Posted on 08/31/2012 10:38:16 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Our church was recently hit with a high-ranking moral tragedy. It was discovered that a staff member (and close friend) was engaging in marital infidelity. I was both shocked and saddened. I didn't see it coming. None of us did. Of all the crises I've faced and had to deal with over the last 17 years of pastoral ministry, this was a first for me. I have dealt on numerous occasions with husbands and wives in the throes of an extramarital affair, but never a staff member. Never someone this close to me. It'll take me a long time to get over this one.
On top of having to deal with this on a very personal level, I had the weighty responsibility of leading our church through this. How do you handle something like this? What do you tell people? I reached out to a small handful of older, wiser, more seasoned friends of mine who are pastors and counselors that have lived and led through situations like this. Their help and counsel and encouragement and insight were indispensable life savers for me. What would I do without these people in my life?
One week after we discovered the affair, I had to stand up on my first Sunday back from vacation and tell our church what happened. I, of course, did not share much. I steered clear of details. I simply told our church that this man had been engaged in marital infidelity and the situation was such that it required him to be removed from his position. I shared with our church the detailed ways that we were caring for the families involved and communicated our long-term commitment to continue caring for the families involved. It was a tough morning for me. It was a tough morning for everybody. The hurt, the anger, the sadness, the confusion.
I preached from Gal 5:13 that morning, and among the things I emphasized and explained to our church was that we are not a one word community (law or gospel) but a two word community (law then gospel). A law-only community responds to a situation like this by calling for the guy's head (sadly, many churches are guilty of this). These churches lick their chops at the opportunity to excommunicate. A gospel-only community responds by saying, "We're no better than he is so why does he have to lose his job? After all, don't we believe in grace and forgiveness?" A one word community simply doesn't possess the biblical wisdom or theological resources to know how to deal with sinners in an honest, loving, and appropriate way.
Explaining that we are a law-gospel community, I showed how pastorally this means we believe God uses his law to crush hard hearts and his gospel to cure broken hearts. The law is God's first word; the gospel is God's final word. And when we rush past God's first word to get to God's final word and the law has not yet had a chance to do its deep wrecking work, the gospel is not given a chance to do its deep restorative work. Sinners never experience the freedom that comes from crying "Abba" (gospel) until they first cry "Uncle" (law).
I illustrated this point by reminding our church that the Father of the prodigal son in Luke 15 did not fall to his knees and wrap his arms around his sons legs as the son was leaving, but as he was returning. He had been waiting, looking to the horizon in hope. When he saw his son coming home, crushed and humbled, he ran to him. But he didn't stop him from leaving. He didn't rescue his son from the pigsty. If we really love people and want to see them truly set free, we have to get out of God's way and let the law do its crushing work so that the gospel can do its curing work. I've seen way too many lives ruined because parents, pastors, families, and friends have cushioned the fall of someone they love–robbing that person from ever experiencing true deliverance because they never experience true desperation. As John Zahl has said, "God's office is at the end of our rope." Grace always runs downhill–meeting us at the bottom, not the top.
With tears in my eyes and deep longing in my heart, I long for the day when I can look out on the horizon and see my crushed friend walking toward me. On that day I'll know that God's law has done it's work. And when that happens, I will run to meet him, fall on my knees, wrap my arms around his legs, and throw a party. No questions asked. Just a party.
I preached from Gal 5:13 that morning, and among the things I emphasized and explained to our church was that we are not a one word community (law or gospel) but a two word community (law then gospel). A law-only community responds to a situation like this by calling for the guy's head (sadly, many churches are guilty of this). These churches lick their chops at the opportunity to excommunicate. A gospel-only community responds by saying, "We're no better than he is so why does he have to lose his job? After all, don't we believe in grace and forgiveness?" A one word community simply doesn't possess the biblical wisdom or theological resources to know how to deal with sinners in an honest, loving, and appropriate way.
Explaining that we are a law-gospel community, I showed how pastorally this means we believe God uses his law to crush hard hearts and his gospel to cure broken hearts. The law is God's first word; the gospel is God's final word. And when we rush past God's first word to get to God's final word and the law has not yet had a chance to do its deep wrecking work, the gospel is not given a chance to do its deep restorative work. Sinners never experience the freedom that comes from crying "Abba" (gospel) until they first cry "Uncle" (law)....
....If we really love people and want to see them truly set free, we have to get out of God's way and let the law do its crushing work so that the gospel can do its curing work. I've seen way too many lives ruined because parents, pastors, families, and friends have cushioned the fall of someone they love–robbing that person from ever experiencing true deliverance because they never experience true desperation.
True that.
The law’s proper use is to bring sinners to Christ. Once in Christ, there are New Testament commands that apply. In this case, 1 Thess 4:1-8.
Thank you for catching this important subtlety. The writer, if he holds a biblical gospel, should not actually be calling this “law - gospel”, but, “What do we do now that a brother is caught in a trespass that spreads death all over the group?”
The “law - gospel” approach confuses the issue as if the law were still in effect and applicable to Gentile believers. As you point out, it should have already done its work (driving us to Christ). This kind of leadership is partly why the malaise exists between so-called Evangelicals and Catholics. The story of the “gospel” is becoming more similar as the years go by. A bright line of the effects of grace, operating on undeserving sinners, bringing about faith is smeared into a self-help program indistinguishable from the seven sacraments.
A law-only community responds to a situation like this by calling for the guy's head (sadly, many churches are guilty of this). These churches lick their chops at the opportunity to excommunicate. A gospel-only community responds by saying, "We're no better than he is so why does he have to lose his job? After all, don't we believe in grace and forgiveness?" A one word community simply doesn't possess the biblical wisdom or theological resources to know how to deal with sinners in an honest, loving, and appropriate way.and I keep having objections to his argument.
Exactly.
Our church was recently hit with a high-ranking moral tragedy. It was discovered that a staff member (and close friend) was engaging in marital infidelity. I was both shocked and saddened. I didn’t see it coming. None of us did. Of all the crises I’ve faced and had to deal with over the last 17 years of pastoral ministry, this was a first for me. I have dealt on numerous occasions with husbands and wives in the throes of an extramarital affair, but never a staff member. Never someone this close to me. It’ll take me a long time to get over this one.
I sometimes wonder if these things happen to some people for the purpose of bringing us down off of our high horse.
Removed from his position? was it a paid position? if so then the Church itself needs to get better acquainted with the words of Jesus.
If he was a lowly servant which is what Gods servants are to be then the only answer is forgiveness, what was it Jesus said? seventy times seven?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.