If you have been raised in a church culture, often you can have a narrow perspective of who God might use and why. What I am referring to is that “FLAWED” people can often be rejected because of some past problems. Somehow, Christians tend to think or are taught that God only uses pure and un-defiled people when there are so many examples and instances of just the opposite.
There are many times when God used flawed people who made big mistakes in their lives. It seems that many Christians have forgotten how flawed Abraham was and yet God used him in a foundational way in the history of both Israel and the Christian Church. Now, to be abundantly clear, I am not saying God doesn’t have a standard for leaders but I do believe God often forgives and overlooks many things in our lives because they don’t reflect our true hearts but rather are some poor judgments. I don’t think there is anyone who does not make mistakes for various reasons, whether they are leaders or average members in a church. Sinless perfection is not real and all the characters in the scripture reveal that.
Think about Samson. Although called by God, he chose many bad things contrary to God’s will. Yet, God did not reject him. At the end of Samson’s life, after he suffered greatly for his bad choices, he was still used by God to fulfill God’s purpose. Again, I am not condoning sinful action but instead illustrating that God uses valued people to accomplish his will in life.
Think about King David, who God said was a man after his own heart. Yet, David committed adultery and killed a righteous man who was the husband of Bathsheeba and who had served him faithfully in his army. David committed murder in order to get this man’s wife yet God used him and loved him greatly. God will cause pain and sorrow to follow sinful choices yet God does not fully reject someone nor their calling unless the person’s heart is contaminated so badly that there is no possibility of redemption, like he did with King Saul.
Why is it we get stuck understanding the wrong things when reading the scripture about God’s righteous command for mankind and yet not see that God uses people even when they have messed up with lying, stealing, committing adultery, etc.? Are we called to live a righteous life? Absolutely! However, that doesn’t mean people who make mistakes in life and make bad choices are rejected by Him nor should they be rejected by us.
We as believers have a hard time reconciling failure and bad choices with God using us to advance the kingdom of God. We have a hard time balancing the difference between “Correction and Restoration” and Rejection. When a leader fails in some area we often feel the need to come down like a hammer on such people to prove our own righteousness, rather than knowing God’s will in the matter. Granted there are times when the gravity of a person’s sin requires strong correction but not rejection, unless the person refuses to repent when confronted.
Jesus dealt with this problem while balancing the law of God, which is righteous, and the mercy of God, which should be our desire if at all possible. Jewish leaders wanted to trip Jesus up by saying he did not uphold the law of God with a woman caught in adultery who should be stoned to death. Jesus turned the whole event upside down because those wanting God’s law upheld did so with evil hearts. Jesus was able to both support the righteous law of God and the desire of God to show mercy at the same time by challenging the person without sin to cast the first stone. The standard should be for all of us to be grieved when someone sins while looking at our own lives and realizing we are not perfect either.
John 8:3-5
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?
Jesus taught the righteousness of God and yet worked with and discipled people who were both flawed and broken by life and their own personal choices. Jesus always looked at the “LONG GAME” in humanity and not just the rules and laws God gave us. He, in fact, balanced the revelation of the heart of God in a broken world.
Today, I read about a pastor who served the purpose of God faithfully and with the power of the Holy Spirit and yet his church removed him because of something he did early in his ministry 45 years ago. Show me a pastor that claims to be a perfect man and I will show you a man who is lying. We all make bad choices for different reasons. King David committed adultery and murdered. A year later a prophet revealed that he was not told by God to remove him from office but to tell him God forgave him freely. Why? Because God reads our hearts and discerns our true intent rather than just the mistakes we have made. It is interesting that God gave David a year to come clean and when he didn’t he sent a prophet to uncover the sin so David would be healed from it.
Five years ago, I wrote about God using a Persian King to set Israel free from their bondage in Babylon. God called him “HIS SERVANT”, which goes against our desire to be rule keepers because a secular king can’t possibly be God’s servant yet God said what he said because it was true.
Isaiah 45:1-3
Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.
King Cyrus set the Jews free from their Babylonian captivity that had taken place decades before. Cyrus facilitated their return to the promised land and he became a notable figure in the Jewish scripture as a savior who helped them build the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
In Isaiah, “God chooses Cyrus” to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor … so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel.” The first-century historian Josephus also credits Cyrus with freeing the Jews from captivity and helping them rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. It is amazing that God calls a secular king “His Servant”! If a pastor of a church is caught in sin the people cast him out and totally reject him rather than trying to find out if he is willing to repent.
The Babylonians had prepared themselves for a siege but the Persians diverted the river Euphrates to get into the city. Babylon was surrendered to Cyrus without a fight. Cyrus gave battle against the army of Akkad (Babylon). He defeated them and slaughtered the people.
This brings me to say that God desires to use flawed people in spite of our attitude and religious self-righteousness. He desires to use people who have fallen for different reasons and once again partner with them to do something wonderful in a broken world.
Questions:
1) When a person is caught in some sin are you ready to condemn or show mercy if the person shows great remorse over their choices and actions? The answer may reveal if you have God’s heart or just a flawed human heart.
2) Have you been caught in a sin where people showed mercy to you and gave you room to repent and be restored? Share that story with people who are broken over their own sin and be a part of their restoration.
Looking for balance in the body of Christ,
Pastor Dale
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