1 Timothy 5:24 Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later.
This passage easily transitions to Hebrews 4:11-16. God knows the heart of all men whether or not they believe in God, as seen in Matt 12:25 and Luke 6:8. In the contents of these passages, Jesus knew what was in man, good and bad.
Luke 8:16-18 The Parable of the Revealed Light.
Vs. 16 speaks about a lamp lit and set on a lampstand. This light is elevated and illuminates the room from a vantage point. Vs. 17 speaks about the secret things (such as the hearts of men) that are revealed or seen in the presence of the light on the lampstand. These things (sins or character flaws) will be revealed and made open to the ones who need to know them in a public or private forum, whichever applies. The subject of vs. 18 is an individual response to the light on the lampstand—this is the one true light of Jesus. When the light of God reaches a secret hidden in the heart, God, in His own timing and in faithfulness and love for the individual, brings that darkened thing out of the heart into His light. Then, once removed, this person (minister) will move on with his life, no longer harboring and incubating that sin (character flaw) that was once hidden. If the sin is severe, he may leave his position and even face legal consequences. This does not preclude that man or woman from growing in the faith and love of God. The things we suffer, whether by our indiscretions or that of others, are just that—THINGS. And sometimes, things need to be dealt with in repentance while in a season of godly sorrow. And we know that godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:8-10). Sometimes, when a man is under the pressing of the finger of God, he will seem to linger, not coming to a decision. While this lingering occurs, others chime in; some are good, and some are bad. Still, these things are necessary since this is the catalyst God uses to enable all involved and those who simply get involved for no apparent reason to show their hand of cards. From His position of the lampstand, God is setting up a table for all invited to present their cards—the hidden things of the heart in an open forum for all to know and see.
Peter said to Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:22-23, “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 “For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:24-26). Whether or not this man repented was left unclear. Still, Peter brought his sin (character flaw) to his attention for him to address. Peter didn’t stay to see if Simon repented, getting right with God, but instead met with Aeneas and Tabitha (Acts 9:32-43) before bringing the gospel message to the Gentiles in Acts 10.
It is evidently clear in scripture that we face the accuser who is constantly making accusations against us, and sometimes, these accusations are true. God can and will use this to press upon one’s heart the necessary steps to lead them to repentance. Sometimes repentance in others is a longer process than we have patience for, but remember God’s plan spans not only time but also ages to come. His eternal purpose and Godhead works in eternity past (history), present, and future (Ephesians 3:8-13).
In other words:
Men and women alike make bad choices in every profession and are investigated. Most of the time, the inquiry was due to something obvious, and they resigned before the results were released, thus saving themselves and family from embarrassing circumstances or statements. We often refer to these events as the close of a chapter or the beginning of a new one in our lives. Most of the time, these individuals no longer associate with the organization they left or were forced to leave. In these circumstances, all parties directly and indirectly involved move on with their lives. When one man’s chapter ends, another man’s is somewhere in the middle. When we see these people, we may wish them well and sometimes remain close or semi-close. Still, it almost always results in a change in the relationship.
When God brings about a change to His leadership, there is always a grand purpose that may be a foundation or the conclusion of a matter by His wisdom. Either way, we must always trust God for His leadership, knowing that Jesus is the head of the Church and always gives glory to His Father in heaven. Amen
The Cabin 