Some Verses on Sexual Immorality and Leadership

I was talking with a friend the other day, and he mentioned a book  he was reading. The book dealt with grace. The story dealt with a worship pastor who had committed an affair, then latter had an affair that lasted four years until it was discovered. The author of the book felt that since the worship pastor ‘repented ‘ (after he was discovered) he should immediately be allowed to return to a leadership position in the church without any consequences, growing period, or time to heal and help his family.

My argument was that yes, someday he may be able to return to full time ministry, but now he needs to break all of the severe habitual patterns of lying, deceit, and other sins he was involved in.  My point was that for so many years he had lied to and deceived those around him he needed more than a 30 minute counseling session and then to carry on as if nothing happened (all in the name of grace).  Any one that is that far into bondage to sin cannot have a good (let along strong) relationship with God and needs to spend time growing in their relationship with God before returning to full time ministry.

I spent 30 minutes or so looking up some verses that I thought might apply in different ways to this issue:

Some Verses For To Think About….

1 Tim. 1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound  doctrine,

1 Tim. 3:1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,2 sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

1 Tim 3:8  Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 910 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

1 Tim. 3:10 And they must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons.

Titus 1: 5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

1 John 3:6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

 

1 John 3:6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.

 

1 John 5:18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. …

1 Cor. 5:11 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 idolater, 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.

1 Cor. 6:9 Do you not know that the unjust  will not inherit God’s kingdom?  Do not be deceived: no sexually immoral people, idolaters,  adulterers,  male prostitutes, homosexuals,  10 thieves,  greedy  people, drunkards, revilers,  or swindlers  will inherit God’s kingdom. 11 Some of you were like this;  but you were washed, you were sanctified,  you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Cor. 10:8 Let us not commit sexual immorality  as some of them did,  and in a single day 23,000 people fell dead.  9 Let us not tempt Christ as some of them did,  and were destroyed by snakes.  10 Nor should we complain  as some of them did,   and were killed by the destroyer.   11 Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us,  on whom the ends of the ages  have come. 

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious:   sexual immorality,  moral impurity,  promiscuity,  20 idolatry,  sorcery,  hatreds,  strife,  jealousy,  outbursts of anger,  selfish ambitions,  dissensions,  factions,  21 envy,   drunkenness, carousing,  and anything similar, about which I tell you in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

Eph 5:5 For know and recognize this: no sexually immoral  or impure  or greedy  person, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom  of the •Messiah and of God.

1 Tim 1:9 We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious,  for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral  and homosexuals,  for kidnappers, liars,  perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching 

Hebrews 13:4 Marriage must be respected by all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge immoral people and adulterers. 

2 Tim 3:1 But know this: difficult times will come in the last days.  2 For people will be lovers of self,  lovers of money,  boastful, proud,  blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers,  without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good,  4 traitors,  reckless,  conceited,  lovers of pleasure  rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to the form of religion but denying its power.  Avoid these people! 

6 For among them are those who worm their way into households and capture idle women burdened down with sins, led along by a variety of passions,  7 always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.  8 Just as Jannes and Jambres  resisted Moses,  so these also resist the truth, men who are corrupt in mind,  worthless  in regard to the faith. 9 But they will not make further progress, for their lack of understanding will be clear to all, as theirs  was also.

© 2010, Matt. All rights reserved.