When Saints do Terrible Things
One day those who are in Christ will live in a perfect environment where God rules and there is no evil, but today is not that day. While we sojourn here on earth, we will find that even Christians sometimes do terrible things. The entire system of life on Earth teaches us to use our senses and our own strength rather than to live in dependence on Jesus by faith.
The choice to have ungodly attitudes and do ungodly things is not removed at salvation. Scripture is clear about this as we find in passages like those below:
Romans 6:12–14 (NASB 2020) 12 Therefore sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body’s parts as instruments of righteousness for God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace.
We can choose to allow our bodies to be used for ungodly as well as for godly behaviors.
Ephesians 4:26–27 (NASB 2020), “26 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.”
We can become angry, and we can choose how that anger is handled.
Galatians 5:13 (NASB 2020) “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.”
1 Peter 2:16 (NASB 2020) “Act as free people, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond-servants of God.”
We can choose whether to use our freedom to misbehave or to love and serve others.
With the world in its fallen state and the god of this world doing everything he can to normalize living from a mindset of senses and earthly power, it is little wonder that many Christ-ones are sidelined by a delusion. Though Jesus has freed them completely, many still think they are in bondage to much of the ungodliness that surrounds them.
They forget that they have been forgiven much. Jesus said that those who have been forgiven much love much. We can find this in Luke 7:47 (NASB 2020) “her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” They forget what sort of people they are, as we read about in James 1:23–25 (NASB 2020) “23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does.” Peter also talks about this in 2 Peter 1:9 (NASB 2020) “For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.” They struggle with the same things that enslave those who do not have the Spirit of Christ. When believers lose sight of who they are in Christ, they begin to act like someone they are not.
Father has given everyone the freedom to choose what they will think and how they will act. This is necessary because He is love and love is not manipulative or domineering. It is also necessary because living by faith is the system Father has put in place to allow us to grow in grace and develop in our relationship with Him. Since God is not tangibly with us, we cannot know Him in the same way we know those around us. Without the freedom to choose, it would be impossible for us to love God from the heart. It would likewise be impossible for us to know God relationally.
It may not sit well with us, particularly where loved ones are involved, but God does not contravene anyone’s will and neither can we. Just as it is important that we realize there is nothing we can do to make ourselves righteous or acceptable to God, we must accept that there is nothing we can do to control the decisions of others. Though we may wish it were otherwise and even find it difficult to admit, this is the truth in every case except perhaps with parents and young children.
As is His way, Father has not left us without guidance, however. In Galatians 6:1–2 (NASB 2020) He guides us this way, “Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”
How can we know what response fulfills the law of Christ? In Romans 13:10 (NASB 2020) we read, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (see also verses 8-9) Indeed, the law of Christ is love, as we read in 1 John 3:23 (NASB 2020) “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” Peter also urges love in 1 Peter 1:22 (NASB 2020) “Since you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brothers and sisters, fervently love one another from the heart.”
When saints do terrible things, we feel hurt, we may be injured, we can expect to feel heartbroken. Our best response is to love them in the midst of their poor choices. If it is possible to lovingly urge them to reconsider their behavior, we can certainly do that. Often however, we will find (and likely instinctively know) that our loved one or Christian sibling cannot hear such counsel from us. It is in these times especially, when we have the greatest opportunity to see the power of God demonstrated.
We can rely upon Father to discipline His children. He will not leave them alone. Holy Spirit within them is guiding them, just as He is guiding each of us who are in Christ. Our role is to love others and rest in Father’s trustworthiness. Since He does not contravene the will, change may well take a long time. This is not an indication that Father is not at work. We need only to reflect on our own journey to find examples of real change taking months, years, or even decades.
Our job is not to change people. Our job is to love people. Father is at work in His children to desire and do godly things, (Philippians 2:13) and He will complete the good work He has begun in them. (Philippians 1:6) We can count on it.
