Preaching the Gospel while in Habitual Sin

ABabeInChrist said:
Any thoughts on this subject???
Click to expand...

Ravindram hit the nail on the head. The degree of sin is the biggest issue.

At my church an elder who watched porn received a 1 year ban from preaching. An elder who committed adultery lost his title and received a two year ban pending sincere remorse / reconciliation attempts / pleading for forgiveness.

All elders think impure thoughts consistently and swear occasionally.

Two verses preachers need to hold onto is 1 Pet 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins and James 5:20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
 
Habitual sin is a pattern of disobedience to God. With the knowledge that what you are doing is wrong, yet you continue to sin despite knowing the consequences
 
Sin is sin! The only unpardonable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit! But for leadership in the church, yes they need to be held to a stricter and higher accountability!
 
As soon as we receive Christ, repent all our sin and are baptized by fire and water we begin a new life. Christ comes to us and starts helping us down the narrow path to life and we are branches growing through him. Our old way start to fall off like branches of an old life and our road is paved on the narrow path uprooting the old corrupt ways. This doesn't seem to happen instantly, but is work we do on our path to life and I believes Christ reproves our ways into being perfected through persecution, prayer and continuing on the path to life.
 
agua said:
If we consider habitual sin is unrepentant sin then Paul said to remove them from the congregation.

1Co 5:9-13 NIV I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- (10) not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. (11) But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. (12) What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? (13) God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked person from among you."

Is habitual sin unrepentant sin ?
Click to expand...
Amen and Yes! Habitual sin is unrepentant sin.
 
ABabeInChrist said:
KJV is slightly different. Although fornication is being sexually immoral, but I think that what Paul means is that if someone doesn't care to battle with the sin that they're doing then don't be involved in that person because all Christians will do this but it's a matter of your brother or sister trying to defeat that sin is what matters.

KJV 9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?

13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
Click to expand...

With all due respect, all christians do not do this.....there are christians around the world that obey the Word and choose to live holy. No true christian is held captive to sin. Jesus is the author of salvation to those who obey Him.
 
Scripture is clear that elders who sin are to be publicly exposed and rebuked "as a warning to the others" (1 Tim. 5:20). And in any list of qualifications for elders, the emphasis is always on character and maturity. This is not on-the-job training but an acknowledgment of one who has matured spiritually, lived an exemplary life, and demonstrated sound understanding of the scriptures. No one who is still held in the grip of habitual or unrepentant sin should be considered an elder.

But all of that applies to "elders", which is not the traditional CEO-type "head pastor" who is not found in scripture. Any and all believers can "preach the Gospel", but not every believer can teach, or prophesy, or the rest of the spiritual gifts. An elder is one recognized as having achieved the level of maturity and holiness that serves as an example to others. Paul said that even unbelievers who preached the Gospel accurately were of no concern to him, since the important thing was for the message to get out (Phil. 1:14-16). But when it comes to those who serve as mentors, teachers, and guardians of the scriptures, the standards are very high.

We need to stop thinking in terms of "church" and more in terms of "body". We all have our failings and slip-ups, but anyone teaching scripture must be someone who will not bring disrepute upon the faith. As it says in 1 Peter 2:12, "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." We have had far too many scandals in recent years, involving "pastors" caught in sexual sin, financial misconduct, and other sins that even this wicked world knows are wrong. We are far better off dispensing with titles and offices and letting the Holy Spirit move freely, than to put or keep people in such "offices" who have skeletons in their closets... or running around in the open.
 
Relentless said:
Scripture is clear that elders who sin are to be publicly exposed and rebuked "as a warning to the others" (1 Tim. 5:20). And in any list of qualifications for elders, the emphasis is always on character and maturity. This is not on-the-job training but an acknowledgment of one who has matured spiritually, lived an exemplary life, and demonstrated sound understanding of the scriptures. No one who is still held in the grip of habitual or unrepentant sin should be considered an elder.

But all of that applies to "elders", which is not the traditional CEO-type "head pastor" who is not found in scripture. Any and all believers can "preach the Gospel", but not every believer can teach, or prophesy, or the rest of the spiritual gifts. An elder is one recognized as having achieved the level of maturity and holiness that serves as an example to others. Paul said that even unbelievers who preached the Gospel accurately were of no concern to him, since the important thing was for the message to get out (Phil. 1:14-16). But when it comes to those who serve as mentors, teachers, and guardians of the scriptures, the standards are very high.

We need to stop thinking in terms of "church" and more in terms of "body". We all have our failings and slip-ups, but anyone teaching scripture must be someone who will not bring disrepute upon the faith. As it says in 1 Peter 2:12, "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." We have had far too many scandals in recent years, involving "pastors" caught in sexual sin, financial misconduct, and other sins that even this wicked world knows are wrong. We are far better off dispensing with titles and offices and letting the Holy Spirit move freely, than to put or keep people in such "offices" who have skeletons in their closets... or running around in the open.
Click to expand...
This ^^^^^^^^^^ yes, yes, yes, except for skeletons in the closet is usually referring to a person's past. Everyone has a past and when we come to know Christ the old is washed away, we are a new creation and our past is just that, "our past" forgotten, put behind u.s.

Everyone falls short of Gods Glory. However, we are to strive for perfection to be Christ like. If you are and Elder or in any type of leadership and and your life does not line up with the word of God then you need to step down for your own good because although they can't see it for themself at the time, they have fallen and they need to be restored to where they have fallen from.

What is also very important, they do not realize they are stumbling blocks and causing others to sin, be it stirring up immoral thoughts or causing them to gossip or whatever else transpires from it. And lastly let's not forget the deception and betrayal from the lies they tell to try and cover.up their actions. It snowballs and has a domino effect it effects many lives not just theirs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top