Tuesday, March 2: Perfect or Forgiven?

With endless stories of Christian pastors who stumble into sinful places, many unbelievers stand on the outside pointing fingers of blame. The common feeling is, “How can you be a Christian with a mess like that in your life?” Another common feeling is, “Why don’t you practice what you preach?” Ted Haggard, the pastor of the 14,000 member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, was one of the most influential members of the evangelical movement until the world watched him fall. Haggard was caught in an affair with a homosexual hustler, who charges that Haggard also asked him to buy crystal methamphetamine to accentuate the experience. Haggard wasn’t alone. Jimmy Swaggart went through his own struggles. In 1988, two years after exposing a rival pastor for having numerous affairs, Swaggart was photographed with a prostitute. Three years later, he was arrested in Indio, California, once again for soliciting a prostitute. Because Swaggart and Haggard have staggered, does it mean they are destined for hell?


As Christians, we are forgiven, not perfect. That perfection will not occur until we are face to face with our Savior. The stumbles continue, though if we are drawing closer to Jesus daily, we should see more of Him and less of ourselves when we look into a mirror. Satan, called both the great deceiver and the accuser of the brethren, continues his lying ways. Have you ever sinned and felt the reminder that you could not have committed that sin if you really were the Lord’s? Before you were a Christian, you were a slave to sin. When you sinned, it didn’t bother you. Some of those sins were incredibly hurtful to those around you, but your selfish desires superseded their pain. As a Christian, we still have that propensity to run towards sin, but the pleasure that the sin once gave seems empty at best. If the Holy Spirit dwells inside of you, as He does in every believer, He will remind you of your sin. It’s a constant battle, and as long as the battle goes on, you know that you are His. Why would Satan ever belittle you for sin, if you were fighting in his army?


7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. John 16:7-13


The Holy Spirit does His job perfectly. Be careful in casting stones at other believers who have stumbled. A saying originated by a martyr in the 1500’s comes to mind, “There but for the grace of God go I!” God will faithfully complete His work in each of us!