The Church Excuse

Over the last couple weeks, I have encountered several different people who have opened up to me over the trauma and hurt that they have experienced from from the church. I must admit I would be lying if I said this did not infuriate me, not with those who have said it, but with those churches who have enacted wrongs in the name of God.

Church hurt is real, and it is very prevalent, When you live in a time that views Gods word as secondary or anything less than the absolute bedrock the church is to be built upon, you run into this issue. This is a problem that has existed since the founding of the church. The church is a group of sinful people, coming together to follow God, and if we do not take seriously the issues that sin can cause, then it finds its way into the church as well.

How do we fix this? I don’t think we can completely eliminate it, but we can be more cautious and aware of its existence. How well do we vet our church teachers? Do we elect authorities in the church based off their fear of God, or how charismatic and polite they are? Is Gods word the absolute authority in our church, the rudder which guides us left or right, or is it simply one of many parts of what we do? When we elevate people over scripture nothing good ever follows. I want to be abundantly clear, electing off of status and not off of Biblical character will cause countless problems, but today we are focusing just on this one. Poor leadership, leads to poor judgement within the church, which leads to unnecessary hurt. Paul charges Timothy in this way when encouraging him in how he should pastor his church.

2 Timothy 4:1-2

"1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 

Rebuking is as integral a part of church function as preaching, this is Biblical. The church is supposed to judge, the church is supposed to call out sin when it sees it. This can be offensive, this can hurt people, yet this is Biblical. What the church is not called to do is attack the people who perpetuate these sins. That is what church is, a place where sinful and broken people go. We are to love these people, and we are to encourage these people. The place where many get this wrong is that they take one side or the other. Either we are to love and encourage the sinner, or we are to judge and berate them. I am here to tell you that there is a middle ground. We love the sinner, and we call out the sins in their life just as we are to call out the sins in our own. Christ calls them to something better, to a life of denial of sin and following Him in purity. We are to encourage one another, not to be comfortable with the sin we are committing, but to not stay there. To confess, to change, to pick up our cross and walk after Christ. Never staying in the sin we are struggling with, but to continue to fight it. I believe Charles Spurgeon says this best,

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”

We implore, and we pray, that is what Christians do. You notice his quote does not speak of shaming them, of hating them, and of making them feel foolish. It speaks of lovingly pleading with them, begging them to turn from the ways that lead towards hell. That is what the believer is to do.

Not an Excuse To Turn From God

There are two things that need to be made abundantly clear when it comes to being hurt in the Church.

1. Hurt in the church is a very real and valid thing.
   

2. It is not an excuse to not have a relationship with God, or attend a Bible believing Church. When we stand before Him and are judged, blaming others(even the church) will not matter. We are accountable for us and only us. This is simply a plea to those who have been hurt, I am sorry that this has happened. I am sorry for all the different levels of hurt that has been done, but it was the church not God who has done those things to you. There are churches who truly love God, there are churches who recognize these risks exist and are very aware of them. Seek out churches like these, truly Bible believing churches, and get involved.

No church is perfect, because no person is perfect. Being involved and investing in any group of people always opens us to risk. That is why our faith and trust is first and foremost in God, one who has never and will never let us down.

Conclusion

Sin is nasty, sin hurts. The church is supposed to act as Christ, we call it what it is, and we call it out when we see it. We also do not stand around and point fingers, we wrap our arms around those who are struggling just as we have struggled and we help and encourage them to living as Christ commands. The church is supposed to love, and calling out sin, and encouraging and helping those in the fight to defeat it is how we love.