If you’re a good Christian, then your pastor is your spiritual authority. And naturally, it’s hard to confront such a figure, even if you’re sure they’ve done something wrong. Plus, on top of all that, you might think that it’s not your place to say anything, which makes things even more difficult.
But let’s put that to the side for a moment. Let’s check what the Bible says about such situations.
The Bible says that hesitation is NOT kindness; it’s cowardice. People often confuse ‘not rocking the boat’ with ‘peace’. And that just isn’t true.
Look at the Scripture.
Moses, David, Peter – the Bible never says leaders are perfect.
It says they’re responsible, meaning that the position of a leader isn’t a VIP pass but heavier accountability. Leaders are not above sin and, when that happens, the Bible says to confront them. Carefully, but bravely.
Why, you ask? If they’re leaders, surely they know something you don’t. Surely, there’s another way to look at this. But there isn’t.
Your moral compass is rarely wrong, and a wound you ignore festers.
Leaders Answer for More Than Their Words
I see many people thinking that leadership is mostly about what you say.
When you’re a pastor, that means the sermons you preach and the vision you cast. And then you open the Bible, and you see that that’s not the case at all.
According to the Bible, the leader is a steward. They hold a certain amount of authority, yes, but they also hold something precious in trust for someone else, namely God and the people they serve.
Think of a shepherd. Do they boss the sheep around? No.
Their job is to protect and feed the sheep, to lead them to a safe pasture? That’s the biblical job description in a nutshell. The more responsibility you have, the more closely you’re watched. And I don’t know about you, but I feel like that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.
James, the brother of Jesus, says, “Not many of you should become teachers… because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” Ouch, right? That’s the reality of having influence, and it makes sense because the more influence you have, the more damage you can do.
Take David, when he sinned with Bathsheba. The prophet Nathan didn’t go, “Well, you’re the king, let’s give you a pass.” He said, “You are the man!” and outlined the truly devastating ripple effects of that one single selfish choice.
Authority can never cancel out accountability.
Sadly, we see sin happening all around us when it comes to authoritative figures, even in churches. A clear, if heartbreaking, example is the mere existence of a clergy sexual abuse lawyer.
The fact that the world even needs them is tragic, but it just goes to show that even a priest isn’t above accountability.
What Happens When You Leave Sin Alone
When a leader does something wrong, a lot of the time, our first instinct is to look away. It’s awkward and painful, and you tell yourself that by being quiet, you’re protecting the peace.
But if you want to achieve TRUE peace, then you also have to think about accountability. Knowing that there’s sin and choosing to ignore it is a sin in itself.
By staying silent/quiet, you’re an active participant. At this point, it is YOU who’s making things worse. The sin is twisting your decisions. It’s affecting YOUR life as well – even though you might think it has nothing to do with you.
From a leader’s perspective, they’re now so deep that they’ll go out of their way to keep the secret from surfacing, as it would negatively affect both their public and private life.
That creates a gap between what they preach and what they live, so you get a spiritual leader who’s a hypocrite.
Then comes the whispering.
Everyone knows, but nobody says it out loud, so they gossip. People see the leader being privileged in the sense that they don’t need to answer for their sins, so they lose trust and feel betrayed. They see that truth is conditional here, and some are above the rules.
Let me tell you a truth that many find hard to swallow.
Looking the other way goes against the very heart of the Bible. Adam and Eve tried in the garden, and look how that turned out for them. It’s also what King Saul was guilty of. God’s way has always been about bringing things to light. Don’t confuse discipline with punishment. The Bible clearly says that correction is an act of love.
Actually, biblical accountability is a true friend of the church. It’s what preserves it.
If we can be courageous enough to admit when we’ve failed, we prove that our faith is real enough to handle the truth.
Conclusion
If you’re a good Christian and if you’re a good community member – this includes people in authoritative and leading positions – you should ALWAYS confront sin.
Be the stronger person; even if the sinner cannot gather the strength required to face accountability, be the one to help them see the right path.
Speak up when you see evil, speak up when you know there’s injustice.
Is this easy? No, of course it isn’t. If it were easy, we would all live in a much lovelier world.
This is basically the ultimate form of ‘tough love’.
Strive to be a moral person – especially if you’re a leader; people look up to you! And no, don’t do it just to point fingers; do it from a place of love.
