I’m sorry today’s post is so late. I try to get Monday’s post done over the weekend so it can be ready to magically appear at 8 am Monday morning. However, this weekend I learned of something that just made it hard for me to write. Even through this morning it consumed my mind so much I could hardly think of anything else. So, despite the fact that I know it will upset some, I’m going to write about what has been consuming my mind the last two days.
On Saturday morning, I learned about a brother in Christ, a preacher of the gospel, who had disappeared under mysterious circumstances. I had not even heard of the brother until that news report. I spent the day praying for him off and on. On Saturday night, I learned he had faked his disappearance in order to commit sexual immorality with a 13-year-old girl. My heart broke for him, for the girl, for their families, and for their congregations.
*****EDIT: If you have already read this post once, I am adding in a clarifying statement based on some private comments I have received. I want to clarify some things before you read my initial thoughts. I guess you could say I want you to hear my second thoughts before you get to my first.
I do believe what our brother Jody did was reprehensible and wicked. I do believe he should be prosecuted for breaking the law. I do hope he comes to realize what damage he has done to that little girl, to her family, to his congregation, and to his own family. I hope having seen that bottom, he will turn to the only power that can help him overcome this sin. Please do not take my post that follows to mean I am turning a blind eye to how awful this sin was. It is its awfulness that scares me and causes me to fear for my future if I dabble in sin. It is its awfulness that prompted my thoughts.
My prayers and my heart go out to the little girl and the family. The damage done to her is immense. The damage done to her family is equally immense. I am praying for them as they strive to recover from being victims of sin’s awful effects.
Please understand, my point in this post is not to defend Jody’s sin. My point is to help us see the warning that Jody’s sin should provide for us. With that in mind, I realize I probably can’t clarify enough to make everyone happy or even agree with me. But I hope you can at least see my point.
As news of this leaks out to more and more people, the responses will be myriad. Here is what saddens me the most. It breaks my heart to know how Satan is going to use this. Satan will twist this so that many people will glory in their own power. “I may have made some mistakes in my time, but at least I never did that.” Kind of sounds to me like, “God, I thank you that I’m not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers…” (Luke 18:11).
Instead of using this as a testimony for our own power, we need to see it as a testimony to the power of sin. We need to take the warning about what sin can do to us. Romans 7:14-24 describes this power. I’m going to include the whole passage here because we need to read it again and again.
“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
This brings to my mind what God said to Cain near the beginning, “…sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). Sin wants us. It wants to run our lives. If we give it an inch, it will take a mile. No wonder we must all concede what Paul says in Ephesians 2:1-3:
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”
Every single one of us gave sin control. Every single one of us became by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. Do you see what this means? This means instead of saying, “I’ve made some mistakes, but I would never do that,” we need to be shaking in our boots saying, “That could be me. Sin could do that to me too.”
Perhaps the sin that has had control of you is not lust and immorality, but arrogance, outbursts of wrath, slander, malice, drunkenness, greed, materialism, gluttony, or on the list could go. It doesn’t matter what sin you have given control in your life, it will take you farther than you ever imagined and it will destroy you. How many gluttons have abandoned their families after a heart attack? How many materialists have destroyed their families in pursuit of more and more things? How many covetous have driven away every relationship they’ve had as they wasted their money on the lottery and at casinos? How many who consistently had angry outbursts ended up killing someone even in their own family? Did they flee with a 13-year-old? No, but was the end result much different?
Five years ago, if anyone had asked our brother, Jody, about sacrificing his family, his work, even his soul in order to have a few moments of pleasure with a 13-year-old, he would have reacted exactly as we do today. “Absolutely not. I’ve done some bad things, but I would never do that.” Yet, he did. That makes me think of I Corinthians 10:12, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” Today, I want to say, “I’d never do that.” But if I let sin have control, that is exactly where sin will take me. If you let sin have control, that is exactly where it will take you. If your favorite flavor of sin is some other matter, it will destroy your life in some other way. It will lead you to do things you had never imagined. We cannot control and enjoy sin at all.
This is not just the obligatory reference to King David, but think about him for a minute. Here was a man after God’s own heart. But he let lust weasel its way in to that heart. I don’t know exactly what happened. Perhaps it all happened in one fell swoop of sin’s axe. He may have seen her, called for her immediately, and before the night was over had committed the sin. But I can also imagine a different scenario. He lusted for Bathsheba, thinking how great it would be if she were one of his wives. He fed that lust a little bit by inquiring after her. He found out he was one of his mighty men’s wife. So he tried to put it out of his mind. But he lusted some more. He argued with himself about how wrong it was. But that lust kept tickling his heart. He finally called for her. I can even imagine that the first time she came he didn’t do anything but meet her and perhaps flirt a little. Finally, he committed immorality with her. Then, to cover up what he had done, he didn’t fake his own death; he actually killed the woman’s husband. At least our brother Jody didn’t do that. This is the power of sin in our lives.
Sadly, many of us think we can control and enjoy some level of sin. Let this story be a warning to us. Sin will take over. It will take us where we don’t want to go. None of us is immune from its power. In the end, it will destroy us.
My friends in 12-step-recovery programs have a saying about their addiction. They explain that they only have three choices: 1) locked up, 2) covered up, or 3) sobered up. That is, if they stay in their addiction it will either send them to jail or kill them so their only solution is sobriety. While Christians everywhere will be saying, “I’d never do that,” my friends in recovery will be saying, “Have I done that? Not yet.” They will understand if they don’t surrender their acting out behavior to God and start giving him control, there are all kinds of things they think they would never do that they eventually will. This attitude shouldn’t just be for those recovering from alcoholism, sexaholism, gambling addiction, or drug addiction. This attitude should also be in all of us who are recovering from our sin enslavement. (Dare I say sin addiction?)
Let me say something specifically to anyone who is reading this whose favorite flavor of sin is right up this alley. If lust is your problem and you’ve been looking at pornography, let me assure you, this could be you. It will be you if you don’t surrender this sin now and start surrendering it every day. Take a good long look at where sin took even a gospel preacher. I guarantee you when he became a Christian 15 years ago, he thought he would never commit the sin of lust and immorality again and that he would never, ever do anything like he did this weekend. But sin is relentless and progressive.
If you are a preacher and you’ve been looking at pornography, do not say to yourself, “At least I’ve never done that.” If you keep looking at pornography, you’ll do something like it eventually. That is what sin does. You cannot control and enjoy it. It will control you. Please, no matter what it costs you get some serious help for this.
However, Paul didn’t end Romans 7 with despair. He asked the question who will deliver me from this body of death. Then he gave an answer in Romans 7:25: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Jesus can deliver us.
This doesn’t mean Jesus will simply forgive us. No, it means Jesus will actually deliver us from the body of death, the body that is being controlled by the law of sin. Let me tell you what won’t deliver you. You won’t deliver you. You aren’t strong enough. You can’t set up enough rules, enough accountability partners, enough safeguards to deliver yourself from a sin-controlled body of death. The lion is attacking you (cf. I Peter 5:8). Quit thinking you can beat him. Instead, retreat into the only protection you have. Let God be your fortress of protection (Psalm 18:1-3). Put on the armor of God and be strong in His might, praying with all perseverance and petition (Ephesians 6:10-18). Live by faith in Jesus, not by faith in your power to keep Jesus’ rules, but by faith in Jesus (Galatians 2:20) and He will deliver you from your body of death.
Don’t let this story cause you to glory in your own supposed power. Instead, if you haven’t done anything like this, thank God for His grace that He hasn’t let your sins take you this far. Develop some respect for the power of sin, recognizing that it could have been you, and start surrendering it to God. Give praise to God for His power that despite all of sin’s power, we can rule over it by the power of God.
Thank you for the sober reminder about how vulnerable we all are to sin. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the encouragement, Clay.
What a difficult, but very necessary admonition! Jody isn't the first; he, unfortunately, won't be the last. If your warning can cause even one person to sit up and recognize his vulnerability and self-justifying excuses, it will have been worth the pain it took to write it. Thank you, Edwin.
Edwin, I have read with great interest your article about brother Lusk. I'd be interested in hearing a thought about our proper and brotherly response to his particular situation (as opposed to "lesser" sins, which we have tendency to apply in our own minds). You've done a wonderful job of identifying sin as sin and that it waits "at the door". But, how should the next step go for us as brethren? Shall we spiritually "stone" him or throw him to a non-Christian society for his ultimate help? As horrible as sin can be, he needs his brothers and sisters now, more than ever. Very much like unto how we'd be there for our own actual siblings if they were to fall from our family in some horrible way. Sin has, indeed, raised its more than "usual" ugly head using a brother…but we should never take this as an opportunity to separate ourselves from him by claiming self judgment or, rather, self righteousness.
This is so important. I just read it aloud, without knowing what it contained, to my two adolescent sons. Thank you for finding the words.
Eva, thanks for the encouragement. Lori, wow, thanks for the trust. I hope it was helpful.
Gene, now you are asking the hard question. I'm on my way to a meeting with a friend and can't devote time to that question right now. I'll come back in a few hours. I look forward to what some others might have to say about it.
Edwin, I completely agree with your comments above. I think that all too often we forget that Superman, despite his awesome strength, was rendered powerless in the presence of kryptonite. We have so much power through Jesus Christ, but sin has the ability to cripple us if we get too close to it. I've heard people say that they'd never commit adultery, or that they'd never commit some particular sin. But pride goes before destruction, and the devil likes a good challenge. We all need to have the mindset you've advocated in your article. Instead of looking upon Jody Lusk with disdain and contempt, we need to learn from his sin.
Thanks for the reply, Edwin! I will take the opportunity to pass along my own thoughts about this as it's a subject that is near to my heart and one that I've spent many years pondering. Of course I don't deem my own self as any type of authority of this subject and I do whole-heartedly solicit any errors in my thinking.
I have come to realize that we, as brethren, keep one another at arms length as a church. We don't really know one another and, therefore, become shocked when we "discover" sin in our midst. We have grasped the lesson from God that we should pray for one who commits a sin, but we have also have tendancy to assign relative sin "values" in our thinking processes. This is dangerous and un-Godly! We need to remind ourselves of how Jesus handled each and every sinner. We should always note that we are never a judge or a punisher, it's not our responsibility. Yes, righteous judgment from God is what we should uphold but ,even with this, we trod a fine line that tends to make us feel that we have more power in this than we really should be feeling or demonstrating. What has God said about our responsibilities to our brothers in their sin? "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. (Luke 17:3) The thought continues beyond this point by saying "And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him." (Luke 17:4). This teaches us that our motive should be forgiveness and we have no place determining a sinners worthiness of that forgiveness. Also the point is not "what sin" a person does, or "how bad" of a sin it is (in human determination), it's the point that we must always forgive if he asks for forgiveness. We must become like the one who forgives all, our God! Isn't God the one whom we are trying to be like? Yes, our brother has sinned, but it seems that he's also come to his senses about it and following the correct pattern in seeking forgiveness. Only God truly knows any motives beyond this and we cannot allow ourselves a judgement of sincerety of that person's confession, it's not our job! What should we do beyond forgiveness? We should be gathering ourselves together for support for "the sinner" and his family and for anyone else where our good can be seen and understood and capture this opportunity to let the world know "that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God", even in this circumstance. The world only wants vengence and punishment, I read someone's comment on another site that said he should actually be put to death for this. Are there Christians who are thinking this way? This is the way the world thinks… but we should be thinking with the mind of God and leave it to God if there is to be vengence or repercussions or punishment. This is more than a test on one brother, it's a test of us all!
And I hope you don't mind, but I might use some of your thoughts for this upcoming Sunday's sermon.
Casey, feel free to use whatever is helpful.
Gene, I'm starting to work on my thoughts about your question. Hopefully, I'll get them posted soon.
thanks, Edwin… take all the time you need to gather your thoughts. This is a huge issue and warrants much thought and prayer. OH, and sorry about a couple of typos I only realized I'd made after hitting the send button!
Gene, your question is the hard question. What should the church do now? I apologize to all the readers ahead of time, I’m going to break “commenting etiquette” because this comment may be nearly as long as the original post.
Before I begin, let me say that I’m not close enough to this particular situation to give any advice for the particular church this brother worked with or any church with which he may become associated in the future. I do not presume to know enough about the situation to comment directly upon it.
However, what should churches do in regard to members who have committed what we might, by the world’s standards, call heinous sins—the biggies? Murder, rape, incest, homosexuality, pedophilia, etc. The biggest problem with these is how emotionally charged they are. For instance, I just got off the phone with a now adult victim of child sexual abuse. As you can imagine, his perspective on this is completely different from mine (though he understood and agreed with the point of my original post about understanding the warning for us).
I think we need to note the ideal response but also give room for the fact that there are sinful humans trying to attain to God’s holy standard on all sides of this. For instance, this brother knows his anger issues are just as sinful, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are there and in many ways are understandable.
I am assuming you’re question is what to do if the sinner has repented. I think we understand from I Corinthians 5 if someone is simply continuing in their sin, the church is to take disciplinary measures. We need to keep in mind that this fellow was committing a “heinous” sin, one so bad that it is not tolerated even among the pagans (I Corinthians 5:1). The Corinthian response to the man had been arrogance. What I find interesting is what Paul said their response should be. He did not say their response should be anger, hatred, or vitriol. He said that instead of arrogance, they should have been mourning. I think this is the first thing we need to see, our response to sin should be mourning. Mourning for the soul of the sinner. Mourning for the harm caused by the sin. Mourning for the damage done to all involved, including the congregation.
However, there is a resolution. The man apparently repented and Paul had to speak to the Corinthians again because they were not responding properly. In II Corinthians 2:5-11, Paul encouraged them to forgive the man, comfort the man, and reaffirm their love to the man so that he not be overcome by excessive sorrow.
Here is where I might lose some folks. We need to understand the nature of sin. Repentance doesn’t equal a complete victory over sin, especially an enslaving, addictive sin. Rather, it demonstrates a willingness to fight the sin. I can attest to sins of which I’ve repented and been absolutely sure I would never commit them again, but I did. What does this mean on a practical level? It means, unlike common anecdotal statements, we should not forgive and forget. No, we need to forgive and remember, otherwise we will merely enable our brethren to fall right back into their old sins.
It means the penitent are not merely calling on the church to forgive and comfort, but they are calling on the church to hold them accountable and help them maintain the standard of their repentance. I think of Psalm 141:3-5. The psalmist asked God to do whatever it takes to keep him from sinning. He went to the extreme of saying, “Let the righteous strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it.” In other words, the penitent seek the congregation to help establish protective boundaries. For instance, if a preacher has struggled with viewing pornography, he welcomes the church putting filtering, accountability, and monitoring software on the computers. If a brother has fallen to sexual issues to the point of committing pedophilia, he seeks the congregation to protect him from that. He welcomes them establishing the protective boundary of not teaching a children’s class and not being alone with children. This should not be seen as a lack of forgiveness but a recognition of a weakness that needs help. These are all part of that prayer, “God keep me from sinning. If you have to, let the righteous smite me. I’ll welcome it.” It is also a recognition of the power of sin as Paul taught in Romans 7. The penitent understand as long as they stay connected to God and surrender to the healthy boundaries, they’ll overcome their sins today. If they get arrogant and upset about healthy boundaries, it is just an indication that they are dabbling in their sins again and the sins will take control.
Now, having said all of that, the congregation must certainly not view these boundaries as a means of making the penitent feel like second class citizens. We all need to recognize our own sins. We all need to recognize that we need this very kind of help about some issue.
Another issue we have to bring up is that those in the church who are striving to forgive the penitent are human as well, dealing with their own baggage. The penitent need to understand something. The more damage their sin has caused, the more difficult it is going to be for the brothers and sisters to work out this forgiveness. Yes, if we were all perfectly like Jesus, we would easily forgive. But we’re not. Take the brother I mentioned earlier who as a child was violated sexually. Does he need to work on his anger issues? Of course he does. Do we need to be patient with his anger issues just like we are asking him to be patient with the recently charged pedophile? Yes we do. The penitent need to remember that when asking for forgiveness, they are asking for something they don’t actually deserve. Therefore, they don’t get to just demand it. I know we want to take the road of saying, “God said you have to forgive, so you have to.” Surely someone may need to say that, but I’ll suggest it is not the place of the person who committed the damaging sin. Further, if the sinners are truly penitent, I think they’ll know how damaging what they did was and they will patiently submit to others as the others try to work through their own struggles.
I’m certain this doesn’t cover every angle of this situation. But I think it gets the discussion started. I’m happy to hear what others have to say.
I do want to mention something about the statement that someone should die for this crime. We do need to remember that is the state’s call. God established the governing authorities to make those determinations (Romans 13:1-4). If our governing authorities determine that this is a crime worthy of death, then I believe the penitent will have Paul’s attitude in Acts 25:11. That is, if they have committed a crime worthy of death, they will not refuse to die. The penitent are ready to face the earthly consequences for their actions and place their fate in the hands of God. However, we do need to recognize that is not a decision for the church to make. That is not a decision for the individual Christians to make. If the state does not view it as a crime worthy of the death sentence, then we must still work out God’s plan as best we can striving to help sinners and lift them up so they might enjoy God’s grace, just as we want to.
Let me also add, I think this is just another warning shot across the bow telling churches and shepherds that they need to do some serious study into the nature of addictions in order to help brothers and sisters who deal with them.
Yes, there's been a calling for shepherds to not be caught blind-sided on this issue for years. As far as anger toward the penetant is concerned, I am afraid I don't see in scripture wherein lies the process you speak about. I've heard this argument before and while it seems logical, from a human standpoint, I'm not so sure about the scriptural basis for it. I'd definitely be interested in hearing more specifics about this. The reference in 2 Corinthians 2:7,where Paul encouraged them to forgive the man, comfort the man, and reaffirm their love to the man so that he not be " overcome by excessive sorrow" seems to be pointing us against any negative reactionry process. Also, earlier withn this text (2 Corinthians 2:2) states "For if I cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad but the one whom I made sorrowful?" Which seems to say, who can one go to but the one he has offended in making things right. If this person continues in anger, for any amount of time, the process of forgiveness is nullified.
Gene, I appreciate your point. Before I give my answer, let me ask a question.
Are you perfect yet? Or do you still struggle with some sins that give you a continual problem?
Depends on the mirror I'm using! If I set myself next to scriptural comparison, then I'm WOEFULLY imperfect! However, I look pretty good in the bathroom mirror!! LOL OK, well you caught me in another problem… stretching the truth!
Yes, I struggle, but I do also understand that I'm supposed to strive unto perfection (Matt 5:48) even though the only part of perfection I can really have is that which is given through God's forgiveness.
Gene, thanks for your honesty. Here's my follow up question. How do you want others to treat you regarding your areas of struggle? Do you want them to be patient? Do you want them to try to be understanding? Or do you want them ramming the standard down your throat and threatening to discipline you because you haven't got it altogether yet?
Edwin … I have read all you have written on this horrible matter and I commend you for your thoughts … you have covered it well from the Scriptures.
I would like to add concerning 1 Cor. 5:2 that the mourning includes by context the "deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (v.5). In other words, the mourning would include withdrawing from the brother … "not to keep company with anyone named a brother…" (v.11). Paul is not speaking of abandoning a brother to withdraw from him, but for love's sake to try and effect a turnaround in his life … which we know that it did accomplish that as we see in the 2nd letter. It is "tough love"! It is God's love and God's way.
Of course that would apply mostly to those of that congregation in Auburn, KY,
As to whether they even knew he was involved with the young 13 year old girl, I have no way of knowing. But, we have to know that this story did not begin on Friday, but had to have been ongoing for some time, because of how it was planned out.
Also, we don't know his state of repentance. For him to find out on television or on the radio that rape charges were filed and he was wanted by the FBI … that can bring a man to his knees in fear. But, for the fear of God … or of man?
I'm not going to judge what I don't know. But, I do know this … he's a preacher who has studied for at least the past 15 years in preaching the gospel. He knows the truth well. And I'm sure he has taught on the subject matter. And, he has a daughter about the same age as the girl he's had the affair with … and it's an affair that has been thought out and planned … even to the point of buying a getaway car, plotting his disappearance, resolving to leave his wife and 3 children forever, and planning out about making a new life with a 13 year old that he has developed a relationship with. All of this has taken a lot of thought! This was not a momentary indulgence that just happened.
Now, with this in mind, listen to the Hebrew writer: "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame" (Heb. 6:4-6); "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment…" (10:26).
It is not for me to judge whether he can repent or not … if he can, then the Lord will forgive him. But, he sure turned away from a lot of knowledge … from a lot of "the heavenly gift" to plan out over a period of days these sorts of evil deeds. He planned to desert his Lord, his family, and his congregation! He premeditated a number of sins. What was the penalty for presumptuous sins under the law of Moses? Death! Yes, I thank God we don't live under that law. But, we have to know God's thoughts about premeditating on sin. That is dangerous!
I know Jody … we have had him and his family in our home when he first started preaching in Jacksonville, AL, We were working with the Golden Springs church in Anniston, AL at the time. When my cousin Dave Bradford held a meeting where Jody was working, I had lunch one day with Dave and Jody. And, oddly enough, the topic that day at lunch was overcoming temptations as a preacher. Evidently Jody did not heed the warnings. He also never participated in the discussion.
I do not know him well, but I will pray for him … I have already, as I know you have. I feel terrible knowing what he has done to his family, to the girl and her family, and to that church. But, to say that this brother has repented because he turned himself in to the sheriff and is in jail, I think is premature. I know he's in sorrow, but he's got a lot to digest before he will be in godly sorrow. First of all, I hope and pray that he can repent, and that he truly does come to repentance.
I also hope and pray that all of us know that we can fall, as you have pointed out… and as the Lord has most definitely warned us. I don't have enough fingers to count the number of gospel preachers that I have known in my lifetime who have fallen into Satan's snare of sexual immorality. We must look at these troubled times and take stock of our selves and our own commitments … to our Lord and to our own spouses and families. And we must make good judgment about our daily activities … especially that we include our wives in everything that we do with those of the opposite sex.
Yes, Edwin, you are so right … it is another shot across the bow. The question is, who is going to wake up and learn from it? Are we as dumb as Israel and Judah?
How others treat me? Well, obviously I'd hope for patience and understanding unless I began doing things contrary or acting in a way that I shouldn't in the process.
Gene, Matthew 7:12 says that whatever we want others to do for us, we should do for them. If you want them to be patient with you, you need to be patient with them.
I'm very intrigued by some of my friends who are in 12 step recovery having committed even some of the same kinds of sins as being discussed here. One of the points they always follow is to clean up their own side of the street. Instead of being focused on how everyone else is not forgiving them quickly enough, they focus on what they need to be doing to stay spiritually healthy and avoid committing the sin again. They remember that just as they want others to be compassionate toward them with their struggles, they should be compassionate with others, especially since the struggles of others was often caused by the sinners destructive past behavior.
For my part, I see both sides. Some Christians are too holier-than-thou and need to be more compassionate even though they haven't committed some of these sins. On the other hand, I also see penitent Christians who unreasonably expect everyone just to ignore and forget the damage caused by their sin because they repented. On a practical level, it isn't going to work that way. What we all need to remember is that we need to clean up our own side of the street and not spend too much time trying fix everyone else.
Good thoughts in your original post. I didn't read all the responses, but I thought the main article was well written. As is typically the case, I doubt this sin look so fun and appealing to Jody now. Of course, that is the problem sin causes for all of us. It never advertises itself as ending marriages and destroying families.
Hugh, you said some great things. And it shows that there are two sides to each issue. In my post, I want to highlight the warning we should all take. I think you have accurately described the awfulness of this sin.
In fact, there is so much packed into your comment, I'm not sure I can respond to it all. You're point about the old law is great. The whole point of that law was to demonstrate that we can't save ourselves and when we try to run our own lives, it will lead to our own death. That is one of the great things about being in Jesus. Living by faith in Him, will provide life.
Regarding the Hebrews text, I have always read that to mean that when someone has been in God's family and turned their back on God, that it is impossible for us to renew them. There is nothing we can say to get them to repent. It doesn't mean they can't come to their own repentance. It just means we have nothing we can tell them, they've already experienced it for themselves.
You're story about your personal experience with Jody demonstrates the point I'm trying to make. Someone who even teaches the right stuff can fall prey to sin if he/she dabbles in it even a little. Sin is that powerful. If we give it an inch, it will take a mile. That is why we all need to be on our guard always.
Also, talking about the issue of always having our wives involved when dealing with the opposite sex, this reminds me that as individuals and churches, we need to establish healthy boundaries without viewing them as accusations of our spirituality, but rather as means to protect us.
Point well taken, Edwin. When one stands back a bit and looks at the problem from the outside, in.. it's easy to see how Satan is pitting us one against the other. I guess the next question is how do we get beyond it, as a brotherhood, and truly put things "behind"?
One other thought that came to mind about this is that maybe we are using the wrong word, maybe it's not so much "anger" as it is "hurt". On the one hand, anger is specifically addressed in scripture, on the other (and correct me if I'm wrong) hurt is never addressed as being sinful. Perhaps it's the hurt that is taking so long rather than the anger that it appears to be.
Brent, absolutely. Sin deceives and then it destroys. Then it looks at you and laughs as it says, "Why didn't you see how this would turn out all along?"
Gene, I think you are getting at something. Hurt is a problem and many times the external "anger" is really just a mask for hurt. The reality is I don't think the church can actually do anything about a person's hurt. That is an individual journey. What the church can do is simply provide a safe atmosphere for the hurting and point them to Jesus the healer of all hurts.
Those of us who have hurt people, must apologize, seek forgiveness, and then be patient as those we hurt work through their hurt. The greater the hurt, the harder this whole process will be.
This is an excellent strand with a lot of very good thoughts. It is a beneficial read for all Christians and provokes some serious self-reflection. One additional point that I might make is to continue the passage in 2 Corinthians 2. Verses 10 and 11 read (NKJV) "Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices."
It's interesting that Paul points out yet another way that our sin can lead others to sin. When we commit a sin that it difficult for others to forgive, then Satan can employ yet another "device". He can cause another to stumble by being unable, or unwilling rather, to forgive the one who sinned, thereby bringing them into judgement. (Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.)
Great point, Billbert. I hadn't thought of it in quite that way.
By the way, Jody has released a statement to WBKO. I believe that is a television station in Bowling Green, KY.
http://www.wbko.com/home/headlines/58125642.html
Thank you for this article. Jody is my brother. My family is having a hard time with this. I know that reading this has helped us all. Please continue to pray for Jody and his family as well as the young girl and her family.
Thanks! Your article has helped me so much and i plan to share it. I have personally been affected by a family member sexually violating my son. the violator never claimed to be a christian before he was "found out" (which was years later) It was not a one time act but continued through many years without me… a STAY at home mom… knowing anything!!! I have so many feelings about this but i never wanted the violator to go to hell! A year after he was found out, he obeyed the gospel at a congregation near him and is still faithful today. i had never spoken to or seen him since i found out about my son but i was glad to know he wanted to change his life. I did write to tell the violator i forgive him but i still don't feel like i want or have to have a relationship with him. This has done damage to my entire family! I often wonder how Paul was accepted by the families of the people he killed. Maybe they didn't attend when Paul preached?? I personally think we can be forgiving without having close relationships… especially with this sin…and when you have other children to protect. I know sin is sin but some sins destroy/damage the lives of the innocent and have severe(r) consequences. This is the case when you have committed sexual abuse.
Lynn, thanks for your comment. I know this is tough for you and for all who have been extremely close to this kind of sin in the past or in the present.
Edwin … I have listened and watched the TV reporter's full raw interview with Jody. It is gut wrenching, to say the least. It tears at my heart to see how sin has brought my brother to his knees in a jail cell, and to know the pain and suffering that we can't see that is going on with his family … his wife, but especially with his children.
And I say, especially with his children, because they don't have the maturity to understand that God did not cause this. Too many times young children want to question, "Why does God allow this to happen to Christians?" And that leads to "I hate God!" Or, "Maybe there isn't God." And, then they often turn to their peers who don't reason any better and they console one another with things that can be highly detrimental to their well being.
I noticed in the interview when he was groping to say something to his family that he called his daughter by name … she would be the same age as the girl he had the affair with … and seemed to especially ask for her forgiveness and say he loved her. He had already said the girl was a "family acquaintance." So, just think what his 13 year old daughter is dealing with … an almost impassable "mountain"! Will she climb over it? Only time will tell. But, only time will tell for the whole family. We must all pray fervently for them. And, anyone who is in a position to help them in any way, do so.
I would like to address what Jody said about the relationship he had with this young 13 year old girl. And, I'm going to say for this point only, that it does not matter about the age of the ones involved. He said it started with a "friendly relationship" that included talking and texting by cell phone. He also said she was more mature looking and acting than that of a girl her age. What that says is that he was attracted to her in the early going … she appealed to him … and, because of that appeal, he wanted to spend time with her alone. She could have been his own age and this would have been wrong! He was putting himself square into temptation!
Remember, when our Lord taught his disciples how to pray, He not only taught them to pray for the Father to forgive their debts or sins, but also to deliver them not into temptation, but deliver them from the evil one (Matt. 6: 12-13). If you are praying for God to keep you from temptation, you are not likely to walk right into it, or at least not wallow in it.
Jody also talked about his spirituality during these months that this relationship was building. He said he was NOT STUDYING OR PRAYING. That was his conscience at work. It would not let him open up God's word or pray to God when he in fact was living a lie and lusting after a woman that was not his wife. He could look at God. He could not talk to Him. What he was lusting after came first in his life.
I say this as a warning to all … to myself … to other brothers and sisters … to other preachers of the gospel. You must know that knowing the word of God will not put an invincible shield around you. The key is to continue … to continue to study and to pray and to do what you are studying and praying about. As Paul says: "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong" (1 Cor. 16: 13). It is hard to get in trouble when you are doing that. Jody stopped doing that. No, he didn't stop preaching, but I can tell you, he was preaching "canned" sermons. It was just a rote thing.
When Judah (not Jody now) lusted after the things of the world, they stopped looking at the Law and stopped seeking God … they stopped praying. Both of their good kings towards their end, Hezekiah and Josiah, had to find and bring the book of the Law back out and have it read to the people. Both prayed fervently to God, and both found favor with God. We must learn from them, the good and the bad, as Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 10: 6, 11. Not only from them, but from Jody and others who we know. And, yes, even from our own sins … if we but look back.
After viewing Jody's interview, which was a confession to all, we should pray for his forgiveness. We should pray for Shannon Lusk, and his daughter Holly, and his two sons. But, we should also let this build our faith and our understanding at how easy it is for a "friendly" relationship with the opposite sex that is "unguarded" by our spouse … that leaves our spouse out … can lead to destruction! As you said, Edwin, "we need to establish healthy boundaries" with our spouses. (I like how you put that.) We need to watch out! Watch out for the signs … have you stopped praying and studying? Are you hiding from God?
"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren" (Jas. 1: 13-16).
Edwin … thanks for your blog and for allowing us to blog with you. This is my first time to blog, but this tragedy brought me out. I hope I've said something that might be helpful to someone … including myself. Keep up the good work, my brother!
Thanks, Hugh. I think you stated some great principles very well. I repeat, we need to see the warning this is for us all.
Hello all, It’s been a few years now, but being a close personal friend of Jody’s for many years I wanted to give a quick update on how he’s been since incarcerated. Of course he has made full confession to the Lord and prayed for forgiveness (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:7-9). For some time he was in jail in Hopkinsville, KY. While there, he conducted many Bible studies with inmates and a handful of baptisms resulted (Immediately after all this happened, I had bought him a bible and took it to him in Russelville). He has now been moved to a more permanant facility. He continues to study regularly with other inmates and continues to strive to lead others to the Lord. He is remaining faithful to the Lord in spite of the very difficult circumstances. God can use the worst of circumstances to His benefit and I’m thankful for the good Jody is doing. What would you think of a preacher who cursed at a young girl? How about a preacher who emphatically denied the Lord Jesus? Not much! Yet Peter did these things (Matthew 26:69-75). Peter repented of his grevious sins and went on to lead thousands of souls to the Lord. Jody isn’t Peter, but he has the same grace offered to him, and he too has repented and is doing all he can to lead souls to the Lord. But he needs all the prayers and encouragement we can offer him. Thanks, Edwin, for these good thoughts.