When leaders fall!

06/23/2024

(The article is focused on judging with grace and truth when leaders fall.  The focus is not on those who have suffered! It is in no wise minimizing any kind of pain abuse victims may have suffered in the hands of offenders and the trauma they may have faced as a result.  Every such situation should be dealt with all compassion and all wisdom and needed steps should be taken for complete healing. restoration and future prevention. This needs to be said first as some of truths in the article below due to its particular perspective maybe perceived the wrong way or as defending those who have sinned.

Also, it needs to be acknowledged that there has been systemic abuse from leadership within the church over the years with little or no accountability.  Voices that weren’t heard or suppressed. This has caused great pain, disillusionment and anger which is understandable and great confusion when things have come to light eventually. God is gracious in allowing enough time to those who have undergone trauma to process it correctly as initially it is quite difficult. Having said all of that if we are not careful to apply the truths in the Word with grace considering each situation as unique, we may end up judging harshly and unrighteously causing more damage and losing the grace ourselves in those areas. This series of articles will help to lay to some extent a solid foundation for righteous judging)

In light of the recent allegations regarding a Texas pastor of a sin from 35 years back (assuming it was the only one), my heart was grieved, and spirit was disturbed. I tried to gain a Godly perspective on what had transpired in the next few days and to an extent was satisfied but deep inside the restlessness in the spirit was still lingering. As i prayerfully sought the Spirit, He seemed to reply; “the church is judging by the law of the land” and paused. As I pressed him for more understanding, He replied, the standard is Grace and Truth!

In the next few days, I believed God gave me more understanding on those thoughts. As every significant event is used by the Spirit to expose that which is hidden in the hearts of men with an intention of redemption. One of the things this has shown is how much we are and have been influenced by the world and the standards of the world.

Before we get into that, child sexual abuse is a grievous sin (He that causes one of these little ones to stumble…); not only that lying or manipulating in any way to cover it up is also very grievous (if that was the case). The world also sees that as a grievous sin to an extent and that is why we have good laws against it. However, the question is are we getting our standards from the world or from the WORD?

In Proverbs 6: 16 to 19; there are six things that the Lord hates, and seven that are detestable (ABOMINATION) to Him:

Do we hold liars in position of authority accountable by the same balancing scales, we are holding sex offenders to? The proud in the same scale (although pride may not be discernable)? What about those that shed the blood of the innocent? What about those that sow discord or bare false witness? If we have different weighing scales, then one of the main reasons could be is because we have been influenced by the world where lying and pride is common; so also shedding of innocent blood (which is becoming very common today) and also sowing discord and bearing false witnesses.

Again, the reason for the article is not to minimize the sin of sexual abuse; but rather that we see all kinds of sins for what they are and treat them as seriously as the Word would describe them.

Now, if we are using the law to judge those inside the church then let it not be according to the standards of the law of the land. For if so, we will end in error at some point. Let us be consistent in judging by the laws of God.

There is an even better way and that is GRACE and TRUTH!