LILLIAN W CLARK retweetledi
During almost 40 years of ministry I have seen many gifted, charismatic, motivational, popular, respected pastors, and preachers exposed for living in long-term unconfessed sinful behavior. We are all moments away from committing great evil ourselves except for the grace of God. Yet, to live in long term unrepentant sin as a pastor, to not step down when you know you are disqualified, calls into question his salvation.
If you merely go by what the Bible plainly says the great majority of texts declare a person who lives in long-term unconfessed sin "will not inherit the kingdom of God," (e.g., Jn. 3:36; 14:15, 21, 23-24; Rom. 1:5; 16:26; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 16:22; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-5; 1 Jn. 3:4, 8-10; Rev. 21:8).
How can a truly born again believer, a highly trained pastor no less, live in the flesh, lying, deceiving, slandering, taking and serving communion, preaching the Word of God, doubling and tripling down when confronted about his sin, for years? This, to be sure, is of the evil one, not the Holy Spirit. Jesus confronted the hypocritical religious leaders of His day, who behind the scenes were doing everything they could do discredit Jesus' ministry. Jesus said:
“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44).
Long term, unconfessed lying, deceiving, slander, and the like, come from the unconverted heart. As Jesus taught, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” (Mark 7:21–23)
Contrary to what some have asserted, the problem has nothing to do with Bible or preaching conferences, or a person's popularity. It has everything to do with a person's heart before a holy God and the true condition of his soul.
J. C. Ryle rightly noted: "Great illnesses seldom attack the body, without a previous train of premonitory symptoms. Great falls seldom happen to a saint, without a previous course of secret backsliding. The church and the world are sometimes shocked by the sudden misconduct of some great professor of religion. Believers are discouraged and stumbled by it. The enemies of God rejoice and blaspheme. But if the truth could be known, the explanation of such cases would generally be found to have been private departure from God. Men fall in private, long before they fall in public. The tree falls with a great crash, but the secret decay which accounts for it, is often not discovered till it is down on the ground." (J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on Matthew, 376–377.)
The Apostle Paul who planted the church at Corinth was being slandered by false teachers who infiltrated the church of Corinth after his departure. They made many false accusations against him, his ministry, his appearance, and character. None of which were true. Behind the scenes they lobbed their verbal grenades for they were too cowardly to tell the Apostle Paul to his face. The Apostle Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to defend himself against these false accusations and slanders.
In 2 Cor. 6:1-10 he lays out in detail what a God glorifying ministry of integrity looks like, what the true minister is willing to suffer, the fruit of the Holy Spirit that is displayed in his life, and the blessings that are received from God even in the midst of persecution, trials, and slander. May God raise up more godly men of integrity to preach the gospel! @anchorbiblelou
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