True Discernment

on September 1, 2007 at 9:51 am1 Rachel

Hello dear John,

I agree that this pastor should step down. He admitted to sending the messages. I believe he should repent if he has not already done so. If he believes there is nothing wrong with sending an underage girl sexually explicit text messages then he is not repentant. If this is the case, he needs to be confronted. If he repents, he should be forgiven and restoration should occur (but not restoration to a position of pastor or deacon).

If all proper, biblically defined confrontations take place and this brother does not repent, then indeed he should be cast out of the church. This is for his good as well as the churches. For his good, because if he is concerned about his eternal salvation he will repent and he will long for his brethren. He can be restored and will be once he repents. For the churches good, because it keeps the church pure and teaches others that sin, especially sexual immorality, will not be tolerated. Better to keep the church pure.

The world watches the church and sees things like this disgrace take place. It damages the reputation of the church and of Christ. It cannot be tolerated for the gospel’s sake. Souls are at stake. We must be set apart. We want the brother to be restored, that is the goal. However, we are clearly told what to do if a sinner remains in his/her sin and is unrepentant, we put them out and treat them as if they are not saved. Any saved brother will eventually repent. Who can stand to be apart from our Savior and brothers.

There is no doubting that sin puts distance between us and our Savior. There is no doubt that without repentance their can be no forgiveness. We always sin while in the flesh. The difference is that Christians are repentant and when a sin is pointed out, especially an obvious one that tarnishes the name of Christ, we turn from that sin and repent. If a professing brother is refusing to repent, we must, for their very soul, put them out of the church so they can see their sin and repent, otherwise they may be self-deceived and on their way to hell.

I believe I may have been self deceived for many years. No one confronted me. I lived many miserable years being my own master, submitting to myself. What if I had died? My blessed Savior saved me! and kept me from that early death until His timing. What if I had died? Was I saved like I thought or self decieved and on the road to hell? I guess I won’t truly know until I see Him face to face and I don’t know that I will even remember to ask at that point as I will be in so much awe of Him.

Church discipline is very important. I could have died, self-deceived, on my way to hell thinking I was saved. That verse ‘Depart from me I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness’ chills me to the bone. Lord Jesus, please let that never be, know me today and always dear Shepard.

Love in Christ Jesus,
Rachel

on September 1, 2007 at 5:29 pm2 Eric

Notice the TBN-like method’s of denial:

A. It must be the devil attacking me (somone from the ‘outside’)

B. It was “blown out of proportion” (yeah, right)

C. He’s clearly sorry only for getting caught.

D. States how much his people support him (eeek)

E. Throw in how he’s hiding behind Jesus and prayer to justify, rationalize and make one self look good.

INSTEAD OF:

Confess and repent!!!! Of which I see none in this story!!

on September 3, 2008 at 12:29 am3 Angel

We have a youth pastor who had sex with his girlfriend. They are now engaged. After we got wind of this we took our children out of youth group. We don’t want corruption sewn into them. After we became aware, he repented to the pastor and nothing is being done.