It has happened again. Another Christian leader involved in a scandal. (A collective sigh fills the Body of Christ.)
I’m sure many Christians want to bury their head in the sand in embarrassment and pray for Jesus’ speedy return.
Others are quick to point an accusing finger and blame a lack of holiness teaching in the church.
Believers who refuse traditional church, shake their heads and say, “See, that’s why I don’t go to church.”
And the whole mess leave some angry, some saddened, some disillusioned, some critical, some cynical. But how should we respond?
With Grace.
Redemptive grace – There is no mistake, no failure that God cannot redeem. None. When confronted with a person’s transgression or even our own, let us remember God’s redemptive work is always at work in our lives. Always. Our job is to remind others and ourselves of the redemptive power at work through the Holy Spirit. God can redeem the most horrific of acts.
Forgiving Grace – understanding we have been forgiven freely by God, sets us free to forgive others and ourselves freely. The fruit of forgiveness is repentance and transparency. Let us extend forgiveness freely so that those who have fallen may, “Go and sin no more.”
Saving Grace – Jesus did not come to point an accusing finger and tell us how bad we are. He didn’t come to condemn but save. John 3:17. If this was Jesus’ mission, shouldn’t that be ours as well? Our mission with a fallen member should be to restore back to health and wholeness not accuse and condemn.
Wisdom Grace – God uses flawed people because we are all He has. True Story. Therefore let us repent of placing our leaders on pedestals. Let us repent of allowing the voice of ours leaders to be the infallible word of God in our lives. Let us repent of confusing anointing and character. Let us repent of being more enamored with miracles than our Miracle-working God.
And to my none Christian friends, I say,
“As His children, we may not always get it right. Don’t hold that against our Father. Actually, it should draw you nearer to Him. If He can love people, as messed up as we are and still not forsake us; if He can repeatedly forgive us even though we miss the mark often and still not condemn us; if He can still work miracles through hands that are not always clean, surely, there is ample room in the family for you! He is inviting you to come and be a part of His family.
No, we are not perfect. We are just loved perfectly by a perfect God.”
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
John 3:17 NKJV