Normally I would begin This type of discourse by telling you all the marvelous, amazing things God’s grace does, and after several paragraphs come to my main point. But today I will make my point up front:
The one thing God’s grace can’t do is remove the reproach that uncovered sin amongst Christians causes to the name of Jesus Christ.
What Grace Does
On behalf of the repentant offender, sinner, backslider, hypocrite, there is nothing so vile that God’s grace cannot or will not forgive. No matter how far one has strayed or how deep he had fallen into sin and rebellion against all that is righteous and godly, the arm of God’s grace can reach out or down and raise him to a right standing with God, and restore the damage sin wreaks on a person’s life spiritually, mentally, emotionally, maritally, financially, and even positionally in the eyes of the Church.
The sweetest story in all the New Testament is the prodigal son’s return to his ever-loving, always-waiting father, who lavished grace upon grace upon him. With the exception of his disgruntled elder brother, the whole household celebrated with great joy his return and his restoration. This was fitting, for even the angels in Heaven rejoice when one sinner comes home. God’s grace allowed King David to keep his life and his throne when he had committed adultery and murder. Likewise, today God’s grace has lifted many fallen ones, including high profile ministers, out of the pitfalls of adultery and addictions, and because of His abundant mercies, the grace of God had forgiven, washed, cleansed, and restored the anointing upon their gifts to rekindle their ministries. In many cases, broken marriages have been restored, and every bitter betrayal healed, sometimes even resulting in a stronger, better relationship than before the affairs.
God’s grace has freed hopeless addicts from their addictions and given them a new lease on life including financial restoration and all the good things the addictions stole from them, including stripping them of their future and dignity…. Yes, God’s grace can restore the fallen one’s dignity, erasing the shame and guilt that overwhelms him/her when his hidden, secret sin is finally uncovered before all; when his image and sin are shockingly plastered all over the media and Googled by friends and foes in an effort to get more details of his/her wrongdoing.
Grace can even silence the insidious accusing voice of the adversary who delights in continually bringing the offense and its condemnation to his guilt-ridden conscience. Grace hurls every accusation into the sea of forgetfulness and shouts to the repenter: “I am faithful and just to forgive your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness!”
That same Grace can also touch the disillusioned hearts of those who had once looked up to him/her and held them in high esteem as servants of God, and in a work of grace that only a Christ-filled heart can receive, create a stronger bond of love, forgiveness, acceptance, and support that allows them to step back into that circle of ministry and put the past behind, with a new found humility and gratitude.
These are just the basic miracles Grace can perform in the midst of moral failure and guilt. Grace is ever unfolding: Grace upon grace, and it brings to every soul who has experienced it a sense of understanding toward those in the Church who, because of uncovered sin, are in need of this gift of gifts.
But, unfortunately, this does not extend to the unsaved, unbelieving, unknowing world. To them “grace” seems like a whitewash for someone who got caught, especially when there are attempts to cover up. Worst of all, Jesus suffers the reproach and His Church loses credibility. This is not a light thing to be dismissed with a sigh: “Oh well, they don’t believe anyway. They don’t know the Bible so they don’t understand grace…”
No they don’t understand grace, and scandals amongst ministers are not going to reveal grace to them. It says to them that we don’t practice what we preach and reinforces the assumption that televangelism is nothing more than a money-making gimmick.
Grace can clear the guilty’s name in the courts of Heaven while the name of Jesus is blasphemed in the courts of this world. The prophet Nathan told David after his sin was exposed and he had repented: “The Lord hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because of this deed thou hast given great ocassion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme…” (2 Samuel 2:13-14).
The Church is called to be “salt and light”—“righteousness and truth in the midst of a perverse and adulterous generation. The Ministry standards of N.T. ministers are “Giving no offense in anything that the ministry be not blamed. But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God…That ye received not the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor. 6:1, 3&4).
Grace cannot remove the blame that is inflicted on the Ministry in general, causing those who have walked in purity and integrity to bear the brunt of scorn as well. Nor can Grace remove the ugly smears that besmirch the lovely Name of Jesus when His servants ignore “the way of escape” in the face of “common temptations: (Ref. 1 Cor. 10:13), and fail of His grace that is able to make them to stand (Rom. 5:1, Jude 24).
This is because Grace is more than redemptive. It not only rescues the fallen, restores the broken, and renews their callings, but Grace is preventative. That is, “Grace teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12). This text in Greek is stronger and could be rendered: Grace teaches us to just say “NO!” to worldly lusts.
When this Grace is breached, the result is “vessels of dishonor in God’s great house.” It’s time for everyone who “names the name of the Lord to depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19-20).
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