Monday, November 06, 2006

Another one bites the dust

Perhaps some of you have heard about the tragic story of Evangelist Ted Haggard. He pastors a 14,000-member church in Colorado that he founded and also is the President of an evangelical organization with 30 million members. Haggard confessed to sexual immorality with another man and has been accused of purchasing methamphetamines from this same individual. How should we respond to such sin? I would recommend a few things:

1. Pray for Haggard’s wife and five children. I cannot even begin to imagine what they are going through. Only a grace outside ourselves could sustain someone through such a trial as this.

2. Realize that God will forgive Ted Haggard if he seeks forgiveness. Haggard has broken the Commandment of God to not commit adultery among other things. God finds this highly offensive and promises divine wrath for all who break His law (Romans 3:5) If Ted Haggard is a born again Christian, he will find forgiveness with God. If he is not a true Christian, which this type of behavior very well may indicate, he still may find mercy in the person of Jesus Christ. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15

3. Lastly, I would encourage us all to consider the exceedingly sinfulness of sin. Realize the seriousness of sin and how it destroys lives. We as Americans love to push the envelope with what many call "Christian Liberty," when in reality it is just giving us an excuse to flirt with and indulge in sin. We laugh at little white lies, we think it is funny when comedians mock sin. We financially and with our time support an industry in Hollywood that shakes its fist at God and his holiness and then we excuse it and brainwash our young children with a steady diet of it day after day after day.

If you think what happened to Ted Haggard can and will never happen to you or your family without the grace of God in your life, you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God. Read Romans chapter three to see what the Holy Bible says every human being is like.

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12

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