Hell Has Entered The Church

This sermon preached by Dave Hunt is convicting and tells the tale of where the Church is today.  Just as God told us in His word, we are lovers of self, wanting a comfortable and entertaining lifestyle instead of the life of sacrifice we are called to live.

 

On The Chosen: Jesus Is Not the Law of Moses. He is Far Better.

 by Grayson Gilbert  

Recently, The Chosen posted an image of the actor who plays Christ with a line from season 3 that is supposedly a “mic drop” moment for the show’s producers. It shows the character responding to one of the Pharisees by saying, “I am the Law of Moses.” While many flocked to the post in support of the “mic drop,” many others expressed how flatly unbiblical this is. They rightly said that Jesus is not the Law, but that the Law instead reveals the righteous standard of our thrice holy Lord. Likewise, they were right to say that Jesus came to fulfill the Law in His perfect, active obedience to it all His earthly life.

Contrary to the expression of infamous pastors like Steven Furtick, the active obedience of Christ means that He in no way “violated the Law” out of love. More importantly, the active obedience of Christ is a vicarious obedience. We think of the vicarious substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, meaning that He died in our place as our Substitute, and paid the wrath that we deserved. In the vicarious obedience of Christ, Jesus lived in perfect obedience, likewise, on our behalf. He fulfilled what we could not do: Jesus obeyed the Law, and due to His active obedience, and His passive obedience on the cross, we actually gain the benefit of being counted righteous before God. This is the doctrine of imputed righteousness, which is an alien righteousness—a righteousness not of our own, but Christ’s. This is important, so hang with me.

As we come back to the “mic drop” moment of season 3 in The Chosen, this becomes all the more nefarious. In fact, nowhere in Scripture does Jesus say to anyone, “I am the Law of Moses.” In the book of Mormon, however, you will find such a statement in 3 Nephi 15:9, “Behold, I am the Law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.” That alone should give people enough pause on the show, owing to the fact that Mormonism is a false religion that teaches a contrary gospel to the gospel of our Lord. In short, Mormon doctrine holds that it is your active obedience that will please God in the end, and earn your salvation.

2 Nephi 25:23 states, “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (emphasis mine). Often this verse from 2 Nephi is used in conjunction with Moroni 10:32 to give clearer meaning, which says, “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God” (emphasis mine). It is quite important to notice the all-important temporal modifiers to these Mormon scriptures, because they explicitly teach that grace is a commodity earned only after one has exhausted their own spiritual muster.

The LDS Bible Dictionary puts it like this:

“This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts. Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the fall of Adam and also because of man’s weaknesses and shortcomings. However, grace cannot suffice without total effort on the part of the recipient. Hence the explanation, ‘It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do’ (2 Ne. 25:23)” (p. 697).

But what does the Bible say of all of this? It is bupkis. Rubbish. Ultimately, it is damnable doctrine. Romans 3:10-20 lays out the plight of mankind so incredibly clearly that it leaves anyone without a source of comfort in their own ability to earn grace. Likewise, Ephesians 2:1-10 displays not only the hopelessness of those born under the dominating power of sin—but it lifts up the reality that we are saved “by grace through faith…and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). The good works which we walk in were prepared beforehand for us by the Father (Eph. 2:10), meaning that even our good works are a production of this grace in us. In other words: even our active obedience to Christ is a display of the riches of God’s grace. They are not what produces salvation, but a production of salvation.

The lynchpin of my argument today though is not the tie The Chosen has to Mormonism, which is without dispute at this point. That should be enough—but for many, it is not. What I want to do then is simply take this “mic drop” moment from The Chosen and show just how flatly unbiblical, and truly sad it actually is. The reason for this is quite simple: Not only does Scripture simply never say in any one of the great “I AM” passages that Jesus Christ is the Law of Moses, Jesus is far better than the Law. Here’s why.

The apostle Paul begins in Romans 7 by describing the plight of mankind before the Law of God because of the dominating power of sin. The problem is not the Law. The Law, as Paul says, is “holy, righteous, and good” (Rom. 7:12). The problem is us. The Law is spiritual, but we are not; we are sold as slaves to sin, bound under obedience to the Law, but unable to keep the Law in perfection as it demands—and the result is that the Law produces death in us. Ultimately, we are caught up between the power of sin and death—we are bound by the flesh, and it is so bad that Paul tells us four results of being bound by the flesh, according to Romans 8:5-8:

The mind set on the flesh is death.


The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God.


The mind set on the flesh does not subject itself to the Law of God because it is not even able to do so.


Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

This is the fundamental problem of the Law. As holy, righteous, and good as it is, it cannot free man from this body of death we bear under the weight and power of sin. The Law was never designed to do this. Even if one takes into account the threefold use of the Law—all should recognize that the Law was never designed to be a means by which sinners are freed from the power of sin and death—but Jesus is powerful enough to deliver us from sin and death. This is why is it so heinous that The Chosen depicts Jesus Christ saying, “I am the Law of Moses.” It equates Christ with the Law, rather than with Him being the second person of the Trinity, who is far greater than the Law.

The Law could not set you and I free from sin and death—but Jesus did. The Law was powerless to free one from the condemnation they deserve—but Jesus is not. This is why so many find comfort in Paul’s argument in Romans 8:1-4:

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

What rendered death in us before and bound us all under the power of sin—is no longer binding us. We’ve been freed, not only from the power of sin and death, but from the judgment to come, and this is particularly why the gospel is such good news. The hopelessness of being bound by the flesh in death, hostility toward God, our inability to subject ourselves to God’s Law, and our utter inability to please God, has been replaced by a renewed hope under the law of the Spirit. The Spirit dwells within us (Rom. 8:9), gives us life (Rom. 8:10-11), enables us to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom. 8:12-13), allows us to be called “Sons of God” (Rom. 8:14-15), and testifies that we are His children (Rom. 8:16) and heirs to the promises of God (Rom. 8:17). The Law does none of these things.

Perhaps greatest of all though is that the Law was powerless to cleanse us from the stain of sin, but Christ’s sacrifice was not. Hebrews 10 speaks of this wonderful reality, showing that the Law was merely a shadow of the glorious things to come through Christ. It could never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near to God in worship (Heb. 10:2). But Jesus can. Instead of a continual reminder of the power of sin and death, we have a perfect sacrifice found in Jesus Christ, who satisfied the wrath of God and rendered us pure and blameless before the Father. In other words, we are truly counted righteous.

And this is where the vicarious obedience of Christ comes full circle—because it is only through the active obedience of Jesus Christ that we have come to be counted righteous (Rom. 5:19). It is only because the Son lived in perfect obedience to the Law that He could offer up His life in our place, and truly satisfy the wrath of God. To tie that all together: Christ proved that He was not only greater than the Law by this, but showed He was greater than the power of sin and death. Sin might take advantage of the commandment and produce death in us (Rom. 7:8), but it could not in Christ.

Did the producers of The Chosen intend to knock against all of this? Perhaps not. It is difficult to say, simply owing to how steeped in Mormon doctrine the show is—but I am inclined to not give them the benefit of the doubt as so many wish to do. This is their “gotcha” moment. This is their proverbial “mic drop.” But this isn’t quite the mic drop they believe it to be. Rather than showing people a genuinely biblical portrayal of Christ and His power over sin and death, they display an impotent Jesus, who is powerless to actually save people from their sins. Instead, they show a Jesus who is mastered by the dominating power of sin. That’s what truly gets communicated in one little line, because that’s what the Scriptures say about the Law. When you equate Jesus with the Law of Moses, that’s what you get.

Unfortunately, many don’t see this, but have fawned over the mic drop and been reduced to tears. They have, in other words, been profoundly impacted by the show—but in all the wrong ways and for all the wrong reasons. The sad reality is that until professing Christians start to pick up their Bibles and critically examine shows like these, those of us who do so will continue to be labeled curmudgeons, and “fun-ripper-outers.” In part, I’ll take that because I am sardonically asking along with Maximus Decimus Meridus to the blood-thirsty crowd who watched him dispatch of another in the gladiatorial arena, “Are you not entertained?” Things should not be this way, but they are.

What the show relies on is an ignorance of what the Scriptures actually teach, which is to say precisely why it is so popular. It offers much of the same style of Christianity pervading the Evangelical world currently, where the inch-deep, mile-wide preaching of the Word, the “At the Movies” canned sermon series, and the vapid emotionalism brought on by manipulative “worship” music laden with sentimental musical prompts, are commonplace. Indeed, it brings people to see Jesus—just not the biblical Jesus; but it is highly entertaining, is it not? The problem is that we keep asking the wrong question. The question isn’t if it is entertaining, but why so many are entertained at the expense of biblical truth.

The Rise of One World Religion

 Amir Tsarfati speaks about how things are being set up for a smooth transition to One World Government and One World Religion. It's already in play and some of these facts will astound you!  Good listen

Who Is The Antichrist?

David Jeremiah Answers End Times Questions 

Spirit vs. Flesh

Two natures beat within my breast,

The one is foul; the one is blest.

The one I love; the one I hate,

The one I feed will dominate.

unknown author

Healthy Churches

This was too good to wait until tomorrow to post.  I challenge all of us to not only evaluate the church we attend, but evaluate our own involvement.  ARE you involved?  DO you serve our Lord?  Or do you leave it for the leaders and those "called" to a certain ministry?  HAVE you held your brothers and sisters accountable?  Or is it easier to shrug it off and just be comfortable.  Growth, in the best way, is not comfortable or easy.  If you haven't felt conviction or some form of discomfort lately, then I would surmise you haven't been growing either.

Principles of Healthy Church Growth

by Phil Van Auken

Understanding Church Growth

• The growth of a local church is the natural byproduct of its spiritual health (intimate relationship to God).
  
• The church belongs to Christ, not to us. He has a unique growth plan and purpose for each local church that makes up His body. Christ, not man, makes the local church grow.
  
• Some churches are redwood trees, others are bushes; some are flowers, others are grass. But ALL of the plants in God's forest have strong roots.
  
• Christ is interested in Kingdom growth (converted souls), not man-made growth based on the "3 Ms": materialism, marketing, and management.
  
• Christ is interested in the right motives for church growth: love for sinners; a sacrificing lifestyle that is salt and light to the world; dependence on God (humility).
  
• Man's motives for church growth are: the "3Bs": (budgets, baptisms, and buildings); empire-building pride (like the Tower of Babel); staff career-climbing; and guilt.
  
• Christ vomits man-made growth out of His mouth. (Rev. 3:18)
  
• Man-made church growth causes church cancers: congregational politics; materialism; competition between churches; cultural (undiscipled) Christianity; congregational homogeneity; performance-oriented staff (the "CEO" pastor).
  
• Growing churches are thus not necessarily healthy churches.
  
• Christ calls us to labor in a number of overlooked fertile harvest fields: growth in corporate prayer and patience; growth in heartfelt, genuine worship (instead of routine rituals for God); growth in the percentage of members who do the work of the church; growth in congregational diversity (ethnic diversity, as well as a mixture of new Christians and mature Christians); growth in member discipleship and empowerment; growth in ministry partnerships with other Christian organizations outside your local church.

Today's Lukewarm, Naked Church

• The comfortable, non-sacrificing church.
  
• We expect the staff to do the work of the church. "That's what we pay then for, isn't it?"
  
• We expect missionaries to save all the souls. "That's what God called them to do, isn't it?"
  
• Church leaders must stay out of the comfort zone and model sacrificing discipleship to the congregation.
  
• The church must be in the world to save those in the world. (John 17: 6-19)
  
• Growing, spiritually healthy churches must make room for the non-Christian, the "near-Christian," the immature Christian, and the backslidden Christian. Legalism and membership conformity cause the church to lose its warmth (salt and light).
  
• The church must tithe its budget and time to go beyond church walls in the local community.
  
• Why we don't pray: (1) We're comfortable and don't want anything (2) We don't care enough about others (3) We think small (4) We don't want to get involved (5) We're afraid God will respond and we'll have to interrupt our comfortable routine.

In The World...

• Church growth does not take place unless a new Christian enters God's Kingdom. Transferring memberships between churches is "recycled" (man-made) growth.
  
• Because our society is breaking down morally, most church growth opportunities today come from crisis ministry: divorce, unwanted pregnancies, alcohol and drug addiction, family abuse, etc. This is the harvest field that Christ labored in and said was white unto harvest. (John 4:35 and Matthew 9:37-38) Unfortunately, this is crisis ministry, not comfortable ministry.
  
• Middle class America is comfortable and secular, so this is often a barren harvest field to work in. Unfortunately, many churches want to do all of their work in this harvest field, because middle class church members have money and usually require only a modest amount of the church staff's time and energy. Crisis ministry church members can be disruptive to church routine and require a lot of time and attention. Highly legalistic churches don't view the "crop" in crisis harvest fields to be very worthy of harvesting. (Matthew 9:1-6)
  
• Church growth requires the church to be all things to all people. (1 Cor. 10:33)
  
• Because God has a unique purpose and plan for each local church, He is doing special work in each church. Leaders should find where God's special construction site is for their local church and go to work there. If we want our church to grow, we should work where God is already working in our midst!
  
• The more a church grows numerically, the more it must engage in discipleship. New Christians need "big brother" disciplers. Church growth is discipleship.
  
• The best form of discipleship is "on-the-job" ministry service to the unsaved and to those in crisis. Disciples of Christ must get beyond the comfortable walls of the local church and go out into the world where people are hurting and searching for forgiveness and a fresh start in life.
  
• The local church cannot grow if it seals itself off from the world for fear of being "tainted" by sin. We have the whole armor of God to help us be in the world but not be of the world. (Ephesians 6:13)
  
• Churches should look for ministry partners to provide growth opportunities: Prison Fellowship, community Christian service agencies (Salvation Army, etc.), other congregations, etc. God extends special blessings to unity among the brethren.

...But Not Of The World

• Christ's local church is not a business ("First Baptist Incorporated"). A CEO and board of executives shouldn't run it. The job of the church staff and lay leaders is not to perform. This is Christ's role. Church leaders are to be spiritual role models, reflecting the light of the Holy Spirit to the congregation and a dying world.
  
• The local church must not use the devices of the world (entertainment, material wealth and comfort, power, slick marketing, autocratic management, etc.) to run itself and promote its interests.
  
• The church must emphasize outreach (to the unsaved) over inreach (to the comfortable congregation).
  
• Church leaders must encourage and empower members to get away from the church for outreaching ministry activities.
  
• Church leaders are to empower members, not control them (which is the proper role of the Holy Spirit). When staff seek to control people, someone goes out the back door of the church every time a new member arrives through the front door.
  
• The Bible is meant to be applied, not merely studied.
  
• Small churches shouldn't envy middle size churches. Middle-size churches shouldn't covet to be large churches. Large churches shouldn't lust to be "super" churches. All church growth is Christ's business.
  
• The wrong church growth tools are: pressure, competition, guilt, and entertainment.
  
• The right church growth tools are: prayer, sanctification, discipleship, outreach, sacrifice, discomfort, sorrow, compassion, diversity, Bible-applying.

Encouragement In The Garden Of Gethsemane

• God doesn't value you or your church for what you do. We don't have to earn God's love or blessings.
  
• God has a unique role for you and your church. Look at your ministry through His eyes, not man's eyes.
  
• Church growth is God's work.
  
• Church growth happens one saved soul at a time.
  
• The grass and bushes in the forest are just as useful and necessary as the tall trees.
  
• Be the Christian God wants you to be and He will sanctify you to help the members of your church become the Christians He wants them to be. When the members of a church are the Christians God wants them to be, the church will grow and grow!

---

Note: This article originally appeared in Phil Van Auken's website.

Defamation?

I am taking a break from posting a prayer today to address something I find very serious.  First, let me step forward to say that I have done this very thing myself, so I am not pointing fingers unless standing in front of a mirror.  Second, as a Christian, I have been convicted and feel the need to share this information with other Christians.  We need to be the salt and the light - and when we do this, we are not.

So what is it we are doing?  We are forwarding many emails that are not only unflattering to others, they are downright false.  Maybe we don't like Obama - or maybe we don't like one of the candidates running for office - or maybe it's a celebrity - it doesn't matter.  If we don't know something to be 100% true, then we shouldn't be forwarding the email.  The excuse "oh, I thought it was true" doesn't cut it.   There are many sites that fact check (Snopes, Factcheck) and in a matter of minutes one can find out if something is true or not.  If you don't want to take the time to find out, then don't forward the email -  delete it. In fact, we should probably be deleting it even if it is true as it very well may qualify as gossip.  Certainly it's important IF the email is informing us about a policy, a bill to be passed, a raunchy movie to avoid, etc. AND it's true.  Many of the emails being forwarded, however, are just plain hateful and full of lies.

I guess you can deduce that I don't want to be the recipient of any of these emails anymore - thanks for taking my name off the list.  Oh, and feel free to forward this blog to anyone - or EVERYONE - you know!  You not only have my permission, you have my blessing.

Here's some FACTUAL information about sending untrue emails around (from lawyers.com):

Email Defamation

Email has become a part of our everyday life. Things you might never say face to face, or even over the telephone, are easily communicated to others through email. Often times an email received by one person is forwarded to a host of other parties in a sender's email address book without regards to how the receiver may feel about the message being sent.

 

Emails can be Defamatory

Can you be liable for a defamatory statement you made in an email? Yes you can.

Defamation is defined as communication to third parties of false statements about a person that injure the reputation of or deter others from associating with that person. Defamation can take one of two forms: slander or libel. Slander covers oral defamatory statements while libel addresses the written version. Defamation is an abusive attack on a person's character or good name. If a person is harmed in any way by your statement(s), you can be held accountable in a court of law for your actions.

Defamation requires "publication." When you send a defamatory statement about another person to others than the one you are defaming, that constitutes publication. Any every time an email is sent, it is considered a new publication. Every one who has a role in the publication of that email may be liable.

You should treat email as any other form of communication. If you do not want others to see what you have written, do not put it in an email. Also keep in mind that the person you send the email to may forward it on to others, who may do likewise. What you may think is a joke may very well be offensive to another person.

Deleting an email does not protect you. Remember that the message is stored somewhere else on your computer and those computer whiz kids have a way of retrieving it no matter how old.

Email has made the world smaller. But this creates another new problem in defamation litigation. A lawsuit can be filed wherever the email was sent, received, or published.

 

Emails May Not Be Private

The right to privacy is recognized in most states by law or court decisions. However, emails sent through employer provided email can be monitored as long as the employee was given notice that the employer intended to monitor all email transmissions. The Electronics Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA), the federal wiretap statute, does not specifically provide privacy protection for email systems. However a state court may consider email within the scope of its anti-wire tapping and eavesdropping statutes. It is always best to check with an attorney in your state regarding this issue.

 

Free Speech Lies in Stating Opinion not False Fact

The First Amendment protects your right to free speech. But that means what you say about another must be an opinion and not some false fact. If what you write embarrasses someone or hurts them, if the facts are the truth, you will not be liable. In order to prove defamation, it must be shown that the information was not privileged (that is made to a doctor, lawyer, or clergy); the statement must be a false assertion of fact; and some injury must have resulted.

Some things to remember the next time you hit the "send" button on your computer:

• Check that the person you are sending it to is correct. Don't just hit "reply" or "reply all"
• Check and recheck what you have written
• Emails can be forwarded and reproduced Finally since the laws in each state vary, be sure to check with an attorney in your state.

What Does The Bible Say About Lying?

There is a plague that is grieving the heart of God because it is preventable and can be stopped. It has spread among all churches and is particularly rampant in society. Even God’s ministers are not immune and many of them are infected with it.

What is this evil plague? You may be surprised as it appears rather harmless at first glance. It is now so commonplace that people are deceived into just accepting it as normal, instead of recognizing and resisting it. This epidemic is the practice of lying and dishonesty.

What does the Bible say about lying? A lying tongue is not only something God hates, it is also something that is an abomination to Him.

Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

EXAMPLES OF DISHONESTY

As the moral climate of our society has been deteriorating, lying has become a major problem. The business world is particularly plagued by this problem--men’s dishonesty with each other, meetings "forgotten", company theft, promises not kept, contracts broken, etc. Lawyers have increased in numbers over the last decade, mainly because of irresponsibility and broken contracts among men due to lying. A news organization recently did a survey here in America and asked people several questions to determine the percentage of people who lied or were dishonest about things. Some of the questions were:

Do you cheat on your Income Tax Return?
Do you compliment people when you really don’t mean it?
Do you tell your spouse to tell callers you are not at home when you are there?
Do you tell "little white lies" if it will keep you out of trouble?
Do you tell creditors that "the check is in the mail" when you have not yet mailed it?
Do you exaggerate in repeating things you have heard?

The results of this survey determined that nearly 80% of Americans are not truthful under certain circumstances.* (Documented Survey Stats Below.) This is understandable when we look at the morals of our society but what about Christians? Have they fallen into the habit of lying also? Also, what constitutes a lie according to the Bible? Anything that is not the truth is a lie and God’s Word the Bible tells us what is truth. The Bible is the standard or measuring rod we must use in determining truth. Sadly, Christians are also succumbing to this epidemic of lying. Lying to each other has now become so commonplace, Christians too, have become liars.

THE FATHER OF LIES

Have you been lied to lately? Was it another Christian that lied to you? A minister perhaps? Each of us have had our trust in people undermined, or in some cases even destroyed because of lies. We would all agree that lying is an ugly evil. The Bible tells us that lying began with the devil and that he is the father of lies.

John 8:43-47 says, "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."

The Bible is filled with admonitions against being dishonest and lying. One of the Ten Commandments states:

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Exodus 20:16

Before we point our finger at another for being a liar that we feel God needs to deal with, let us examine our own lives to see if we are infected with the same disease. What kind of witness are we to those around us? Are we deceived and have we become liars ourselves? Let us first give a definition as to what a lie is according to Webster’s dictionary:

1.) To make a statement that one knows is false, especially with the intent to deceive.
2.) To give a false impression or action or false statement, especially with the intent to deceive.
3.) To make a false statement in order to evade the truth.4.) The invention of a false story or excuse in order to deceive.

Perhaps for a Christian, a Biblical definition of lying could be summed up in this statement:

Any time our word does not agree with God’s Word.

In Numbers 23:19 the Bible says, "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"

When we do not keep our word we are guilty of lying. Over the last year I have lost track of the number of times Christians have failed to keep their word to me. I am not angry or resentful or bitter over this, as the Lord has worked those attitudes out of my life. I have learned to take every offense to Him in prayer and He then removes any personal ill I might have and He gives me a forgiving and gracious attitude toward others. However, since I began to notice how many of God’s people were not keeping their word, I received a prayer burden of intercession for this evil to be removed from God’s people.

I first began praying about my own life and asked God to expose any areas where I might be guilty of this sin. I have tried to obey Romans 12:17-21 which says, "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."

Most of the time I would just forgive these lying offences and would just pray for them and try to "live peaceably with all men." However, in prayer, the Lord spoke to my heart that I must go one step further and "speak the truth in love" to my brothers and sisters if I truly loved them.

Ephesians 4:15-16 says, "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.""

If we, as the body of Christ, are to mature and grow up we must conform to the truth which is Jesus. The devil is behind every lie and as Christians we are admonished not to lie to one another.

Colossians 3:9-10 says, "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."

TWO ROOTS OF DISHONESTY

The two main reasons we lie are usually rooted in either fear or pride. Fear is the first reason. We are afraid of the consequences if we tell the truth. Yielding to fear shows a lack of trust in God to take care of the situation. If we yield to God and do it His way He will usually give us favor with those that we fear. The other reason is pride. We are prideful and concerned about what men will think of us (desiring man’s approval instead of God’s approval.)

Jesus always kept His Word. God still keeps His Word and is faithful to keep every promise He makes in the Bible. That is why He is reliable and we can trust Him. We are called to be like Him. The Bible says that out of a man’s mouth proceeds what is in His heart. If we tell lies or fib then it means that we need a heart cleansing.

Matthew 15:18-20a says, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man..."

We need to ask God to cleanse our hearts and begin reading and studying the Bible so that His Word resides in our hearts. As we keep His Word and water it with prayer it will produce good fruit in our lives. Lying is not only speaking an untruth; another form of lying is not keeping our word to others.

Luke 8:15 says, "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.""

LITTLE "WHITE" LIES

Let us look at some specific ways the devil gets us to lie. We will expose some of his devices. These sorts of lies are being practiced by many Christians. Now remember, we are guilty of lying when we do not keep our word. Even if these sorts of lies seem harmless and don't appear to really hurt anyone else, they are harmful to our own souls. The more we practice telling untruths of any kind, the duller our conscience becomes.

1.) "I will call you back tomorrow." (This excuse is often used with a deliberate intent to deceive. The person does not call back at the appointed time and will call back at a much later date with excuses of why they were unable to call which usually goes something like: "I just was so busy, I meant to call , but did not get around to it." We all have been guilty of this, but we need to realize when we say we will do something we need to keep our word. We do understand there are legitimate reasons that make it impossible at times to keep our word. This is not the case we are referring to here. It would be better to not make this promise or to say, "I will try to call you back tomorrow.")

2.) "I will be happy to do that for you." (Whatever promise was made, it was not kept and their word about the matter causes them not to be trusted. The Holy Spirit is trying to purge this lack from His people and is using a group of men known as "Promise Keepers" to help restore trustworthiness back in the heads of families by stressing that they need to keep their promises.)

We could list numerous examples but these two cover a lot of territory; any time we say the words "I will" we need to be responsible to do it. We all, on occasion, fail to do the things we have good intentions of doing or we are hindered in some way and can’t do them. However, if we are unable to keep an appointment we should be thoughtful enough to call and cancel, or tell of our delayed arrival. We are living in an age when there are so many uncaring attitudes expressed. As Christians, we can be good witnesses by being different.

One of the biggest faults of many Christians, and our society as well, is that we tend to over-commit and then we are unable to keep our word. It is disheartening to see this shift prevalent in businesses. They commit to the jobs, then, are not able to produce them on time and thus the standard for business practices is shifting to not expecting them on time. Business people must now factor in lengthy time delays just to compensate for people’s lack of business ethics.

People that tend to over-commit sometimes have a pride problem and are people pleasers. They want people to like them so they offer to do things for them, and because they are unable to keep their promises to all they end up not being able to keep their word; thus they are dishonest. In business it is usually greed that tends to cause them to over-commit. They want more business and more money, even when they must work from a backlog that was promised timely.

As Christians we need to ask the Lord to forgive us if we are guilty of lying or deceit. It is a very serious matter with God when we lie. (We can read of the incident of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts chapter 5 in the Bible. They both fell dead when they lied to the Holy Spirit.)

The Bible also lists this sin of lying as one that can lead us to hell along with some other grievous ones.Revelation 21:7-8 says, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.""

We can be overcomers through the power of the Holy Spirit as we seek to be like Jesus. We not only do not want to lie, but we also want to keep our word so that people know we are honest and trustworthy. As Christians, we want to represent our Father well in this life and be honest and free from fabrication and fibbing.

Confronting Sin in the Church

 

 

 

 

 

 

by John MacArthur

The Lord's Table is certainly a time for remembering; a time for remembering the death of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. A time for considering the great realities of the cross, substitution, atonement, satisfaction, propitiation, expiation; all of those terms that define some aspect of the great work of Christ on the cross.

And in fact the theological glories of the cross have been the inexhaustible theme of millions of sermons for 2,000 years. The cross and the remembrance of our Lord's work there. It certainly draws us to a very careful consideration of the nature of God as he reveals in one great event both his wrath and his mercy.
A consideration of the cross causes us to look at the person of Christ to consider his humanity as he dies as a man. And consider at the same time his deity as he forgives the sin of the one dying beside him and promises himself to rise from the dead.
Looking at the cross also points out the horrible plight of lost sinners who are so deep in sin that one must pay such a penalty to free them from it. It is also a time to consider the hope of saints who in the death of Christ find their great release and hope of eternal glory.
There's much to remember and when you look back at the cross, and we do time and time again, you must consider all of those wonderful realities that are part of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But it's also a time to look at our own lives to consider the sin in us. The apostle Paul laid down a very straightforward command for those who come to the Lord's Table. This is what he wrote: "Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup for he who eats and drinks eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick and a number sleep or literally are dead but if we judged ourselves rightly we should not be judged. But when we are judged we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world."
Paul says, "When you come to the Lord's Table it is a time for self judgment. It is a time for self examination so that you can avoid the discipline of God. It is a time to come in a worthy way and that means having confronted and dealt with sin in your own life."
Here is a call to self examination. And every time we come to the Lord's Table we not only look back but we look in. It's a time for us to examine our own hearts. It's really reminiscent of the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter 5 verses 23 and 24 who said, "When you come to bring an offering or when you come to worship if there's something that isn't right between you and someone else, leave, make it right then come back."
It is to that theme of self examination, that theme of dealing with sin in our lives, that theme of worthiness and the avoidance of judgment and chastening, that I want to call your attention this morning.
We are called not only to remember but we are called to be holy. We are called not only to proclaim the cross but we are called to live a godly virtuous holy life. We are called to bring heaven down. We pray thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven and there's only one place where that can happen and that's the church. The church is the only heaven the world can see and heaven is a place of holiness and the church must be as well.
If we are to bring down heaven we have to bring down what's going on in heaven. And what is going on there is the worship of God, the exaltation of Jesus Christ and holiness. The church of the redeemed should be a holy place and coming to the Lord's Table forces us to deal with those issues because we cannot participate unless we have.
In 2 Corinthians chapter 7 some of you will remember a few weeks ago when we were studying that great chapter. And we were reminded of the words of Paul who said "Let us cleanse our selves from our defilement of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
Each of us personally must attend to the matter of holiness by bringing our sin before God, confessing it, repenting of it and seeking a path of obedience. We are called to deal with sin. Sin is a reality in every Christian's life. We don't deny that because we're Christians doesn't mean we deny sin. Quite the contrary, we of all people confess it.
To deny sin is foolish particularly in the light of the Scripture 1 John 1:8, the apostle John writes, "If we say that we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us". Verse 10, "if we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us".
Two things happen when you deny sin, you deceive yourself and you make God a liar because God affirms that indeed we are sinful. James 3:2 says, "We all stumble in many ways." Paul said, "Oh, retched man that I am who will deliver me from the body of this death." We have not been freed.
James 1:21, "From all that remains of wickedness, we still have remaining wickedness to deal with. And in order for us to let our light shine so that men can see our good works and glorify our father in heaven, in order for us to be useful to him in serving him, in order for our worship to have any meaning at all we have to deal with sin.
We all know what the Bible says. Sin devastates us in our worship, in our service. It takes our joy, our peace, our love, our assurance, our youthfulness. It poisons the church with its permeating influence like leaven as Paul discusses it in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 and says, "You've got to put out that sinning person because a little leaven leaven's the whole lump."
Sin weakens our confidence in God. It weakens our trust. Sin steals our anticipation of the return of Christ and robs us of the hope of heaven. Sin destroys our ministry because we become vessels unfit for the master's use.
And we must add that sin cannot easily be dealt with. Paul said, "I have to die daily. I have to constantly beat my body into submission." And he said, "I can't do it in the flesh having begun in the spirit I can't be made perfect in the flesh", Galatians 3:3. "It is a supernatural, spiritual divine matter to battle this remaining wickedness. It does not rest easy. It fights all the way but it must be dealt with." This is true individually as we well know and we are all before God called to deal with the sins in our lives.
But I want to go beyond that if I may this morning and remind us that it is also a corporate issue. It is also a corporate issue. We all know that a chain is not stronger than its weakest link. And the testimony of a church is no greater than its weakest member.
We all collectively have to demonstrate to the watching world the power of the saving gospel; the power of the transforming God who has changed us and put his spirit within us. We must do that collectively if we are going to let his glories shine. And so then I must be concerned not only about my sin but I must be concerned about yours as well because your sin may debilitate my testimony as much as my own.
We must be concerned about our own holiness. We must be concerned about the holiness of the church. Back in 1 Corinthians a little earlier than where we read in chapter 11 in the 5 chapter which I referred to a moment ago. Paul says in verse 7 of 1 Corinthians 5, "Clean out the old leaven that you may be a new lump. Wherever there is sinful influence in the church, clean it out," he says. "So you are unleaven. So there's no sin in the church. Clean it out."
What do you mean Paul? Verse 9, "I wrote to you in my letter." The first letter which we don't have it wasn't inspired and included in the cannon of Scripture but it was written nonetheless. "I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people." You have to make a break with immoral people and I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world or with the covetes and swindlers or with idolaters. And for then you would have to go out of the world.
I'm not talking about not associating with unbelievers in the world but verse 11 actually I wrote to you not to associate with any so called brother if he should be an immoral person or covetes or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or a swindler. Not even to eat with such a one. In other words, you've got to make sure that you deal with sin that you put out the evil influence of a sinning person and that you have nothing to do with an immoral person.
Verse 12, "For what have I to do with judging outsiders." Do you not judge those who are within the church? We're not sitting in judgment on the world. We've got to deal with the church. In all honesty, I grieve in my heart that Christians can get so upset, and so anxious, and so distressed, and so disturbed, and so militant, and so aggressive, and so involved in dealing with the sins of non-Christians, but they do.
They create major enterprises to deal with the sins of non-Christians. Getting involved in matters with regard to pornography, matters with regard to homosexuality, matters with regard to a social injustice; problems in the court system, inequities, matters in regard to the pollution of the minds of children in the education system.
They get involved with all those kinds of things; trying to stop abortion in our society. And people become militantly involved in those things who wouldn't turn a finger to deal with the sin of a believer in their own congregation. And yet that is the priority. That is the priority.
We are to be so much heaven on earth that people look at us and see holiness. Something that is utterly other worldly and completely uncommon and unfamiliar to them. The Lord is not asking us to deal with the sins of the unconverted first but rather to deal with the sins of the Christians, who thus through their holy living can become a shining light and the testimony of the power of God of forgiveness, and thus have impact on the Christian -- on the non-Christians who've sinned.
Jesus even gave us a pattern for this in Matthew 18, he said, "You go to your brother if he sins and confront him. If he repents you've gained your brother. If he doesn't you take two or three witnesses. If it still doesn't work tell the church which means you send the whole church after them. If they still don't repent you put them out of the church."
That is a pattern for dealing with sin in the church. It is absolutely crucial we do that. It is a rare communion service when we don't have to do that publicly, isn't it? And this morning, thank God, is one of those rare occasions. That's a good indication that we're doing our best to deal with sin. We do it communion, after communion, after communion.
And that's only the end of the process. If it ever gets here it's a step three or step four. Steps one and steps two are going on all the time as believers confront each other with the issues of sin. When you come to the Lord's Table, beloved, you must come here having dealt with sin in your life and done everything you can to deal with sin in the lives of others so that we help them. So that they don't come in an unworthy manner. So that they don't desecrate the Lord's table and harm the testimony of his beloved church.
Now there are a lot of passages of Scripture that we could look at to address this issue of dealing with sin in each other's lives but I want you to turn to Galatians chapter 6. Galatians chapter 6, a very familiar text and briefly in the time of meditation before we share in the Lord's Table I want to make a few comments about this passage.
There is always the threat I suppose and the real threat that if you get engaged in the confrontation of sin it can become ugly. It can become pharisaical. It can become humanly judgmental. People can abuse the privilege of doing that and can be conducted in the wrong manner and with the wrong attitude. In Galatians 6, is a corrective to all of that in such that frame of mind in place for how we are to deal with sin in the lives of other. "Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit gentleness each one looking to yourself lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the Law of Christ." We'll stop at that point.
Paul says, "If a man is caught in a trespass." A paruptema is the Greek word, a fall. The Bible talks about sin as a fall. The Bible talks about sin as a stumbling, tripping up, that's simply a term for sin. Someone is in sin. You know it. It says, "You who are spiritual restore such a one."
The responsibility for dealing with sin in the church belongs to those that are spiritual that's very important. The responsibility for confrontation belongs to those who are spiritual. The spiritual have to go to the fleshly or carnal. You who are spiritual, who are they? Who are the spiritual?
Well, let me help you to understand that because it's very important. Being spiritual has nothing to do with how long you've been a Christian. It has nothing to do with whether you've been a Christian for ten minutes or fifty years. Being spiritual is not something relative to time or knowledge or experience or exposure. Being spiritual is something absolute.
From the moment of your conversion, at any point in time till now, you were either spiritual or carnal. Being spiritual simply means you are walking in the spirit. And he picks it right up from the passage just prior in chapter 5 verse 16 where he says, "Walk in the spirit." Verse 25, "If we live by the spirit let us also walk by the spirit." That means to walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit; to walk in obedience to the word which the spirit has given us in Scripture. To be filled with the spirit. If you desire you could even add to bear the fruit of the spirit.
Verses 22 and 22, "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control." A spiritual person is simply an obedient believer. A spirit controlled, spirit filled, selfless believer walking in obedience to the word of God and the will of God in the power of the spirit of God.
And that can be true of you at any time. It's not the same as being mature. Maturity is relative to time, and knowledge, and experience, and exposure. Spirituality is an absolute. You either are spiritual or carnal depending on whether you are obedient or disobedient whether you are God centered, Christ centered, spirit centered or self centered.
But only a spiritual believer can be of any help to a carnal one. So when a believer falls into fleshly conduct, fleshly behavior, which is described for us earlier, the flesh manifests itself in things like "immorality", verse 19, "impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these."
When people fall into that, those are evidences that they are walking in the flesh. Spiritual believers must come to their rescue that's basic in the church in the family of God.
Go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 3 for a moment and just another look at this concept of spiritual. In the words of Paul as he writes to them in chapter 3 verse 1 he says, "I couldn't speak to you as spiritual. I had to speak to you as fleshly. I couldn't give you solid food. I had to give you simple things; milk. I had to treat you like an infant." Why? Verse 3, "You're still fleshly." And how does that manifest itself? "Jealousy, strife." And he says, "You are walking like mere men." That's what it is to be fleshly. It's to just conduct yourself like an unconverted person.
Paul says, "You are fleshly rather than spiritual." But only a spiritual believer can help a fleshly one. That's why we want to take care of our own lives and deal with the sin in our own lives so that we can be of benefit, encouragement, strength to other believers.
Romans 15:1 says, "The spiritually strong have to bear the weaknesses of those without strength." 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 14 says, "That we are to admonish the ruly -- unruly, encourage the fainthearted and help the weak."
James at the end of his Epistle speaks to those who are weak and says, "Is any among you weak," that term meaning weak rather than having some illness, "call for the elders of the church let them pray over him, massaging him with oil in the name of the Lord." In other words, when you're in a spiritually weak condition you go to the spiritually strong for strength and intercession on your behalf.
The spiritual pick-up, the fleshly, that's how it is in the church. We have to be all about that. Church isn't something you attend. Church is a way of life. It's living in a community of people who are concerned about holiness enough to confront sin. But you do it with the right attitude.
Let's go back to Galatians and begin to look at the attitude that is required in this confrontation. "Restore", an interesting verb," that our over means to mend or to fix or to repair. You go to this person you help them see their sin. You bring them to confess that sin and to repent of that sin. That's the three step process.
You help them to see the sin, confess indeed that they have committed it, and repent of it which is a determination to turn from it and walk in obedience. But you must do that with a right attitude and that attitude is indicated there. "Restore such a one in a spirit or an attitude of gentleness -- in an attitude of gentleness each one looking to yourself lest you too be tempted."
There's no place for abuse, cruelty, harshness, unkindness, maliciousness. And I suppose there's no better illustration of how this works then John gave us in the eighth chapter of his gospel; a graphic scene that shows us the spirit of Jesus in restoring the sinner.
Jesus went to the temple verse 2 after a night at the Mount of Olives. And all the people were coming to him and he sat down and began to teach them. And typically the scribes in Pharisees wanted to capture him and catch him in his words.
So they brought a woman caught in adultery. They literally went somewhere and the question has always been asked how did they know where to go find a woman in adultery. They may have known well. They brought a woman caught in adultery and they just threw her into the middle of the group Jesus was teaching.
And they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery in the very act." This was a sorted scene. This is a pretty potent, powerful moment. This is a captivating, traumatizing event. They've yanked this woman right out of an adulterous act thrown her right into the Temple ground in the front of Jesus in the midst of the crowd. And they said in verse 5, "Now in the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women but what do you say."
And again they probably have been staying up nights trying to conceive of this plot because if Jesus says don't do it. Moses said let her go. Then Jesus is in violation of the Mosaic Law and is self condemned with the Jews. If on the other hand, Jesus says grab some stones and kill her he will be condemned by the Romans because the Romans have taken away the right to take a life from the Jews.
So he is between those two alternatives and they were saying this testing him in order that they might have grounds for accusing him. They were either going to accuse him before the Jews for denying the Mosaic Law or accuse him before the Romans for calling for an execution but Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground. It doesn't say what he wrote. He might have written a few sins there one after the other perhaps. Or he might have just patiently doodled. We don't know. That's hard to imagine, frankly. But some have suggested that. It's hard to be sure.
When they persisted in asking him he straightened up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you let him be the first to throw a stone at her." This is again divine brilliance. And he stooped down and he wrote on the ground some more. It may have been that he was writing sins.
When they heard what he said they began to go out one by one beginning with the older ones because they had more sins to remember. And they knew they were not without sin. And he was left alone. And there was the woman right in the middle.
And straightening up Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way." "From now on", what? "Sin no more." That's how you pick somebody up. That's how you do it.
Considering yourself those Pharisees and scribes knew they had no right to throw a stone. They just turned and walked away. They knew their own lives. Before you get abusive, judgmental, condemning, malicious, unkind towards someone else consider yourself.
Jesus did not destroy this woman. He just picked her up and restored her. And then told her don't sin any more.
Sometimes the church can be pretty malicious. Someone wrote, "I have often thought that if I ever fall into such a trespass like that woman I pray that I don't land in the hands of censorious, critical, self righteous judges who are in my church. Let me fall into the hand of the bartender, street walkers or dope peddlers rather than church people who tear me apart with their long wagging, gossiping tongues cutting me to shreds."
It shouldn't be that way. I suppose it is. It's not that way here. Thank the Lord. But we come, we mend, repair, fix, lift up in a spirit of gentleness. That very gentleness mentioned back in chapter 5 verse 23 is a fruit of the spirit. We treat people with tenderness, with gentleness as the Scripture continually commands us to do. Looking to ourselves, considering our own lives, and realizing that we really could fall just like they did to the same temptation. Jesus obviously couldn't do that but he does demonstrate to us how to restore.
And it reminds me of Matthew 12:20 where Isaiah the prophet is quoted and Isaiah says of the Messiah this magnificent statement, "A battered read he will not break off. A smoldering wick he will not put out." Both the battered reed and the smoldering wick are metaphors. They are pictures. They're illustrations of broken people. And the messiah when he comes isn't going to destroy broken people.
Shepherds in ancient Israel used to take reeds that they would find growing in the land and they would cut them and make them into flutes. Reed flutes were the common musical instrument used often by shepherds and they would play them and play them.
And eventually because of the fact that they were exposed to the weather and they weren't particularly valuable and maybe not cared for as you might care for something precious. And because of the saliva from the mouth of the shepherd blown into them they would eventually become soft in the middle and they would lose the ability to make any music.
Perhaps a time would come when they even became brittle and cracked or a portion of them broke and the shepherd might just take such a useless flute and snap it in half or break it in half and toss it away because it couldn't make any music any more. But when the messiah comes he won't take the flute that can't make music and break it. He'll restore its song.
In those times, they had little oil lamps with oil in them and the wick would float on the surface of the oil. The wick occasionally would get down to the place where all it did was smolder with smoke and someone would reach over and extinguish that irritating, smoking, flickering wick. But when the messiah comes he doesn't do that. He doesn't extinguish the bear light. He fans it back into full flame.
That's the tenderness and the compassion and the grace and the kindness that the messiah will exhibit in restoring. And that's exactly what he did with the women there when he picked her up, forgave her sin, and restored her.
That's what we're called to do beloved. That's how we do it in the church. And verse 2 defines that for us in some very simple terms, that's called bearing one another's burdens. That's what it's called.
I think sometimes we assume that bearing one another's burdens is sort of sharing prayer requests about things that aren't quite intimate. I think sometimes we think bearing one another's burdens is helping each other financially to be able to get through a difficult time. And certainly there is truth in that but bear one another's burdens here has to do with something very specific.
The word burdens here is heavy loads. Hard to carry. It's not even the same, for example, as down in verse 5 where it says "Each one shall bear his own load." There you have a word load that simply means duty. It doesn't particularly mean something really heavy just the normal routine generic deals of life.
But here we're talking about a different issue; heavy, heavy loads. And when you bear one's heavy, heavy load you really fulfill the law of Christ. And what is the law of Christ? The law of Christ is John 13:34, "Jesus says a new commandment I give unto you that you," what? "Love one another." That's the law of Christ. That's the new law.
That's what James called the royal law or the law of liberty; the new law. It's the law of loving one another as I have loved you. And that loving one another means that after you have lifted up and restored this person you continue to be there to help them shoulder this heavy, heavy, heavy load. And that's how you share your love. You, like those elders in James 5, you massage that person. You rub that person as it were infusing strength into them and you continue to do that.
Now, what is that heavy load? Well, very simply two things -- two things. One, it is inordinately familiar temptation. It is that same old temptation that always comes and comes and comes. And we all know that we have patterns of temptation; those temptations to which we have fallen many, many times. Those temptations that we just can't seem to conquer.
There are some temptations that are weak in our lives. We have strong resistance to them for whatever reasons. But there are other temptations to which we have great susceptibility. They become our heavy burdens. They become heavy loads hard to carry on our own.
And they lead to the second part of the heavy load and that is habits of sin. There are familiar temptations that have led to habits of sin. We feel the same temptations coming and we feel weak before them and they push us into the same habits of sin; very familiar temptations habitualations to sin. Those oppressive temptations that regularly pull us down to familiarly sinful habits.
We're going to help each other. We have to stick around long enough to bear those burdens. We have to be there not only to pick that person up, not only to restore that person and to bring them back to spirituality, but we have to stay there in some kind of accountability in some kind of love and some kind of commitment to sustain the strength they need.
That's what the church is. It's not something you attend. It's a life you live. Church doesn't fulfill its responsibility when it sits and looks up here. It fulfills its responsibility when it turns and faces itself; the royal law of love. We have to be there. And we have to stay there to hold them when the heavy burden comes. Establish a pattern of prayer. Establish a pattern of accountability.
I remember a young man came into my office and he had come to Christ. And he said, "I'm so tempted. I was a homosexual" and he said, "I'm so tempted." He said, "I don't know if I can bear it. Those habits are so ingrained into my life and the power of that homosexual temptation is so strong I don't know if I can deal with it."
So I spent a prolong period of time in prayer with him in the office after which I said here's what I want you to do. I gave him a little pad of paper and I said every time you fall to the sin of homosexuality whatever expression of homosexual sin might occur I want you to write it down. And I want for you to write a detailed account of it. I want you to write a detailed account of the battle of temptation in your mind and when you fell I want you to write it all down. And then I want you to come back here in a week and we're going to read it together.
He came back in a week later, I'll never forget it, and he walked in and he sat down and was absolutely ecstatic and overjoyed. And he said, "I didn't have to write anything." And I said, "That's amazing, why?" He said, "Because I knew anything I did I'd have to write. Anything I wrote you'd read. And I didn't want you to have to read that."
That's how you begin to wean somebody away by creating a relationship of trust and accountability. Sometimes people don't want to do that. They think they're superior. They're not willing to stoop down to that level. Verse 3, "If anyone thinks his something when he's nothing he deceives himself."
Get a grip on it folks. You're not too good to do that that's what Paul's saying. You're not too good to do that. You're not superior. Your sins are only different ones. There are some that may be socially despicable and generally speaking we like our sins better than we liked other peoples.
We're certainly much more appalled at their inequities than we are our own. And consider their temptations more heinous than ours. And if you think you're something when you're nothing you're in a situation of being self deceived. You're not any better. You need to be willing to stoop down and lift up that person who's fallen.
And verse 4 takes us right back to where we need to be. Let each one examine his own work. Don't you be looking at somebody else that's not where you start. And you'll have reason for boasting in regard to yourself alone not compared to somebody else.
If you have any reason to boast, if you have any reason to rejoice it's because you alone have met God's standard. It's not because you're better than them. You don't compare yourself with them. You compare yourself with God's standard. Right? That's what verse 4 is saying.
So examine your own work. Examine your own life. Examine your own heart. And if you have reason to boast or rejoice, probably a better translation, if you have reason to rejoice it's because you alone stood by the divine standard. It's not because somehow you're superior to someone else. You don't measure yourself that way. You are -- you're no better than anybody else. The only cause for joy is that you've met God's standard. Get the log of pride out of your own eye and then you'll be useful with somebody else.
God doesn't grade on a curve. This is an absolute standard and if there's reason for you to rejoice it's because God has worked in you and done something through you not because of how you compare to somebody else. So you bear your own load. "You carry the weight of your own responsibility", verse 5 says. You deal with yourself deal with the reality of what you are. And don't consider yourself better than anybody else no matter what they've done. You get over there and you pick them up and you restore them and you bear their burdens.
Jesus wasn't too good to do that. He bore yours and mine on the cross. The shame of it was unspeakable but he was willing and he was perfect. And you're not and neither am I. And who are we to be unwilling?
As we come to the Lord's Table this morning; yes, it's a time to remember. Yes, it's a time to think of our own sin. But it's a time as well to remember our responsibilities to one another.
Father, thank you for your word to us; how we are refreshed in our spirits. How we are confronted in our sin and how we are instructed to our responsibility. And we desire to fulfill it. As we come now Lord to this time of communion, time of coming to your table, what we ask oh, Lord that you would cause us to be honest in our own hearts. Make sure our lives are right before you. That you would remind us as well that we have a responsibility to those precious members of the church around us to come along side them and lift them up and get under the load. We're not too good for that.
Lord just give us a passion for the purity of the church. May we be reminded that you want the church to be heaven on earth and heaven is a holy place. And this is the only place where holiness can come down because we're the only holy people. And we want to be holy as our father in heaven is holy. So that the world in seeing us will not see anything they've ever seen before. And that means we have to care for one another.
Lord we pray that you might reveal sin in this fellowship that we might see it and know it so that we can confront it. And gently considering ourselves who are so susceptible to temptation lift those people up and get under their load and carry it. Keep your church pure. That's what you died for. That's our desire.
Take this time now in prayer with me prayer of confession. Forgive us Lord for sacrificing your interests for our own, for selfish affections, being interested in our own good rather than the good of others. Forgive us for seeking the joy and the feelings that come from material things rather than enjoying the unchanging privileges we have in you.
Forgive us for lacking confidence and trust in your wisdom and sovereign purpose. Forgive us for fear and worry and distrust. And on the other hand, forgive us for self confidence in our ability to control our own lives. Forgive us for resentment in our suffering, for retaliation in our pain, for impatience, irritability and anger with your time table.
Forgive us, on the other hand, in our suffering for laziness, and apathy, and indifference, and doubt. Forgive us for not being generous with money, time. Forgive us for hypocrisy, for being untruthful. Forgive us for not being dependable or faithful or following through on our promises to you and others. Forgive us for irresponsibility, half heartedness.
Forgive us for pride and feelings of superiority, self consciousness, self preoccupation. Forgive us for an uncontrolled spirit, lack of discipline, the absence of willpower to do what is right.
Give us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self control. We confess all our sins Lord known and unknown, felt and unfelt. We ask you to wash us as we come now to your table.

Campaign Against Sin

One of the best articles I've ever read - perhaps because it has such personal meaning to me..............

Truth and Consequences: Exposing Sin in the Church

By Bob and Gretchen Passantino

Copyright 1994 by Bob and Gretchen Passantino.

King David had a humongous problem. A problem that threatened to destroy his administration. This problem not only could destroy his career, but in doing so it could destroy the economic and social stability of the nation and leave it ripe for internal decay and external exploitation. He'd had tough problems before in his years as Commander in Chief, but this was the worst yet.
How was King David going to explain to his people that his affair with the wife of one of the army's most successful generals had gotten so complicated that he was forced to send the general to his death in a hopeless battle so he could quickly marry the new widow to legitimize their child?
The ordinary people didn't know how hard it was to run a country, to have multitudes depending on you for leadership. They didn't understand how the extraordinary stresses leaders faced almost demanded extraordinary tension relieving activities. They didn't understand how using all of one's energies to run the country left one vulnerable to what the ministers called the "sins of the flesh."
It was time for a damage control strategy meeting. King David called in his most trusted advisors for a top-level secret meeting. First to arrive was his court magician, Mike, who had parlayed a brief flirtation with the black arts into a national inspirational comedy ministry. He had been able to hide his four marriages, numerous affairs, and tall-tale telling for twenty years. He was sure to have some great ideas.
The next to arrive was Brother Jimmy, from Southern Judah. True, Jimmy wasn't as well-liked anymore since that last police stop with the prostitute in his chariot, but he did have years of experience covering up his pornographic recreational activities. He could help devise a plan for keeping the worst details out of all but the most tacky tabloids.
The West Coast Kingdom Network contingent arrived later that day. Paul and Jan were sure to give David good advice on how he could appeal to the people with a powerful "word from the Lord" and take pledges for a new temple franchise at the same time. In addition, they brought suggestions from several West Coast ministers who had managed to overcome their bad PR to form new speaking platforms, and from other national ministers who were unable to attend because of their busy crusade schedules but who advised how to prosper in the midst of human suffering and poverty.
Last to arrive was Prophet Hal, brimming with ideas about how David's "little problem" was actually a sign that the Messiah was near and that the people should be concentrating on the refurbishing of the temple instead of David's personal life.
The top secret summit lasted all week. The media tried to crack security, but the usual "high level administration sources" were curiously silent. Nobody knew what was going on behind closed doors, except that the Jerusalem Kosher Pizza Hovel was making a fortune on late night deliveries.
When the king's press conference was finally announced, media from all the world jammed the pomegranate garden awaiting the king's presence. King David's communications advisor, George the Greek, strode to the podium.
"Members of the press. I have a brief statement from the palace, then King David will give his statement. Copies of both statements will be available as you leave, as well as 8x10 glossies. Now, to the statement: 'The palace announces that King David has instituted a new policy of cooperation with the armed services and chosen as liaison between the palace and the Hexagon Mrs. Bathsheba Uriah, whose late husband, General Uriah, sacrificed his life for his country in the recent battles supervised by Secretary of Defense Joab. This is a wonderful opportunity for this administration to confirm its commitment to supporting women in strategic leadership roles. In an effort to further reduce the national debt, King David has additionally decided to marry Mrs. Uriah so that she can perform her duties without salary. Thank you.'"
The murmurs of the reporters had started to die as King David walked briskly out the palace door, into the garden, and to the podium, flanked by his advisors. The morning sun glinted from the special highlights applied to his hair. No shine reflected off his carefully powdered cheeks and forehead. He turned his best side to the press artists and gave the magic smile that had won him the popularity of the people.
"My fellow Israelites. Today marks the beginning of a new era in God's kingdom. After careful consideration and agonizing self-sacrifice, I stand before you fully prepared to continue my responsibilities as the Lord's servant according to the Lord's calling. There have been rumors about my relationship with Bathsheba, wife of the late General Uriah. I tell you in all sincerity today that these rumors are vicious and are tearing down the trust relationship I worked so hard to build. A man in my position expects attacks from the Enemy, and Satan has been working overtime on this one. Sometimes all it takes for a war to be lost is for the people to lose trust in their leadership because of evil rumors and destructive gossip. Well, I think better of you all than that. I know you will reject any such malicious talk and not believe anything you hear unless it comes from my lips.
Over the years, God has used me in mighty ways to further his kingdom. All of you know how as a young boy God gave me the power to kill the giant Goliath with my little slingshot. And those of you who've read my best-selling biography know the words God directed the prophet Samuel to speak when he anointed me as king. I waited patiently for the old administration to finish its term and for King Saul to die before I took office. Israel has never been so prosperous or so safe as it has been under my rule (by God's grace, of course).
Now, all of us have our little imperfections. Take my magician advisor here, Mike. He got in a little trouble a while back for using exaggeration and embellishment in his comedy routine, and he learned a lot about God's forgiveness for his moral lapses, but he's still going strong -- he didn't let those little things keep him from the ministry God called him to. And look at Brother Jimmy. I think people appreciate the struggles he goes through with demons. It isn't easy to keep on preaching against pornography when demons are harassing you at every turn with the stuff. And my dear friends Paul and Jan, along with the dozens of ministers God has prospered through their crusades, they know that when God entrusts you with 30 million pieces of silver, Satan can tempt you to use it for personal gain. And yet they allow the Lord to use their mansions, chariot limousines, Nile barges, and jewels as an inspiration to their "partners" to give even more to the Lord's work so everybody can prosper just like them.
Frankly, we're all sinners. I apologize for being merely human. I don't want you all to think I've gone Holy-wood on you -- I would never do that. In fact, I think my human shortcomings should reassure you that I haven't forgotten what it's like to be struggling with sin. I'm just a simple country boy who's been called by the Lord to the most important leadership position in His kingdom, and my communications team just hasn't caught up to the big league yet.
I'm proud to announce my marriage to Bathsheba, and her appointment to liaison with the armed services. I know this move will strengthen our nation, save us tax money, and restore in you the confidence you once had in my administration.
I close with advice from my dear Brother Hal here, who years ago wrote prophetically that demonic activity, Satanic temptations, and even the moral failings of Israelite leaders are a sign to rejoice because the Messiah is right around the corner. I am confident that Brother Hal and his wives, as well as my wives, join me in encouraging you -- The Messiah is Coming! Rejoice!"
As King David gazed out over the media crowd his smile broadened into a grin. The glazed eyes, the vacuous smiles, the reporters' blank notebooks all testified to David's triumph. God's kingdom was saved!

Exchanging Truth for Lies

When the Church allows compromised Christian leaders to explain away sin, compromise truth, and sin with impunity, we exchange truth for lies. We become no better than idolaters, people whose credulous adoration of compromised leaders fulfill what Paul calls exchanging "the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man . . . exchang[ing] the truth of God for a lie" (Rom. 1:22, 25). Our recasting of King David's story from 2 Samuel is a lie, but sadly, it represents a popular attitude in the Church today toward sin in Christian leadership. Unfortunately, although most Christians sincerely want truth and want to follow biblical ethics, we too often listen to such lies from our leadership and instead of denouncing sin and demanding accountability, we parrot excuses like those given here and allow compromised leaders to continue in leadership.

Biblical Accountability

The Bible clearly states that Christian leaders should be accountable both to the Word of God and also to God's people, whom the leader serves. Among the requirements Paul describes for a Christian leader are that he be "blameless," and "of good behavior" (1 Tim. 3:2). A Christian leader must "have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil" (1 Tim. 3:7). This does not mean that the Christian leader is simply good at covering up his sin. Christian leaders must display integrity and honesty -- they must prove themselves worthy of Christians' trust.
One would think that our outspoken faithfulness to truth telling would extend to telling the truth about sin within the Church. And yet at this point many Christians shrink from truth telling, instead hiding behind empty platitudes such as "don't judge;" "forgive and forget;" "don't shoot your own wounded;" "look at all the people who came to the Lord through this ministry;" etc. Sadly, we have unbiblically acted as though telling the truth contradicts biblical concern for a sinning Christian leader.
Christians who cry out, "It's wrong to judge," are ignoring the context of the passage (Matt. 7:1-2), which does not forbid judging, but instead insists on judgment according to God's word. In addition, a judgmental criticism of judgement is self-refuting. If it is wrong for a Christian to publicly criticize a Christian leader whose testimony is false or who is immoral, then isn't the critic also wrong for publicly criticizing the Christian? Paul points out this contradiction among some Jews, saying, "You who say, 'Do not commit adultery,' do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?" (Rom. 2:22). One who speaks English to utter the sentence "I can't utter a word in English" has refuted himself. Aren't those who accuse Christian investigative journalism of being the "Christian Gestapo" themselves acting Gestopo-ish?
Assuming that integrity and accountability exclude compassion unfairly brands truth telling as "shooting" and ignores that "the wounded" have been wounded by their own sin.
Christians who excuse false testimonies and immorality by pointing to the "fruits" of a ministry deny Paul's forceful argument in Romans 3:8 that to do evil that good may come is slanderous and contrary to biblical ethics.
To equate forgiveness with absolution from personal responsibility is to cheapen biblical forgiveness and to deny biblical justice.

Christian Leadership

The objections against revealing a Christian leader's sin seem to imply that it is possible for one to have a valid Christian ministry or profession, and yet have a private life of corruption. However, the Bible explains that it is not possible for one's sinful conduct to have no negative effect on one's profession of godliness. Titus 1:6-8 summarizes the same qualifications for a Christian leader Paul gave in 1 Timothy 3, but goes on to condemn one who says he believes, and yet whose works deny his profession of faith:

To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. The profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work (1:15-16).

To attempt to combine immorality with godliness to produce spiritual fruit is completely contrary to scriptural teaching. In fact, Paul ranks it with "profane and vain babblings" and warns Timothy to avoid "contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge" (1 Tim. 6:20).
In addition, Jesus openly rebuked Peter when Peter argued against Jesus going to the cross (Matt. 16:22, 23). Paul writes Titus that it is the responsibility of the church to hold the leader accountable for his sin: "Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith" (Titus 1:13). Paul also commands Christians to rebuke sinning leaders publicly, "Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear" (1 Tim. 5:20). Paul took his own advice, as recorded in Galatians 2, and publicly rebuked Peter "before them all" (Gal. 2:14).
If we neglect to uncover sin within the Church, we rob the Church of the integrity it should expect from its members. The Church becomes weak through compromise, and the leader becomes weak because of his or her immorality. Fallen leaders betray the trust of those they lead. Maturity in the Lord, which is an essential part of qualifying one for spiritual leadership, can be confirmed only by an established pattern of resisting sin and walking faithfully with God, family, and others.
First Thessalonians 5:21-22 commands us to "test all things," and Paul commended the Bereans for "searching the scriptures" to test what he himself had taught them (Acts 17:11). The Christian whose life is characterized by truth telling must support spiritual leaders whose lives exemplify Christian maturity, and must hold those leaders accountable. If a Christian leader is chosen whose life is bound by immorality, the Christian has the obligation then to expose that sin publicly since the leader is public and his actions impact the church he leads.
Fallen leaders damage the trust relationship established between them and their followers, a relationship mirroring the trusting relationship we are to have with the Lord. In addition, they break the trust relationship Peter tells us to have with the world; that is, we are to live so that even the world will note our trustworthiness and be unable to speak against us, but will, instead, glorify God (1 Peter 2:12).
It is unethical for Christians to cover up for leaders who have achieved their position through false qualifications or stories, or who are living immorally. Can the Church claim a higher ethical standard than the world when we adopt a "code of silence" worthy of the most pernicious organized crime conspiracy or even some suspected invisible satanic ring?
Some people in society have a greater responsibility for honesty and integrity than others. This does not mean that it's less wrong for one person to lie than another, but a public leader has a greater responsibility because the consequences of his failure have greater ramifications. A lay person who has a mistaken medical opinion will not affect the lives and health of as many people as a doctor with a misunderstanding of medicine.
An individual in a position of public trust surrenders his privacy regarding his suitability and trustworthiness. He has asked the public to trust him for specific reasons or qualifications. Those reasons and qualifications are open to public scrutiny. If the leader is trustworthy, they will withstand examination. If he is not, close examination will reveal their inadequacies. Christians who are committed to truth must preserve this fundamental right and obligation to know in whom they are asked to trust.

Forsaking Lies for the Truth

The examples of Jesus and his disciples' commitment to truthfulness and integrity give us our model for holding our Christian leaders accountable. If we do not expose false testimonies and revisionist histories, especially when they are propagated by Christians, then all truth claims and all historical knowledge comes into doubt. We can have no certainty of the truth of Christianity or the objective reality of the resurrection. In the first century, the apostle Paul could claim that the resurrection "was not done in a corner" (Acts 26:26). Should Christians be so careless with the truth that we need to hide our corrupt leaders "in a corner" to preserve the faith rather than speak the truth and call those corrupt leaders to repentance and reconciliation? God forbid!
Good discernment and moral accountability should be practiced among believers. The Old Testament establishes this pattern. Instructions concerning false prophets in Deuteronomy 13:1-5 assume the prophet arises from the congregation of Israel. The passage admonishes the people to banish idolatry from their families, "If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend" (v. 6). Deuteronomy 13 instructs the Israelites how to practice good discernment within their own communities: "you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly." If the community is idolatrous, it must be dealt with publicly (v. 14). Psalm 50:18 states that one who sees a crime and doesn't report it has moral culpability.
The New Testament continues the theme of good discernment within the believing community, most notably when the Bereans test Paul's teachings (Acts 17:11) and the Thessalonians are commanded to test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). Judgment is not excluded, but unrighteous judgment is, as Jesus declared: "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment" (John 7:24).
Jesus expelled the money changers from the temple, denounced the Pharisees and scribes, and rebuked the teachers of the Law. He reprimanded Peter in front of the other disciples (Matthew 16:22-23). Paul followed Jesus' example and named false teachers in the Church (2 Timothy 2:14-19) and openly criticized Peter (Galatians 2:11,14).
Paul warns that false teachers will arise within the Church, "Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:30). The false teachers of Jude are said to "have secretly slipped in among you" (v. 4).

The Biblical Pattern for Accountability

When immorality occurs in the Church (Titus 1:15-16), the Bible says to deal with it truthfully and constructively. The procedure for public leaders caught in false teaching or immorality is to be rebuked publicly "so that the others may take warning" (1 Timothy 5:20). A congregation member who sins privately against another Christian is not to be exposed publicly unless he persists in sin, in which case he is to be rebuked before the church and we are to "treat him as you would a pagan or tax collector" (Matthew 18:15-17). Paul follows this in 1 Corinthians 5:3-12 concerning the Christian who persisted in his sexual immorality, and affirms that judgment belongs to the Church: "I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present . . . . What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man from among you" (v. 3, 12).
Christian leaders are accountable to God's people, whom the leader serves, and should be "above reproach," "respectable," and "able to teach" (1 Timothy 3:2). A Christian leader must "have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil" (1 Timothy 3:7). A Christian leader who is a false teacher or immoral should be rebuked to encourage reform (Titus 1:13), and cannot dichotomize his ministry from his life, expecting God to bless his preaching while privately he sins; he is "disqualified for every good work" (vv. 15-16).
Telling the truth about false teaching or immorality in the Church corresponds with the ethics and truth characterizing the Church. The Church is "salt of the earth" and "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:13- 14) only if characterized by truthfulness (v. 11) and righteousness (v. 16). Each Christian leader has an obligation to "hold firmly the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" (Titus 1:9). No Christian is happy when false teaching or immorality arise, but we cannot neglect responsibility, doctrinal and moral accountability.
Christians sometimes are uncomfortable with criticism within the Church because they wrongly assume that public criticism, because it is painful, is also destructive. On the contrary, the "pain" of biblically conducted confrontation produces individual growth (1 Timothy 4:16), encourages others to Christian maturity (1 Timothy 5:19-20), promotes Church strength (Ephesians 4:15), and preserves the Church's reputation in the world (1 Peter 2:12).

A Call for Christian Integrity

The consequences of compromising biblical truth and ethics are devastating. Like an insidious cancer, lies and immorality eat away at the church. Tender believers lose their faith, the associates of the sinner fall into sin themselves, non-believers mock the church and reject the gospel. While covering up for a compromised leader, or tolerating sin in the midst of the congregation may appear at first glance to be loving, compassionate, and "good PR," in actuality it is like a lung cancer patient continuing to smoke.
We cannot condone continuing sin within the Church. We must expose it, deal with it biblically, call sinners to repentance, and then extend the forgiveness, discipleship, restitution, and restoration offered from God's Word.
Sadly, Mike Warnke's problems are not unusual in the Church today. When we began ministry in 1972, we had already experienced some of the duplicity too prevalent among Christian leaders. Gretchen had quit working on one ministry's newspaper because the editor, who was also an evangelist, kept making advances to her, suggesting that the burden of his ministry caused him to need special comfort. Bob, who is nearly blind in one eye, had struggled with what to say when a traveling evangelist prayed for his healing and then announced to the audience that Bob was healed -- but he wasn't. As new Christians, we assumed that these were isolated instances and that the Church wouldn't ordinarily tolerate such moral compromise.
Now, almost twenty years later, we've worked on numerous investigative pieces regarding compromised Christian leaders. Crying Wind, Alberto Rivera, John Todd, Michael Esses, Joey LaVey, Lauren Stratford, Troy Lawrence, Mike Warnke, Bob Larson, and dozens of others have come under temporary Church scrutiny for their ministry and moral lapses. Many were completely defensive when challenged, and many responded much like our fictional King David. No true confession, no real repentance, certainly no biblically mandated restitution and restoration. Tragically, most of them continue in active ministry.
The Christian Church cannot compromise forever by covering up and excusing sin within its leadership. Continued toleration of immorality will transform the Church into what Jesus described as white-washed graves -- pristine on the outside, and full of rotting flesh and decaying bone inside.
The true biblical story of King David is quite different than what we created here. In 2 Samuel 12:1- 14, Nathan rebukes David for his sin with Bathsheba, and God attaches consequences to David's actions that follow him throughout the rest of his life and reign as king. But most important is David's response to God's rebuke through Nathan. Let each of us join David in his confession before God:

Have mercy on me, O God, 
          according to your unfailing love; 
         according to your great compassion  
            blot out my transgressions. 
            Wash away all my iniquity 
            and cleanse me from my sin. 
                                     
            For I know my transgressions, 
           and my sin is always before me. 
        Against you, you only, have I sinned 
        and done what is evil in your sight, 
     so that you are proved right when you speak 
            and justified when you judge. 
                                 . . . . 
    Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; 
      wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 
            Let me hear joy and gladness; 
       let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 
             Hide your face from my sins 
            and blot out all my iniquity. 
                                     
          Create in my a pure heart, O God, 
       and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 
          Do not cast me from your presence 
          or take your Holy Spirit from me. 
       Restore to me the joy of your salvation 
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 
                                     
     Then I will teach transgressors your ways, 
         and sinners will turn back to you 
                  (Psalm 51:1-13).1