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Tuesday, September 17, 2019

When Heroes Fall

There has been a spate of stories in recent times of well-known and respected Christian publicly ejecting their Christian faith and leaving for "greener pastures," so to speak. It's tough. It's tough when you hear that one who was considered to be a believer rejects the Savior you love. It's tough when you are connected in some way to that person -- a follower, a fan, an admirer, something like that -- and then see them drop out. It's tough to see the assault on your faith and the faith and, ultimately, on your Lord.

It has ever been thus, you know. Think of Adam, living in the absolute perfection of a garden and a relationship with God like you and I can only dream about. I mean, God walked in the garden with them. And Adam threw it all out. Think of Noah who spent 100 years building an ark on God's word alone, saving the existence of humans, only to succumb to drunkenness later in life. Consider Abraham whose faith was reckoned to him as righteousness and then lied about his wife being his wife because he was scared. Remember David, described by God as a man after His own heart, going out and committing adultery and murder. Recall Peter who declared he would die for Christ only to run practically in the next breath and deny he ever knew Him. Rejecting God is common among humans.

So, what are we to think? Some considerations.

There is a logical fallacy known as the Genetic Fallacy. This fallacy attempts to deny the truth of a statement based on the originator of the statement. It's a fallacy. In the case of a respected leader who falls, it is essential that we don't discard any value that we gained because they have now fallen. Their rejection of Christ is no reflection on 1) the magnificence of Christ or 2) the reality of the faith. We need to evaluate what they've said, but no more when they've left and no less when they haven't.

We cannot know the future. True believers may stray for awhile. (Consider all the examples I listed earlier.) It is possible that a true believer may fall into sin -- even serious and prolonged sin -- and still return. So we should be careful about assuming that this departure is the end of the story.

We do know that there will be tares among the wheat (Matt 13:24-30), unbelievers among the believers. They will "go out from us" to show that they were "not of us" (1 John 2:19). Wolves in sheep's clothing (Matt 7:13). Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). In the same way, false teachers and misguided unbelievers may actually seem good and useful for a time. Rejecting their good and useful information because they've rejected the faith doesn't make sense. Paul wrote about his ministry in prison where others were also spreading the Gospel, some out of rivalry and some out of love. He concluded, "What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice" (Php 1:12-18). Just as Joseph told his brothers, it is entirely possible for false teachers to intend evil and God to intend good (Gen 50:20).

Scripture is clear about our responsibility. We should restore whom we can (Gal 6:1-2) and discipline whom we must (1 Cor 5:1-5) and reject whom we have to (1 Cor 5:9-12; Titus 3:10). (Of course, the primary purpose of the latter -- rejecting those who won't repent -- is the former -- restoration.)

I would note that in no case is "panic" or "lose faith" or the like a biblical response. We should pray, of course. That would go without saying (but obviously needs to be said). But at no time should we despair because even if believers fall, God is still on the throne and He always accomplishes what He intends to accomplish. We should, I suppose, check our own hearts. Is this person whose rejection of the faith an idol? In that case the repentance should be ours.

10 comments:

Leigh said...

Reminds me of the Sweet Comfort Song, God and his mercy will always welcome the ones who stray no matter how long away. Thank you Lord.

You led me to believe
And I followed everything you'd say and do
You led me to believe
You've changed your way of thinking now
But I know what is true
And I will keep on holding on
To all the things
You led me to believe

You were the guiding light
For all who passed your way
The neighborhood superman
Who always saved the day
You were the model
I was the clay
But I never dreamed you'd throw it all away

Now I miss you everyday
And it cuts me to the bone
You have gone so far away
And I must stand alone
I kept the things you taught to me
And I found them to be true
I only wish that you believed them too

Stan said...

Yep. Prominent Christians fell even back then. :)

Craig said...

I think you make a really good point about repudiating the good things done by these people. I think we’re too quick to immediately throw out everything someone has said, written, or done the instant they fall.

Marshal Art said...

" I think we’re too quick to immediately throw out everything someone has said, written, or done the instant they fall."

In the same way, we're often too quick to hold fast to past wrongs, even in the face of more recent good works.

Stan said...

That's true, Marshal. In today's world if you've ever done anything wrong, you're forever wrong (unless, of course, you're one of us).

Craig said...

Unless you’re a leftist politician who has posed in black face, then you get a free pass.


At least the first three times...

Stan said...

Yes, leftist politicians are considered "one of us" for that crowd.

Craig said...

But the gyrations and effort they go to when they defend this sort of racist behavior, or to pretend that it isn’t a big deal, is pretty amusing.

Marshal Art said...

Or a president seeking a second term?

Stan said...

I'm not sure what you're asking there, Marshal. (Comments go by quickly and sometimes it's not clear what comment someone is commenting on.)

If you've followed my blog in terms of Trump, you'll have seen that I am not a supporter. I didn't vote for him. I warned multiple times about electing him. I will not vote for him in the next election. I think the damage he has done to politics, Republicans, and especially Christianity in America is extensive and we will be long in recovering if we ever do. I'm not a Trump-hater; I just don't classify him as "my guy" -- a "fallen hero" in the terms of this article.