Although changes are made in churches worldwide, and many churches compromise and adjust the words of God and lower the standards of God, we serve the Almighty God, Who is the Creator of heaven and earth and all there is within, Who is the same, Gister, today and forevermore and shall never compromise and lower His standards, but still acts according to His Word that stands forever. God is clear in His Word regarding sin and the consequences of sinning willfully. Is it the will of God that fallen pastors and leaders stay appointed in the church or not? What does the intentional sinning of church leaders say about them? What do their works testify?
Do church leaders, who willfully sin or live in sin, belong in the pulpit?
If church leaders are appointed, who have willfully sinned or live in sin, after their repentance, wedergeboorte, and during their leadership in church, then they shouldn’t be appointed and teach in the pulpit and lead the church.
This may be hard to read and some people may find this ruthless, but the person has consciously made a choice to disobey God and His Word and do something that goes against the will of God.
That’s why in the Old Covenant there was a difference in sins. Everything a person does that goes against the words and will of God is sin, but there is a difference in the kinds of sin
Someone can unconsciously say or do something that is not good and during or afterward be confronted and corrected by the Holy Spirit. But someone can also consciously say or do something with premeditated intent. This means that a person knows that is not good and that it’s not according to the will of God and diametrically opposes His Word, but the person does it anyway, because the love for the flesh is stronger than the love for God and His Word (Lees ook: What is a sin not unto death and a sin unto death?)
Adultery is a premeditated sin
Nou is die werke van die vlees duidelik, wat is hierdie; Owerspel, hoerery, onreinheid, ongebondenheid, Afgodery, heksery, Haat, variansie, emulasies, toorn, twis, Sedisies, Dwaalleer, Envyings, Moorde, dronkenskap, Verlustigings, en so soos: van die wat ek jou voorheen vertel, soos ek jou ook in die verlede gesê het, dat hulle wat sulke dinge doen, die koninkryk van God nie sal beërwe nie (Galasiërs 5:19-21)
Dood dan julle lede wat op die aarde is; hoerery, onreinheid, buitensporige liefde, bose begeerte, en hebsug, wat afgodery is: Vir watter dinge’ ter wille van die toorn van God kom oor die kinders van ongehoorsaamheid: waarin julle ook 'n geruime tyd gewandel het, toe julle in hulle gewoon het. But now ye also put off all these; woede, toorn, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; En het die nuwe man aangetrek, wat vernuwe word in kennis na die beeld van hom wat hom geskep het: Waar daar nie Griek of Jood is nie, besnydenis of onbesnedenheid, Barbaar, Skithies, Band of vry: maar Christus is alles, en in die geheel (Kolossense 3:5-11)
Byvoorbeeld, when we look at adultery, we can conclude that adultery doesn’t just happen. A pair of trousers don’t go down themselves. Geen, a person has consciously made a choice to commit adultery, despite the knowledge of God and His will. Every Christian knows, that adultery is a sin.
When a person commits adultery, the person doesn’t walk in love toward God, Wat beteken, that the person doesn’t keep the commandments of God (which are also the commandments of Jesus), because if you keep His commandments you walk in love, but the person has consciously rejected God and His Word (Lees ook: Die gebooie van God vs die gebooie van Jesus Christus) .
The person doesn’t love God with all his heart, siel, verstand, en krag, because when the person commits adultery, the person loves himself and the strange woman or strange man and the lusts of the flesh above all.
The person doesn’t keep the second commandment either, wat is, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, but has rejected this commandment. Since the adulterous person didn’t remember his wife or her husband and the wedding vow he or she made.
Geen, when the person commits adultery the person doesn’t love his or her neighbor, in this case, his wife or her husband, but loves himself or herself and wants to satisfy his or her temporary sexual feelings of the flesh.
And… the person didn’t remember the precious souls of the saints and his responsibility and the consequences of this selfish deed to the congregation. Since the uncleanness of sin defames (disgraces) the Name of Jesus Christ and defiles His church and mocks His redemptive work (Lees ook: Is Jesus 'n Promotor van sonde?).
And so the adulterous church leader has despised God, by rejecting both the words of God as his wife or her husband, and by disobeying the words of God and the wedding vow he or she made and not remembering the souls of the saints and defiling the church.
It’s just like Esau, who didn’t consider his birthright a privilege and precious, but Esau sold his birthright to satisfy his temporary hunger, which was abominable to God. God didn’t say about Esau that He loved him, but that He hated him because of his deed that derived from his wicked heart (Malachi 1:2-3, Romeine 9:13, Lees ook: Kan jy die versoeking weerstaan?).
Daar is baie Christene, who jeopardize their relationship with Jesus Christ and the Father and sometimes even forfeit eternity, by prioritizing their feelings and the will, begeertes, and desires of the flesh and putting them above the Word
The blind guides and white sepulchres
It’s already bad that this happens among Christians, who don’t hold a leadership position in the church, but that this also happens among church leaders is really bad.
Because how can they, who are spiritually blind themselves and are led by their flesh and don’t live a disciplined life after the Spirit in obedience to God and His Word, but reject God and His Word and walk in disobedience in darkness and sin willfully, teach the members of the congregation and expect the believers to walk after the Spirit in obedience to God in holiness in the Light?
These leaders are blind guides and whited sepulchres, just like the Pharisees, who appeared beautiful, charismatic, piously and righteous on the outside, but inwardly they were full of extortion, onreinheid, hypocrisy and iniquity (wetteloosheid).
Although they taught the people in the law and the prophets, and made the will of God known to the people, they didn’t submit to the law and the prophets and didn’t walk in the will of God (Lees ook: Is the church seeing or blind?)
And so there are many preachers, who have not truly repented and are not born again in Christ and don’t walk after the Spirit in obedience to God. They don’t fear the Lord and don’t take the Word seriously and therefore they consciously keep sinning and persevere in sin, assuming that they can keep sinning or live in sin without consequences, since they remain appointed anyway or after some time are reinstated in the office.
And the congregation, which is many times carnal and therefore makes decisions on the basis of feelings and emotions instead of the Word of God, substantiates this behavior and gives a foothold to the devil and supports sin, by keeping the fallen leader in their office or reinstating the fallen leader in their office (Lees ook: What did Paul mean by lay hands suddenly on no man)
Wat is die wil van God?
Want dit is die wil van God, selfs jou heiligmaking, dat julle jul moet onthou van hoerery: Dat elkeen van julle moet weet hoe om sy vat in heiligmaking en eer te besit; Nie in die lus van begeerte nie, net soos die heidene wat God nie ken nie: Dat niemand verder gaan en sy broer in enige saak bedrieg nie: want die Here is die wreker van al sulkes, soos ons julle ook vooraf gewaarsku en getuig het. Want God het ons nie tot onreinheid geroep nie, maar tot heiligheid. Hy dan wat verag, verag die mens nie, maar God, wat ook sy Heilige Gees aan ons gegee het (1 Tessalonisense 4:3-8)
God is liefde, merciful and forgiving, they say. Maar is dit waar? God is absolutely merciful and forgiving if someone truly repents and not because the person is caught in the act and asks forgiveness out of a religious habit and after some time falls back into the same sin. Steeds, God is also righteous and that part is many times left out. The love of God is a righteous love and not a new age love (Lees ook: Nuwe era in die kerk? en Die Heilige Gees vs die nuwe era gees, watter gees in jou woon?)
It is the will of God that all His sons (dit geld vir beide mans en wyfies), who are born of Him and have His nature and represent Him on earth, walk after the Spirit in holiness and not in uncleanness, fornication and the lust of concupiscence, as the Gentiles, who don’t know God and are not born of Him and walk in disobedience to God and His Word in the will of their father in darkness.
Jesus said to the Pharisees, who were the old creation and therefore carnal, that they obeyed the lust of their father and not of God (Lees ook: Die wil van God vs die wil van die duiwel).
Would God appoint a worker of iniquity?
Die hele Skrif is deur God geïnspireer, en is winsgewend vir leerstellings, vir teregwysing, vir regstelling, vir onderrig in geregtigheid: Sodat die man van God volmaak kan wees, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timoteus 3:16)
And He gave some, apostels; and some, profete; and some, evangeliste; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ: From whom the whole Body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the Body unto the edifying of itself in love (Efesiërs 4:11-16)
Would God trust and appoint leaders in the church, to raise His sons and teach them in the Word, so that they get to know the will of God and lead them into the truth so that they grow up into spiritual maturity in Christ after His image, if the leader is not spiritually mature and doesn’t walk as a mature son of God and doesn’t submit to the Head Jesus Christ and don’t do what Jesus; die Woord sê, but is prideful, opstandig, carnal and does the will and the works of the flesh and willfully sin and/or live in sin?
Would God trust His sons to someone, who claims to know God, but doesn’t listen to Him and doesn’t do what He says and deny God through His works? Does this person belong to God?
What does the intentional sinning of church leaders say about them?
Jesus antwoord hulle, Voorwaar, voorwaar, Ek sê vir julle, Elkeen wat sonde doen, is die dienaar van sonde (John 8:34)
Hulle bely dat hulle God ken; but in works they deny Him, afskuwelik wees, en ongehoorsaam, en aan elke goeie werk verwyt (Titus 1:16)
Want die genade van God wat redding bring, het aan alle mense verskyn, Leer ons dit, verloën goddeloosheid en wêreldse begeertes, Ons moet nugter leef, regverdig, en goddelike, in hierdie huidige wêreld; Op soek na daardie geseënde hoop, en die heerlike verskyning van die groot God en ons Verlosser Jesus Christus; Wie Homself vir ons gegee het, sodat Hy ons van alle ongeregtigheid kan verlos, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, ywerig vir goeie werke.These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee (Titus 2:11-15)
Ontwaak tot geregtigheid, en sondig nie; want sommige het nie die kennis van God nie: Ek spreek dit tot jou skaamte (1 Korintiërs 15:34)
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not (1 John 5:18)
The works of the church leader testify that the church leader is carnal and walks in darkness and does the will of the flesh and is a slave of sin. Sin still reigns as king in the life of the church leader and the wicked one aka the devil still has a hold on the leader. This should already be a warning to the church.
The danger is, that when a pastor or other leader in the church, who should be born again and spiritually mature and should know the will of God, refuses to submit to God and His Word and therefore is prideful, opstandig, en ongehoorsaam, the sheep will follow the example of the fallen pastor or other fallen church leader and shall also walk in pride, rebellie, and disobedience to God and His Word.
The same (onrein) spirit that dwells in the pastor (of ander kerkleier) shall come over the church and the members of the church shall bear the same fruit as the leader and shall walk in wickedness and uncleanness (Lees ook: Baie herders lei die skape die afgrond in)
How can a pastor or other church leader expect from the believers that they do submit to God and obey His Word, when the preacher doesn’t do it himself?
If a preacher or other church leader commits fornication and adultery, how can the preacher confront, warn, correct and chastise a church member in these areas and forbid fornication and adultery? Exactly the church leader can’t. Therefore the church shall compromise and accept sin in the church.
Putting the relationship with Jesus at stake and playing with eternity to fulfill the lusts of the flesh
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears (Hebreërs 12:14-17)
In die Nuwe Verbond, In die dispensation of the Holy Spirit, Paul mentioned the thoughts of God regarding the profanity and act of Esau, who despised the Lord by rejecting his birthright for the temporary carnal lusts and desires. Paul warned the believers. En tog, there are many church leaders, who say they have knowledge about God’s Word and claim to see, but don’t care about Paul’s warning and disregard this Scripture.
It is remarkable, that so many people object to women in ministry and substantiate their objection with two Scriptures, but the Scriptures regarding carnal leaders, who are unspiritual and have the mind of the world and are addicted to pornography, masturbasie or get involved with other sexual uncleanness and commit fornication, owerspel, live together unmarried, have a homosexual relationship, Is divorced and remarried and therefore the spouse of more than one women, commit idolatry, heksery, steel, fraud, (pathologic) lieg, have an alcohol addiction, ens. they get free rein and are appointed in leadership without any objection.
No objections and Scriptures are cited with them, while there are many Scriptures in the Bible to exclude them from ministry (a.o Romans 1,2,6,7,8, 1 Korintiërs 15:34, 2 Korintiërs 6, Galasiërs 2:17-21;5:13-26, Efesiërs 4,5, 1 Timoteus 3; 5:19-25; 6:2b-12, 1 Titus 1:6-9, 2 Petrus 2, 1 John 3,5).
The intentional sinning of church leaders has consequences
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. Maar hoerery, en alle onreinheid, of hebsug, laat dit nie eenmaal onder julle genoem word nie, soos dit die heiliges betaam; Ook nie vuilheid nie, ook nie dwase praatjies nie, ook nie gespot nie, wat nie gerieflik is nie: maar eerder dankbetuiging. Hiervoor weet julle, dat geen hoermaker nie, ook nie onrein persoon nie, ook nie begerige mens nie, wat 'n afgodedienaar is, het enige erfdeel in die koninkryk van Christus en van God. Laat niemand julle mislei met ydele woorde nie: want vanweë hierdie dinge kom die toorn van God oor die kinders van die ongehoorsaamheid. Wees dan nie deelgenote met hulle nie (Efesiërs 5:1-7)
Elkeen wat sonde pleeg, oortree ook die wet: want die sonde is die oortreding van die wet. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Klein kindertjies, laat niemand julle mislei nie: hy wat geregtigheid doen, is regverdig, even as he is righteous. Hy wat sonde doen, is van die duiwel; want die duiwel sondig van die begin af. Vir hierdie doel is die Seun van God geopenbaar, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Elkeen wat uit God gebore is, doen nie sonde nie; for his seed remaineth in him: en hy kan nie sondig nie, want hy is uit God gebore. Hierin is die kinders van God geopenbaar, en die kinders van die duiwel: elkeen wat nie geregtigheid doen nie, is nie uit God nie, ook nie hy wat sy broer nie liefhet nie (1 John 3:4-10)
If an apostle, evangelist, 'n profeet, pastor, Onderwyser, Elder, deacon, worship leader or anyone else, chooses deliberately to obey the will of the flesh above the will of God, then the person has made a conscious choice to reject God and His Word and shall bear the consequences thereof.
Even if the person is famous, influential, and powerful in the church world or bears the name of a famous relative or is a theologian, charismatic, eloquent, Ryk, and seems to be sincere and piously from the outside, God is not a respecter of persons and is not misled by words and outward appearances, but God looks at the heart, since the works of a man derive from the heart.
And as long as intentional sins derive from the heart, the heart and nature of the person are not changed and the person is not born again, but the heart is still of stone and the person doesn’t belong in church leadership.
‘Wees die sout van die aarde’
