “You’re breaking the law now.” You see, the law called for a trial of both the man and the woman, not public humiliation as was the intent here. They thought about it and dropped their stones. Their trap set for Jesus turned back on themselves. That’s what hatred can do. That’s what unforgiveness can do.      

It is so easy for us to throw stones at others for the wrongs they have done, especially the wrongs they have done to us. These people in the crowd stood ready to condemn this woman to death. They were more than ready to exercise their right and their authority.

The stones they held were the stones of condemnation. Condemnation flows out of the human desire to control others rather than out of hearts full of love. But most of the stones we stand ready to hurl at others for hurting us, might be the very stones that others use to throw at us.

Perhaps we have not hurt others in the same way they have hurt us, but at the very least we have hurt the heart of God with our sin, and yet, He has forgiven us. You see, Jesus knew, as that crowd was gathered around him, that it took more strength to drop those rocks than it did to throw them. So he gently (and sometimes not so gently) reminds us of our own sinfulness, so he can also remind us of how much he has forgiven us.

So, as I ponder the news of this week, I’ll opt to forgive these very public figures for their perceived (or not) failures. No, they didn’t do anything to me to have to be forgiven for, but I forgive them for tarnishing their Christian witness, which does affect us all. I’ll forgive them because I believe in the forgiveness of sins–theirs, yours and mine.

I’ll also pursue a life of holiness, one that reflects obedience and faithfulness to the call of Christ upon my life. I’ll pray for strength. I’ll pray for guidance. I’ll pray for peace. I’ll pray for wisdom. I’m sure at some point, I’ll pray again for forgiveness. I always do. I always have to…because of the fragile nature of my own Christian witness. I’ll do it because I believe in the forgiveness of sins.

Until next time, keep looking up…