The Cause of Christ Isn’t in Jeopardy

To read news headlines these days, one might be tempted to believe the demise of Christianity is imminent. “Evangelicalism,” according to some observers and self-acclaimed “experts,” seems on the ropes and headed for a knockout: Megachurch pastors resigning in disgrace; ministry leaders being tied to scandal, even posthumously; prominent Christian celebrities declaring they’re no longer followers of Jesus Christ.

 

This is not to minimize nor dismiss such dismal reports. When people holding held highly recognizable roles in modern-day Christendom are caught up in sin, or when so-called “believers” announce they no longer believe, this is cause for sadness, even some tears. But it’s not reason for despair.

Cynics and skeptics might regard these very public failures as cause for celebration, shouts of “I told you so!” However, for the faithful, despite the discrediting of people we might have admired, they’re vivid reminders to not lose focus, to keep “the main thing the main thing”: That we worship and serve the risen Christ only, not talented and influential persons who have served in His name.

 

We can’t judge where any of these fallen Christian icons stand with the Lord. That’s His job alone. To speculate on what might have gone wrong serves little purpose. But as King Solomon wrote, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The Scriptures candidly confirm similar scandals that occurred thousands of years ago, including an unlikely trio.

 

When Saul was chosen as the first king of Israel, he seemed an excellent choice. Described in 1 Samuel 9:2 as “an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites – a head taller than any of the others,” he had the look of a leader.

 

Then, when prophet Samuel revealed he was God’s choice “to deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines…he will govern My people” (1 Samuel 9:16-17), Saul came across as self-effacing, another admirable trait for a leader: “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21). We’d surmise this was a man God could use – good-looking and humble, magnetic leadership qualities.

 

Before long, however, we learn King Saul’s outward appearance belied his poverty of inner character. He repeatedly disobeyed God’s commands, lacked courage, suffered fits of jealousy and, when his misdeeds were found out, quickly cast blame elsewhere. So, the Lord directed Samuel to anoint someone else – the lowly shepherd boy, David – to succeed him.

 

David exhibited many qualities that indicated worthiness for leadership, including bravery in confronting an imposing giant named Goliath. The book of Psalms contains many of David’s wonderful meditations about the Lord. He’s revered to this day – the Star of David bears his name. 

 

Alas, David also had feet of clay, falling prey to his own lust in seducing a married woman named Bathsheba, who became pregnant. He then compounded his sin by arranging to have her husband, Uriah, killed in battle. The king had many other failings, including not stemming family strife that resulted from his multiple wives and subsequent sibling rivalry. To his credit, David is described as “a man after [God’s] own heart” (Acts 13:22), reflecting his readiness to sincerely repent of his sins.

 

His successor, Solomon, his son by Bathsheba, also had a promising start in his role as king. When God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want Me to give you,” Solomon responded with great humility: “Now, O Lord, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties…. So give your servant a discerning heart to governing your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:4-9).

 

God answered, “I will do what you asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart…. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for – both riches and honor – so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings” (1 Kings 3:12-13). Wow! This surely was the kind of leader the Lord wanted.

 

Solomon did accumulate the promised riches and honor. God gave us three books of the Bible largely attributed to him: Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. But again, this king didn’t finish as strongly as he began. Partly because he also accumulated wives, defying a prohibition against marrying women from foreign nations. As 1 Kings 11:3-6 states, “He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines, and his wives led him astray…. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.”

 

We could cite many other examples from the Old and New Testaments; clearly, leaders tumbling into sin and even turning their backs on God is not a recent development. For us, one key is concentrating on the essence of truly following Jesus Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

 

Jesus died and rose again to atone for our sins, but even more than that, He rose so that we could experience new life in Him. He said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). But we also must realize we’re in a daily spiritual battle, facing an enemy desperately desiring to destroy us. 

We can’t overcome this spiritual enemy in our own strength. Rather, as the apostle Paul wrote, “I can do everything through [Christ] who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Only through Him can we one day declare, as Paul did, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Evangelicalism, as we know it today, may stumble and even fall. But through the power of Jesus Christ, His Church will continue to stand tall.