Many have already seen the news about Steve Lawson who has been removed from ministry after coming as his own accuser for “an inappropriate relationship” with a woman who was, apparently, not his wife. This is both devastating and disgusting. There is no excuse for such wickedness in a minister of the gospel. Those who partner with and shill for the accuser of the brethren will use this to defame and slander the ministries Mr. Lawson has been associated with as well as other traditional and conservative Christians who remain faithful to their wives and Savior. The Lord alone knows the damage that has been done to Mr. Lawson’s family and to the church he has served and what the long-term fallout will be. “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles” because of the sins of God’s people (Rom. 2:24).
The Scriptures warn of the powerful danger of fleshly lust (1Cor. 6:19-20) and admonish Christians not to be presumptuous regarding their own fidelity and purity (1Cor. 10:12). Some will point out that many heroes of the faith have fallen prey to sexual sins, and that is true, but a pastor “must be blameless” (δεῖ οὖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνεπίλημπτον εἶναι). A minister may (and in many cases should) lose his ministry due to the kinds of sin he counsels other men for regularly in the church. What is considered only a weakness in a church member may constitute disqualification for a man ordained to the gospel ministry. There is a higher standard for those set apart to represent and serve Christ; there must be. J. C. Ryle said, “The best of men are only men at best,” and that is just as true of every pastor as of every other man in the world.
If we take our eyes off Christ, the result can be devastating, not only for our own soul but to the spiritual well-being of countless others. No one goes to bed a loyal disciple and wakes up as an apostate. No man is faithful to his wife one day only to suddenly become an adulterer the next. Grievous sin arises over time, built upon a series of compromises that are incremental and degenerative. At the same time, one foolish and wicked decision has the power to destroy a lifetime of faithful and fruitful labor. None of us should underestimate our capacity for evil, and none should be careless with the fire and poison that constantly surrounds and seeks to entice the godly.
May God have mercy on those who have been harmed by Mr. Lawson’s sin. May the Savior surround, support, and sustain his family who grieve over a husband and father’s crime. May the Lord comfort, restore, and preserve the congregation that has been betrayed and wounded by their pastor. May the God of grace grant repentance, godly contrition, and lasting change to Mr. Lawson and any others who are involved and implicated in this offense. May the King make his servants wise in the aftermath of this wickedness, that none would take for granted the position they have in Christ, and that all who are growing lax and comfortable with lust would be filled with holy fear and flee to the Lord who alone can deliver us not only from the guilt but also the tyrannical power of our sin.
