In the last blog I talked about lessons we can learn from the sexual failure of pastors and church leaders today. I talked about the danger of equating giftedness with godliness. We admire men for their talent and skill, thinking they are closer to God that others. The danger comes that when we think that about ourselves, even a little, we open ourselves up to lies and deception that will lead to sin. It may start small and slow, but unchecked sin grows.
Another lesson we can learn from the fall of respected pastors and leaders is the importance of humility. To prevent falling into sexual sin, we must cultivate a humble heart. In 1 Corinthians 10:12-13, Paul warned the Corinthians about the possibility of falling into sin. Those who think they stand in their own strength or by their own power should consider how close they are to spiritual disaster. Spiritual pride creeps in when we believe we are stronger than we are. If we believe we are able to resist temptation in our own strength, we are setting ourselves up to be devoured by the enemy. If we think we can get away with sin or we are an exception to God’s moral standards, it’s just a matter of time until we fall.
The humble heart recognizes its own propensity to sin and its continual need of divine power to walk in obedience. I think most of the men who fail morally don’t plan on getting trapped into sexual sin. They make one wrong little decision after another. They love God and want to serve Him. They don’t consciously plan to live a double, hypocritical life. It just happens because they let lust rule and think they can get away with just a ‘little’ sin. That’s from pride and why humility is so important. If you think you aren’t capable doing the things others have done, you are leaving yourself open to the enemy. He may not use lust to get you, but pride can be just as destructive.
A final lesson we can learn from the fall of these men is the importance of accountability. As pastors and leaders, we often keep apart from anyone who might challenge or question us about our lives or priorities. We are afraid to open up to others about our struggles because of our pride about what they will think of us. We are admired for our calling and giftedness and don’t want to do anything to harm our stellar reputation. So, we struggle alone, sin alone, and go down alone – until the whole world knows!
We need to have trusted, mature, godly individuals who know us and can speak into our lives when they see something is amiss. These individuals are traditional accountability partners and might include a close friend or a spouse. We also need a smaller group of people that we know well who can speak into our lives. This could be a small group at your church, or a close group of friends, family members, or others who know you and love you enough to say something if they see you drifting away from Christ. It’s important for pastors to gather with other pastors, not to compare ministries and brag about their success, but to share and pray for their struggles and failures.
Sex is a very powerful force in our lives, physically and emotionally. We can’t underestimate its impact on us, no matter our age. Therefore, we all need to seek help when we are weak in faith. Asking for help and counsel when you are struggling is not a sign of failure but a mark of honesty. Everyone has moments in life when help is needed. Many people experience spiritual disasters because they refuse to seek help when they need it. That is tragic because those failures are all avoidable if we would simply humble ourselves to seek help when we are weak.
When you hear of a Christian pastor or leader who falls because of moral sin, don’t judge or feel superior. Instead pray for them in their misery, remembering you are no different than them. Are we focused on godliness rather than giftedness? Are we cultivating a humble heart and creating systems of accountability? Do we maintain regular times with God in His Word and in prayer, and do we seek help when we know we need it?
1 Corinthians 10:12 “So be careful if you are thinking, ‘Oh, I’d never behave like that.’ Let this be a warning to you, for you too may fall into sin.”
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
What grade would God give you for humbleness on a scale of 1 to 10?
Where would He say you needed most to improve?
Who holds you accountable? (if your answer is “no one”, you’re walking a high wire without a net below you!)
What is the main lesson God is teaching you from these blogs about pastors who fell into moral sin?
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cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India, Africa & Spanish Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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