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, yesterday, 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, 再生, 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 (另請閱讀: What is a sin not unto death and a sin unto death?)
Adultery is a premeditated sin
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, 淫亂, 不潔, lasciviousness, Idolatry, 巫術, 仇恨, variance, emulations, 憤怒, 衝突, seditions, 異端, Envyings, 謀殺, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (加拉太書 5:19-21)
因此，要克制你們在地球上的成員; 淫亂, 不潔, 過度的感情, 惡欲, 和貪婪, 這是偶像崇拜: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 你們也曾在其中走過一段時間, 當你們住在其中時. But now ye also put off all these; 憤怒, 憤怒, 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; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all (歌羅西書 3:5-11)
例如, when we look at adultery, we can conclude that adultery doesn’t just happen. A pair of trousers don’t go down themselves. 不, 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, which means, 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 (另請閱讀: 神的誡命與耶穌基督的誡命) .
The person doesn’t love God with all his heart, 靈魂, 介意, and strength, 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, 這是, 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.
不, 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 (另請閱讀: 耶穌是罪的推動者嗎?).
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, 羅馬書 9:13, 另請閱讀: 你能抗拒誘惑嗎?).
基督徒很多, who jeopardize their relationship with Jesus Christ and the Father and sometimes even forfeit eternity, by prioritizing their feelings and the will, 私慾, 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, 不潔, hypocrisy and iniquity (無法無天).
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 (另請閱讀: 教會是看見的還是瞎的?)
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 (另請閱讀: What did Paul mean by lay hands suddenly on no man)
神的旨意是什麼?
因為這是神的旨意, 甚至你的成聖, 你們應當禁戒淫亂: 你們每個人都應該知道如何擁有自己的器皿成聖和榮耀; 不在於情慾, 就像不認識神的外邦人一樣: 任何人在任何事情上都不能超越並欺騙他的兄弟: 因為主是所有這些人的報應者, 正如我們也預先警告過您並證實的那樣. 因為神沒有召我們行不潔的事, 但為了聖潔. 因此，他藐視, 不藐視人, 但上帝, 祂也將祂的聖靈賜給我們 (1 帖撒羅尼迦人 4:3-8)
God is love, merciful and forgiving, they say. But is that true? 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. Still, 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 (另請閱讀: 教會的新時代? 和 The Holy Spirit vs the new age spirit, which spirit dwells in you?)
It is the will of God that all His sons (這適用於男性和女性), 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 (另請閱讀: 上帝的意志 vs 魔鬼的意志).
Would God appoint a worker of iniquity?
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 蒂莫西 3:16)
And He gave some, 使徒; 還有一些, 先知; 還有一些, 福音; 還有一些, 牧師和教師; 為的是成全聖徒, 為了事工的工作, for the edifying of the Body of Christ: 直到我們都帶著信仰的合一來到, 以及對神兒子的認識, 獻給完美的人, 達到基督圓滿的身量: 從今以後，我們不再是孩子, 來回折騰, 隨各樣的教義風吹拂, 靠人的詭計, 和狡猾的狡猾, 他們就這樣埋伏著，等待著欺騙; 但用愛心說誠實話, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, 甚至基督: 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 (以弗所書 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; 聖經說, but is prideful, 叛逆的, 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 answered them, 實實在在, 實實在在, 我對你說, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin (約翰 8:34)
他們自稱認識神; but in works they deny Him, 令人厭惡, 並且不聽話, 一切善行都被棄絕 (提圖斯 1:16)
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee (提圖斯 2:11-15)
Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame (1 哥林多前書 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 約翰 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, 叛逆的, 並且不聽話, the sheep will follow the example of the fallen pastor or other fallen church leader and shall also walk in pride, rebellion, and disobedience to God and His Word.
The same (unclean) spirit that dwells in the pastor (或其他教會領袖) 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 (另請閱讀: 許多牧師正在帶領羊群走向深淵)
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 (希伯來 書 12:14-17)
In the New Covenant, in the 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. And yet, 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, 自慰 or get involved with other sexual uncleanness and commit fornication, 通姦, live together unmarried, have a homosexual relationship, 是 divorced and remarried and therefore the spouse of more than one women, commit idolatry, 巫術, 偷, fraud, (pathologic) 說謊, have an alcohol addiction, ETC. 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 哥林多前書 15:34, 2 哥林多前書 6, 加拉太書 2:17-21;5:13-26, 以弗所書 4,5, 1 蒂莫西 3; 5:19-25; 6:2b-12, 1 提圖斯 1:6-9, 2 彼得 2, 1 約翰 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. 但淫亂, 和一切不潔的事, 或貪婪, 不要讓它在你們中間被提及, 成為聖徒; 既不污穢, 也不是胡言亂語, 也不開玩笑, 哪些不方便: 而是表達感謝. 為此你們知道, 沒有娼妓, 也不是不潔淨的人, 也不貪婪的人, 誰是偶像崇拜者, 在基督和神的國度中有任何繼承權. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them (以弗所書 5:1-7)
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: 因為違背律法就是罪. 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. 小孩子, 不要讓任何人欺騙你: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, 即使他是正義的. 犯罪的人是屬魔鬼的; 因為魔鬼從一開始就犯罪. 為此目的，神的兒子顯現出來, 以便他摧毀魔鬼的作為. 凡從神生的就不犯罪; 因為他的種子仍在他體內: 他不能犯罪, 因為他是由神而生. 神的兒女在此顯明, 和魔鬼的孩子們: 凡不行義的，就不是出於神, 不愛弟兄的人也一樣 (1 約翰 3:4-10)
If an apostle, evangelist, 一位先知, pastor, teacher, 長老, 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, wealthy, 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.
“成為地球之鹽”
