In Part 1, I talked about the danger of allowing sin and compromise to grow in our lives.
That conversation started with something a close friend and I were discussing after the recent trial involving Caleb Flynn and the tragic death of his wife, Ashley.
But our conversation eventually went beyond that particular case.
My friend expressed something that I think many people have probably felt at some point.
He said he wasn’t attending church recently because of the amount of sin and hypocrisy he has seen, including among people in leadership.
I understand why someone could feel that way.
When someone who claims to follow Christ falls into serious sin, it can cause tremendous damage.
People get hurt.
Families get destroyed.
Churches get wounded.
And sometimes people’s faith is shaken.
But I believe there is something we need to remember.
We cannot allow the failures of people who claim to represent Jesus to determine what we believe about Jesus Himself.
Jesus Is Still Jesus
People fail.
Ministers fail.
Church leaders fail.
Christians fail.
But Jesus doesn’t change.
Jesus is still the Savior.
Jesus is still the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
His Word is still true.
His grace is still available.
And His call for us to follow Him has not changed.
The answer to hypocrisy isn’t abandoning Jesus.
The answer is becoming more like Jesus.
Grace Doesn’t Mean Sin Doesn’t Matter
Sometimes we can misunderstand God’s grace.
Grace is one of the most beautiful gifts God has given us.
Through Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven.
We can be redeemed.
We can be made new.
But grace was never intended to become an excuse for continuing in sin.
Paul asked:
“Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”
“By no means!”
— Romans 6:1–2
Grace doesn’t say, “Sin doesn’t matter.”
Grace says, “There is a way out.”
First John 1:9 tells us:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
That is good news.
When we fall, we don’t have to hide from God.
We can come to Him.
We can confess.
We can repent.
We can receive His forgiveness.
And we can allow Him to change us.
We Are Supposed to Be Changed
When we come to Christ, something is supposed to happen inside of us.
Second Corinthians 5:17 says:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
Jesus doesn’t simply come into our lives so that we can continue living exactly the way we were living before.
He changes us.
Our thinking begins changing.
Our desires begin changing.
Our priorities begin changing.
Our relationships begin changing.
We become more concerned with becoming like Christ than simply appearing to be a Christian.
That doesn’t mean we will never struggle.
It doesn’t mean we’ll never be tempted.
It doesn’t mean we’ll never fail.
But we shouldn’t make peace with sin.
When we fall, we get back up.
We repent.
We receive God’s grace.
And we keep walking with Him.
The Church Needs Accountability
This is one of the biggest things I took away from my conversation with my friend.
The church needs accountability.
Especially among leaders.
James gives us a sobering warning:
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”
— James 3:1
Leadership doesn’t mean less accountability.
It means greater responsibility.
Pastors, teachers, evangelists, worship leaders, and other people serving in ministry need people around them who will tell them the truth.
They need trusted friendships.
They need godly mentors.
They need healthy boundaries.
They need people who can ask difficult questions.
And they need the humility to listen when someone tells them they’re heading in the wrong direction.
But accountability isn’t only for leaders.
We all need it.
We Need One Another
Galatians 6:1 says:
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”
I love that word:
Restore.
The goal isn’t humiliation.
The goal isn’t condemnation.
The goal isn’t destroying someone.
The goal is restoration.
But restoration doesn’t mean pretending sin didn’t happen.
True restoration requires truth.
It requires repentance.
It requires accountability.
And sometimes it requires consequences.
Forgiveness and consequences can exist at the same time.
God’s mercy doesn’t mean our choices don’t have consequences.
Bring It Into the Light
Maybe you’re reading this and you’re struggling with something right now.
Maybe it’s lust.
Maybe it’s pornography.
Maybe it’s anger.
Maybe it’s unforgiveness.
Maybe it’s pride.
Maybe it’s greed.
Maybe it’s an emotional relationship that has crossed boundaries.
Maybe it’s something nobody else knows about.
I want to encourage you:
Don’t keep hiding it.
Bring it into the light.
Talk to someone you trust.
Talk to a mature believer.
Talk to your pastor or spiritual leader.
Get help.
Repent.
Ask God to change your heart.
James 5:16 says:
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
There is strength in bringing darkness into the light.
Let’s Not Give Up on the Church
The Church isn’t supposed to be a gathering of perfect people.
It’s a gathering of people who recognize that they need Jesus.
We all need grace.
We all need forgiveness.
We all need transformation.
And we all need accountability.
When we see failures within the church, we shouldn’t ignore them.
But neither should we allow them to convince us that Jesus isn’t worth following.
Instead, let them remind us of how desperately we all need Him.
Let’s pray for our pastors.
Let’s pray for our leaders.
Let’s pray for our families.
Let’s pray for one another.
And let’s be willing to speak the truth in love when we see someone beginning to drift.
Let’s Finish Well
The story that started this conversation is heartbreaking.
There are consequences that cannot be undone.
There is a family that has experienced a terrible loss.
And there are people whose lives will forever be changed.
We should never lose sight of the human lives behind stories like this.
But perhaps one lesson we can take from this tragedy is that we should never take sin lightly.
We should never assume we’re above temptation.
We should never allow compromise to grow unchecked.
And we should never be too proud to ask for help.
Instead, let’s guard our hearts.
Let’s walk in the light.
Let’s repent quickly.
Let’s receive God’s grace.
Let’s hold one another accountable.
Let’s protect our marriages and our families.
Let’s encourage our leaders while also remembering that leaders need accountability too.
And above all, let’s keep our eyes on Jesus.
We all need Jesus.
Every day.
All of us.
He is the one who forgives us.
He is the one who transforms us.
He is the one who gives us His Spirit.
And He is the one who calls us to walk in the light.
So let’s help one another do exactly that.
Let’s guard our hearts. Let’s walk in the light. And let’s help one another finish well.
