Though Christians have been born again, they are not immune to committing acts of immorality. That’s because we are still clothed in corruptible flesh. That statement is not aimed at justifying sinful conduct. But it underscores the need for us to know how to properly address serious immorality among us.
Of course, no degree of moral excellence will get us into heaven. That’s not what’s at stake here. But it is our ability to properly minister to our own who have been morally compromised. Nobody should be better at doing that than the people of God.
The Woman Caught in Adultery
The eighth chapter of the book of John records an incident of a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. The scribes and Pharisees brought her to the temple where Jesus was teaching. They reminded Him that according to the Law, the woman should be stoned to death. But they wanted to know what Jesus had to say about it (John 8:5).
However, those religious leaders were not interested in obeying what the Word of God says. Rather, “This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him” (v.6, KJV). They did not care about how humiliated the woman must have felt before the people in the temple. Their objective was to exploit her sin to try to entangle Jesus.
Sad but true, some churchgoers are like the scribes and Pharisees who brought the woman to Jesus. They don’t care about doing the right thing. Some church members are zealous about being the moral police in the church. They want to expose the immorality of others to make themselves appear morally superior to others.
So, Jesus said to those scribes and Pharisees, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (verse 7). Being convicted by their own conscience, they left the temple one after the other until the woman was there alone with Jesus.
It’s important to note that although Jesus came to the woman’s defense, He did not condone her sin. In the final verse of the account He said to her, “Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more” (verse 11). Regarding her adulterous act, Jesus showed compassion toward her. But going forward, He told her to sin no more.
Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin
Similarly, sometimes we must be firm with those who have failed morally. At other times, we need to show compassion. And we need discernment to know which one to do at which time.
That brings us to the all-important question of who in the church is best suited for ministering to those who have experienced moral failure. I submit that some Christians are not ready for this ministry:
“If anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”
Galatians 6:1, NASB
According to this verse, the person reaching out to someone who has committed an act of immorality that needs to be addressed should be spiritual and do so with gentleness.
The scribes and the Pharisees who brought the woman to Jesus were anything but spiritual and gentle. That is true about some Christians today as well. The bottom line is that when serious immorality exists within the church, we must know how to love our fallen brother or sister forward. No one should be better at doing this than the people of God.
Copyright© 2024 by Frank King. All rights reserved.