On Jan. 29, HBO aired a documentary titled “The Trials of Ted Haggard.” For those who do not remember him, Haggard was the pastor of the Colorado Springs, Colo., megachurch New Life Church who was outed for homosexual behavior by a gay prostitute in Denver whose services he bought from time to time.
Haggard had walked on the national stage. He was president of the National Association of Evangelicals, an oft-quoted news source for national media, a popular speaker and a close friend of national politicians.
But all of that changed Nov. 4, 2006, when Haggard was fired from his pastorate for what the church news release called “moral failings.” Before it was over, he admitted illegal drug use as well as homosexual activity. His fall was hard and fast.
But the documentary was not about that episode. Instead the film claimed to track Haggard’s efforts to rebuild his life, restore family bonds and reclaim a life of ministry. And it blasted New Life and evangelical Christians in general for refusing to “forgive” him.
Filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi said, “The story is about a church that preaches forgiveness. He, as a pastor, preached forgiveness and redemption. But he was not forgiven and he was not redeemed. They cast him out and they exiled him.”
She added, “It was very biblical in a way. Not that I even read the Bible so I wouldn’t know. But the people who go to church get told every Sunday, ‘We forgive.’ He was not forgiven.”
Evidently Pelosi believes all one has to do to be forgiven is say, “I’m sorry,” and then everything will be as it was. Forgiveness, by this definition, is like a “get-out-of-jail-free” card.
If Pelosi believes this, then she is not alone. Several years ago, a pastor confessed to carrying on a longtime adulterous relationship with a neighboring pastor’s wife. He and some of his closest followers were shocked when the church he served dismissed him as pastor.
His argument was that he confessed his sin so all should be forgiven and he should be allowed to continue as the spiritual leader of the congregation as if nothing had ever happened.
That is not the biblical teaching about forgiveness.
In the Old Testament, the two most frequently used Hebrew words for forgiveness mean “to take away” and “to pardon.” Throughout the Bible, God takes the initiative to forgive. Jesus’ death on Calvary’s cross is the ultimate expression of God’s willingness to forgive sinful humankind.
Jesus taught that Christians are to forgive one another (Matt. 6:12), and that teaching was carried over in the early church, where Christians were taught to forgive one another just as they had been forgiven by God (Col. 3:13).
Nowhere in the Bible is there even a hint that the consequences of sin are eliminated by forgiveness. Indeed the story of the Bible is that sin always has consequences, but God’s forgiveness means He is always on our side.
Remember the story of Moses and the waters of Meribah as recorded in Numbers 20? God told Moses to speak to a rock and fresh water would pour out of it for the thirsty Israelites. Instead Moses struck the rock two times with his rod.
Water poured out and the people were satisfied but God was angry. God told Moses and Aaron that because they had not believed Him enough to obey Him and speak to the rock, neither would enter the promised land.
Moses was the greatest of prophets, one in whom God’s presence was a reality every day after their first encounter at the burning bush. Obviously God forgave Moses for his disobedience. But even for Moses, disobedience carried a consequence.
The story of King David is similar. David is described as “one after God’s own heart.” Yet the consequences of his sin haunted him much of his adult life.
Second Samuel 12 records the story of the prophet Nathan confronting David about his sin with Bathsheba. Nathan declared that because of David’s sin, the sword would never depart from his house. David’s reaction was confession and repentance. God heard David’s cry and Nathan assured the king that he had been forgiven. But the consequences of sin remained. David lived with distress the rest of his life but also with the assurance of God’s presence as the Psalms remind us.
Centuries later, the prophet Nehemiah looked back on the history of Israel and saw God’s faithfulness to His people through the pattern of sinful behavior, repentance, forgiveness and consequence (Neh. 9). But God did not shelve Moses or David from service because of disobedience. Neither does an adulterous pastor or any wayward servant have to be shelved forever for his or her disobedience. But there are consequences for disobedience and betrayal. There are personal consequences, family consequences, consequences for the church served and consequences for the cause of Christ.
The right to lead and be trusted has to be re-earned. That process is called restoration. Thankfully more and more individuals who publically stumble in their walk with the Lord are being given another chance through the process of restoration. Haggard certainly was.
Some whose falls have not been so public go through restoration that few people ever know about. But restoration can only begin after confession, repentance, forgiveness and work on the issues that resulted in the disobedience.
Restoration takes hard work. It does not come because one has a “get-out-of-jail-free” card.
Receiving forgiveness from God and fellow Christians is a blessed and humbling experience. One cannot demand forgiveness. Nor can one earn forgiveness. Forgiveness can only be given just as God gives forgiveness to every believer. For those of us who receive forgiveness, there is such thankfulness that we spend the rest of our lives trying to be worthy of that blessed gift.
Forgiveness is a transforming experience. It is nothing at all like a “get-out-of-jail-free” card.
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