The Tragic Fall of Men Like Ravi
Disappointing Leaders
This is one of the saddest and most sickening things I have learned about. I feel gut-wrenched in this conversation of Christians who have abused others. My wife knows just how painful this topic is to me, as I have vented and expressed anger and angst toward this infuriating and disgusting topic. In the last week, I have processed, prayed through, and read a lot regarding moral failings of men (I will be writing primarily to men) in the church, namely Ravi Zacharias. There is little argument that Ravi was one of the most highly-respected thinkers, communicators of the gospel, and Christian leader in the last 50 years. His teachings sparked a generation to learn and live with the confidence of knowing the God of the Bible, being able to reasonably defend the gospel. But what to do when a trusted man of God falls terribly?
This news has not been easy to digest. Seriously, I cannot emphasize enough, do not read the report if this topic and terms evoke triggers for you. I have read the full report directly released from a third-party investigation commissioned by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. I am disappointed and disgusted at yet another man dishonoring the Lord and embarrassing the name of Jesus. Using ministry funds to pay for sexual abuse, a systematic and patient predatory behavior that developed over years, and even going as far as PRAYING WITH HIS VICTIMS... I have grieved the teacher I thought I knew. I have been lamenting over all of the women and families who have been affected by men, particularly Christian men, in positions of authority who have abused that role. The call to be leaders in the church is a noble one. James 3:1 expresses just how highly God views it: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” The responsibility to “be above reproach” is crucial for the pastor or leader. Now we can look and read and gossip about how twisted this situation is, but let’s not be foolish enough to think we are incapable of sin in whatever degree. Wise people will hear this and take heed.
Lord, Keep Me
In this season of witnessing all of this failure, the prayer I have come back to time and time again is asking God to keep me in Christ. A recurring fear that bubbles up when I least expect it is that one day I will wake up and realize I am the man in James 1 who looks at himself in the mirror, turns around, and immediately forgets what he looks like. We have to trust daily that God will keep us. I was texting with a great friend of mine, Zach Favazza, on this topic and he said, “We should be working through our humility when we plead the Lord to hold us.” This made me stop and recognize the reality of our need for humility. May the One who holds each bird in the sky, who tells the sun to rise, and who calms the storms keep you too.
The biggest takeaway that I have when learning about leader after leader giving into sexual temptation is to never lose the utter disgust I have when I ponder the idea of ever cheating on my wife. This isn’t a fantasy I have, it is a nightmare that strikes my mind when I am not careful to kill it. I pray that never goes away.
The Apostle Paul writes to the Church in Colossae “[Proclaiming Christ], warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). With all of the shock and sadness I feel, I have boiled my thoughts down to five takeaways that I hope warn and teach the comfort and challenge we can find in Christ.
Five Things We Can Learn
Reveals what all men are capable of. This is absolutely heartbreaking but do not be deceived to think this cannot be you. All people have the capacity to fall, even in this. Jeremiah 17:9 says plainly, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Therefore, guard your heart, protect your purity, enforce your boundaries, and pray for the Lord to keep you.
Exposes the desperate need for accountability. With all of the fame and acknowledgement that men like Ravi Zacharias, Carl Lentz, and so many others have, the first bad decision they made was isolation. You can’t beat the Devil in the dark. The irony is that there is no sin that is hidden from God; He knows. James 5:16 encourages to “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” So bring those sins to the surface and surround yourself with people who will help you through it.
Men aren’t made to be idols. Every person is a sinner. No matter how famous they may be. Yes, even Christians too. James 3:2 clearly asserts that “we all stumble in many ways”. How can one broken vessel turn to another broken vessel and hold it in such holy regard? The Potter alone is worthy of our attention and praise.
Successful teaching doesn’t equal Spirit-transformation. We are not God, so we cannot truly know the state of anyone’s heart. Ravi's situation is tricky because there were fruit on both ends – public good and private evil. However, we can trust if he was ever born again, he is saved. Period. Works have nothing to do with justification. The tension here is that we so often trust the ones who have sound doctrine. The evidence shows a concerning level of Ravi being unrepentant. While this can sometimes be helpful and understanding, pastoral failings remind us of the obvious: Teaching does not mean transformation. Anyone can say anything. I’m reminded of something John Piper once said: “Indeed the devil thinks more true thoughts about God in one day than a saint does in a lifetime, and God is not honored by it. The problem with the devil is not his theology, but his desires.” The Bible speaks to how God feels about what we do and why we do it. Psalm 51:16-17 says, “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”
God is good when man is not. Last but most essential, we must recognize the glorious truth that God is God and He is good whether or not man reflects it. Jesus responds to the Rich Young Ruler in Mark 10: “No one is good except God alone.” The biggest takeaway that I plead for you to grab hold of and never let go is that while human beings may fail you, God never will. God will never abuse, never mislead, never lie, never cheat, and never fall short.
How To Finish Scandal Free
To be direct, here are five short must-haves for every Christian who desires to finish the race scandal free:
Feed your faith by reading the Scriptures daily and continue to savor the goodness of God. Just like a plant or a pet, the things that you feed will grow. Similarly, when you feed your faith with the Bread of Life and Living Water and the Son of God, you will mature in Christ. The founder of Moody Bible Institute and 19th century American evangelist, D.L. Moody writes, “The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.”
Starve your sin and let it die. Kill the evil desires in your heart before they kill you. John Owens wrote it this way: “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” We need to nip the temptation in butt, immediately. We ought to be like Joseph when Potiphar’s wife tempted him; He fled from sin so fast that he ran out of his robe. Do not flirt with the temptation, flee from it.
Prioritize your wife and give her absolute access. She is the most important person to you - period. I say wife because I am speaking primarily to men but the same goes for husbands. Your ministry in your marriage far outweighs everything else, no competition about it.
Establish boundaries that you know you do not cross. Temptations rise, ensure that those temptations are not normative. Therefore, don’t allow yourself to be in situations where you might be tempted.
Appoint people in your life who have permission to check you on your pride. You would be wise to not only have yes-men in your corner who would just fill your accountability quota. Rather, you must have people who you know would tell you the hard truth.
Hope in Christ Alone
In a conversation between Tim Keller, D.A. Carson, and John Piper, a few hope filled sentences ring true. “God’s faithfulness to his church never fails or falters, even when those he’s entrusted to lead it to do.” If you have a moment, check that short video out here: When Pastors Fail Morally. With the tragic fall of countless men who have not just fallen into temptation but who have actively engaged in sexual immorality and systematically hid it from the world. In closing, the hope that remains is in Christ. To any kind of victim who might be reading this, God sees you and is actually close to the brokenhearted. It is not a feel-good quote, He truly is. To men who might be engaging in sexual misconduct: stop it immediately, repent of your sins, and seek out help. To Christians who are reading this, do not be so foolish to believe this cannot be you. Learn from Ravi’s sin. And lastly, to non-Christians who are reading this, please do not allow one man’s sin to turn you away from the hope in God. I am disgusted by this as well and this does not represent the God I love and serve.