"Where is compassion?" "Where is grace?"
As I watched the news yesterday, I felt sad and it made me almost sick that they took a private matter of a local minister and plastered it all over the news. We put leaders/ministers of churches on such a pedestal at times that they have no where to go but down. They are held to high standards but they are human and deserve compassion and grace.
I got the following article in my email this morning and I found it very appropriate...sometimes we forget that the fall is "to grace" not "from grace"
"A Fall To Grace" by Ed Young
We call it "a fall from grace": a Christian man or woman caught in some type of sexual, financial, legal or other ethical or moral indiscretion who falls from a position of high esteem. The most recent example involves Ted Haggard, founder and former senior pastor of New Life Church and former president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).
Have you ever wondered where that phrase, "a fall from grace," comes from? Galatians 5:4, "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace" (NKJV).
How telling that we use that particular terminology to describe an incident (usually of the high-profile variety) of moral failure. By doing so, we tip our theological hand. While we talk a lot about God's inexhaustible grace and unconditional love, when it comes right down to it, we still believe that grace is exhaustible. We know that we owe our salvation to Christ's grace-giving work on the cross. But it doesn't take long before we trade in that boundless grace for the boundaries of the law.
In biblical terms, a fall from grace is not the sinner saved by grace who is caught in moral failure. That is a fall to grace. A fall from grace is the self-righteous person who tries to earn his or her salvation through the guise of moral living, declaring that Christ's work on the cross was unnecessary—at least for them.
Let me ask a simple question: Do we really believe in grace? Or not?
When scandals hit the news wires and our TV screens, I'm reminded how easy it is to preach and teach grace, but how difficult it is to live out on the rugged plains of reality. And I say that as I search my own heart and attitudes. I say that because I struggle through the gamut of emotions, sometimes throwing critical glances toward a "fallen" man or woman in the Church. "Can you believe he did that?" I'm tempted to say with an air of arrogance.
And then I recall my own shortcomings, and a not-so-popular verse comes to mind, "How can you say, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:4, TNIV).
In Matthew 7:4 the word plank in the original language is a picture of a crossbeam that holds up an entire structure. Some of us have this critical crossbeam that holds up the entire structure of our lives, blinding us from our struggles—and blinding us from the way God views others and our own lives.
"Hypocrite!" Jesus says in verse 5. If you are trying to assume God's throne of righteous judgment, then you are a hypocrite.
People say to me, "I don't go to church anymore, because churches are full of hypocrites."
Let's just lay our cards on the table. We're all hypocrites! Being a hypocrite means assuming a role that is not yours to assume. Sadly, too many churches are communities of criticism instead of communities of compassion.
Criticism is like a boomerang. Matthew 7:2 says, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." So, if you want to get what you are giving, go ahead and give it. But be ready for its return to smack you on the back of your head.
That's why we need to humbly allow Jesus to yank the plank of criticism from our eyes. Once we do, two things happen. One, we can see the mercy of God in our own lives. And two, we can extend the mercy of God to others. Because I am not getting what I deserve from God, I have the power to release others from what they deserve. I'm able to give them what God has given me—love, acceptance and grace.
Don't misunderstand me. I'm not justifying, rationalizing or any other type of "-izing" the moral indiscretions of Pastor Haggard or any other Christian leader ensnared by sin. What I am saying is that it's time to let God be the judge and take our proper role as fellow sinner saved by grace. And maybe it's time for us to stop putting other human beings—who can't possibly live up to our expectations—on moral pedestals. Maybe it's time to remember who the standard bearer of our faith is: Jesus. Maybe it's time to put aside our human nature and, as the apostle Paul suggested, "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
Maybe, just maybe, it's time to yank the plank. Search your heart today and take some time to pray for Ted Haggard, his wife and family, his church, his accuser and the thousands who have been impacted by his ministry. Regardless of the extent of his moral indiscretion, let this be yet another wake-up call as to how spiritually vulnerable we really are. In situations like this, we scream for accountability, but we have to realize that no matter how much accountability we have, we're still vulnerable to the enemy's tactics to deceive us and bring us down.
When it comes to temptation, particularly in the sexual arena, we always overestimate our power to resist and underestimate the enemy's power to persist. Only as we walk daily in the grace of Christ can we find the humility to say, "There but for the grace of God go I."
"What once was hurt / What once was friction / What left a mark, no longer stings / Because Grace makes beauty out of ugly things." ("Grace" by U2)
Ed Young is pastor of Fellowship Church. He is the author of several books including The Creative Leader: Unleashing the Power of Your Creative Potential and You!. www.edyoung.com
I got the following article in my email this morning and I found it very appropriate...sometimes we forget that the fall is "to grace" not "from grace"
"A Fall To Grace" by Ed Young
We call it "a fall from grace": a Christian man or woman caught in some type of sexual, financial, legal or other ethical or moral indiscretion who falls from a position of high esteem. The most recent example involves Ted Haggard, founder and former senior pastor of New Life Church and former president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).
Have you ever wondered where that phrase, "a fall from grace," comes from? Galatians 5:4, "You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace" (NKJV).
How telling that we use that particular terminology to describe an incident (usually of the high-profile variety) of moral failure. By doing so, we tip our theological hand. While we talk a lot about God's inexhaustible grace and unconditional love, when it comes right down to it, we still believe that grace is exhaustible. We know that we owe our salvation to Christ's grace-giving work on the cross. But it doesn't take long before we trade in that boundless grace for the boundaries of the law.
In biblical terms, a fall from grace is not the sinner saved by grace who is caught in moral failure. That is a fall to grace. A fall from grace is the self-righteous person who tries to earn his or her salvation through the guise of moral living, declaring that Christ's work on the cross was unnecessary—at least for them.
Let me ask a simple question: Do we really believe in grace? Or not?
When scandals hit the news wires and our TV screens, I'm reminded how easy it is to preach and teach grace, but how difficult it is to live out on the rugged plains of reality. And I say that as I search my own heart and attitudes. I say that because I struggle through the gamut of emotions, sometimes throwing critical glances toward a "fallen" man or woman in the Church. "Can you believe he did that?" I'm tempted to say with an air of arrogance.
And then I recall my own shortcomings, and a not-so-popular verse comes to mind, "How can you say, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:4, TNIV).
In Matthew 7:4 the word plank in the original language is a picture of a crossbeam that holds up an entire structure. Some of us have this critical crossbeam that holds up the entire structure of our lives, blinding us from our struggles—and blinding us from the way God views others and our own lives.
"Hypocrite!" Jesus says in verse 5. If you are trying to assume God's throne of righteous judgment, then you are a hypocrite.
People say to me, "I don't go to church anymore, because churches are full of hypocrites."
Let's just lay our cards on the table. We're all hypocrites! Being a hypocrite means assuming a role that is not yours to assume. Sadly, too many churches are communities of criticism instead of communities of compassion.
Criticism is like a boomerang. Matthew 7:2 says, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." So, if you want to get what you are giving, go ahead and give it. But be ready for its return to smack you on the back of your head.
That's why we need to humbly allow Jesus to yank the plank of criticism from our eyes. Once we do, two things happen. One, we can see the mercy of God in our own lives. And two, we can extend the mercy of God to others. Because I am not getting what I deserve from God, I have the power to release others from what they deserve. I'm able to give them what God has given me—love, acceptance and grace.
Don't misunderstand me. I'm not justifying, rationalizing or any other type of "-izing" the moral indiscretions of Pastor Haggard or any other Christian leader ensnared by sin. What I am saying is that it's time to let God be the judge and take our proper role as fellow sinner saved by grace. And maybe it's time for us to stop putting other human beings—who can't possibly live up to our expectations—on moral pedestals. Maybe it's time to remember who the standard bearer of our faith is: Jesus. Maybe it's time to put aside our human nature and, as the apostle Paul suggested, "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
Maybe, just maybe, it's time to yank the plank. Search your heart today and take some time to pray for Ted Haggard, his wife and family, his church, his accuser and the thousands who have been impacted by his ministry. Regardless of the extent of his moral indiscretion, let this be yet another wake-up call as to how spiritually vulnerable we really are. In situations like this, we scream for accountability, but we have to realize that no matter how much accountability we have, we're still vulnerable to the enemy's tactics to deceive us and bring us down.
When it comes to temptation, particularly in the sexual arena, we always overestimate our power to resist and underestimate the enemy's power to persist. Only as we walk daily in the grace of Christ can we find the humility to say, "There but for the grace of God go I."
"What once was hurt / What once was friction / What left a mark, no longer stings / Because Grace makes beauty out of ugly things." ("Grace" by U2)
Ed Young is pastor of Fellowship Church. He is the author of several books including The Creative Leader: Unleashing the Power of Your Creative Potential and You!. www.edyoung.com
posted by Rochelle @ 6:10 AM
5 Comments:
At 10:43 AM,
tenahawkins said…
This is obviously a smear tactic by those that hate Christians BUT having said that - spiritual heads of the church are held to a higher level of accountablility. They are to be the examples of Godly living...not God Himself. That's where the pedastal thing comes in to play.
Being the daughter of a preacher man :0) I know all too well the fall out that comes with sin from both camps. Although, the passage of scripture that I was led too was Galatians 6 (Doing Good To All). It's long so I won't type it up but it talks about when your brother sins, restore him gently (gracefully) - yet it gives other warnings in this passage as well. One of them is "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself". (Pride before fall)
The other thing that is difficult is that if you try and turn a man gently from his sin and he won't budge you are to bring 2 or 3 witnesses with you and if that doesn't work then you are to bring him before the church. Now, how often do we do this in today's culture? This is what I call major accountability. No one wants their dirty laundry aired in front of people yet we are commanded to do this to keep ourselves humble before Christ and each other - putting others above ourselves. Do you see how scripture is all interwoven?
Now I know I'll get some negative feedback on this probably so I'm interested to hear what others have to say.
At 1:37 PM,
Mike said…
Glad you posted this Rochelle. No negative feedback Tena, but we assume that this is orchestrated by those who hate Christians, or by the liberal media boogey monster, but the reality is that the Christians did this. The fact is that the minister had been struggling with a specific sin, he had confessed to a small group of leaders from that church, asked for help and forgiveness, and was told he would be supported. Unfortunately, the confidence was broken and this once private matter was made public.
Here is the thing that really bothers me. From whom is a minister to get support? What i mean is, if i am a minster struggling with a specific sin, how do i get help without being thrown under the bus? If i tell another minister they might smear me, if i tell a group of leaders from my congregation, they might betray me, if i tell a friend they might out me or distance themselves from me. There is no accountability in ministry because there is no accountability in humanity. We would much rather throw our hurt and helpless to the lions. We are no better than the media reporting this stuff.
I have said it before and will continue saying it until i am proven wrong, "Some of the meanest people this side of hell are Christians."
At 3:21 PM,
tenahawkins said…
You are very right when you say, "some of the meanest people this side of hell are Christians". A LOT of it comes from OUR own self-righteous nature. Studying Romans this year has really made me think about a lot of things and how the world really does look at us and go HMMMM???? If it weren't for Christ...no one would be standing worthy. I think a lot of Christians tend to forget this. I know I do. You can get all too caught up in the self-righteous bubble (the est. church) and forget what's really going on.
As for minister support? I guess I would hold tight to God and His promises. I know that could get frustrating. :0) I would also probably have my best friend to bounce things off of. Even then you could get burned but not as likely. When it comes to ministers and marriage...that's where satan's goes every time and it's usually a slow process of growing apart.
At 10:34 AM,
darker than silence said…
"If you've ever taught grace and never made Christians mad, then you've never REALLY taught grace." - one of my fav. professors
Grace is so scandalous and so unimaginable that, when taught in its entirety, it often makes Christians uncomfortable or even angry.
At 11:03 AM,
tenahawkins said…
That's a great quote!!!!! I think I'll keep that one for myself as a reminder! :0)
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