What if? What if Ted Haggard had, 3 years ago, 3 months ago, or even 3 weeks ago, recognized the vile sins he was engaged in and gone to the leaders of his church and told them he was unqualified to be their pastor? If he had, he would have been placed on leave and suffered some measure of humiliation and discomfort in his family and his church. Instead he has disgraced himself, humiliated his family, and brought worldwide shame to the person and body of Christ.
Why is it that everyone waits until they get caught? Why can’t believers admit their guilt themselves? Why are we unwilling to face the rightful consequences of our sin?
There are so many examples, from King David on, where the consequences of sin are made so much more severe by the unwillingness to confess and repent.
Are there secret areas in your life that no one will know about until you are caught? You’ll probably never be exposed on national TV, but if you get away with it successfully, you’ll try it again. Maybe you’ll never be exposed publicly; maybe your family will never live in shame of what you’ve done; maybe you’ll never lose your job or ministry position. But you’ll be living a lie, you will not have an intimate relationship with the Lord, and you will be dishonoring the One who redeemed you.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:9-10)
Thanks for the reminder and post Todd. It is timely and practical and straightforward. Just like you taught us in Israel, we will reap what we sow, so we should cling to the cross, confess our sins, and seek God’s grace by faith and not by the necessity of getting caught.
It comes down to whether you believe being close to God is better (through confession to the right people) than living the lie of false security that everyone thinks you’re okay or spiritual. Your post helps us clarify the answer, because sin tends to cloudy our vision: God is better.
Thanks for the post Todd. At least once a year I listed to your chapel tape on persevering to the end. In that messege you talk about David not letting one sin become two. This was some of the most practicle and best advise given during my years at TMC.
Paul
“whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” -prov. 28:13
how true that is…
A woman in my office told me that when this all broke out she found it “deliciously hilarious.” When she told me this, it broke my heart not only because of her blindness to the Truth; but also (as you said) because of the shame to the person and body of Christ.
In the same thought I was reminded that I am not above such sins. Thanks for the reminder, Todd.
Todd, great stuff. Coming, as I did, from a church where another leader fell to unconfessed sexual immorality (with impunity), leaving a huge scar on thousands of people, I must say, I’m very concerned about the continued cult of personality we create around certain leaders. It’s not surprising to me anymore that someone like Haggard would fall, and fall big. We disservice Christ when we set these men up in such a way that they probably don’t even feel like they have ability to come clean, let alone realize that they need to come clean. In some sense we are all complicit in the failure of our leaders by failing to model a more egalitarian/grace-based model of the church. When we define ourselves around politics and a few moral issues, rather than around Christ we engender leaders like Haggard. Consequently, I think the whole concept of the mega-pastor needs to go or we’re going to continue to see more of this. . .
We keep it hidden because we can… and when we can’t, we breathe a sigh of relief that we no longer have to.