Moral Failures – Is it impossible to overcome?

Pastor Ted Haggard was really unknown to me, in any real sense, till the issue of homosexuality and drug taking came up. I was amazed initially, and then very sad that another Christian leader had not lived up to what was expected of him.

1 Tim3:2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Bishop refers to an overseer or pastor. If we are called into ministry (which is an office, and not a position of any superiority over other believers), then the issues of being blameless, monogamous, vigilance, good behavior etc are vital. The office calls the person to a higher standard. It is like a politician who falls from grace because he hired an illegal worker to mow his grass, a misdemeanor that would not raise eyebrows if done by anyone else.

The litany of moral failures leads me to think that this “war” within our members is a really difficult thing to overcome. Paul expressed great frustration, yet was able to contain it. That is the issue. We are all tempted, and leaders more so. Yet God will always have a way of escape. It is up to us not to succumb.

1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

I use the mnemonic TIP to think about how we fall into sin.

T stands for temptation. This is not sin, but the precursor. It is when the pastor found out, a voice in his inner self (the flesh) suggesting the dark thoughts of drugs and sex. Temptation is not sin. He decided to lift his phone and make a call. This leads to the sin itself...

I stands for intent. Once there is intent to do something, we have sinned in our heart. This is the “lust” in the heart that Jesus talked about. At this stage, we can and should still overcome by remembering the Word and using it against the devil. Confession is in order and will immediately wipe the slate clean with God. With intent, although there is sin, there will often be no severe consequence, except for maybe an interruption in the communication with God. I found, in my own life, that immediate confession is the key. Any delay in confession eats away at the soul. I have felt weak and heavy in the spirit and not able to pray effectively until I confessed. In one particular situation of unforgiveness, I actually began to get physical consequences, even though the person I was not forgiving was unaware of my inner anger and bitterness.

But if the intent is acted upon, the consequences are severe, as the pastor who sinned found out. The next stage is...

P stands for Plan of action. It is the intent acted out. Once the pastor went to meet the male escort, bought the drugs and made contact, the deed was done. The consequences became public and affected others – his family and his church (spiritual family).

We can all learn from this sorry episode. As I watched the pastor, Ted Haggard, publicly humiliated, I was devastated. When it comes to sin, we can all fall so easily.

I see myself in the mirror and feel that except for the grace of God, I could be in the same position. What is my own thought life like? Who am I in the dark? What are my sins? These are questions I must ask daily, and confess daily. I must try, with huge does of the grace of God, never to let temptation go into Intent. And definitely not into a Plan of Action.