After an independent investigation conducted by Miller & Martin PLLC, the late Ravi Zacharias has been found guilty of sexual misconduct. It is beyond the scope of this blog to go into the nature of his sexual sin as well as the details of the findings. This information can be accessed on RZIM’s official website in their open letter to the public. These findings have come as a complete shock to his family, his organization, and those who knew him because he had successfully kept his sexual sins a secret from them.
His guilt has also sent shock waves around the world because Ravi was a well-known public figure and respected Christian apologist. Surely, a man of his spiritual stature and reputation would never succumb to this level of debauched behaviour? However, the truth is now out and there is no denying it. Yet, while the behaviour of Ravi Zacharias has brought disrepute on God’s name and Christianity as a whole, it has equally given the church of Jesus Christ an opportunity to do some personal examination.
1 Thessalonians 4 and the subject of holiness
Sin is no discriminator of persons and its consequences apply equally to everyone who makes a practice of it. Ravi himself once made a powerful statement that is worth repeating again,
“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”
Sadly, Ravi’s moral failure has caused unspeakable and immeasurable spiritual damage that will take years to restore and has even put his eternal destiny in jeopardy.
I want to be clear: I am not saying I know whether Ravi is in heaven or hell. Ultimately, only God knew whether he was truly redeemed or not. However, his sexual misconduct was of such a serious and long-term nature that it is only natural to question the genuineness of his faith. The Bible is clear that those who claim to be followers of Jesus are to reflect the Lord’s holy character in their conduct (Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 1:15-16).
The subject of holiness brings me to 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. This is a key passage that speaks into the subject at hand and gives us an opportunity to consider why sexual misconduct, like that of Ravi Zacharias, is so grievous and incompatible with someone who claims to be a Christian. Let’s briefly consider the main points under three sub-headings: God’s will, God’s warning, and God’s way forward for the church.
God’s will for all Christians
Having reminded these believers of what they already knew to be true (1 Thess. 4:1-2), Paul went on to specifically state that God’s will for every Christian is their “sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3). Sanctification and holiness are essentially synonymous terms. Let us dive a little deeper into this doctrine for a minute. The New Testament speaks of three types of sanctification:
- Positional sanctification is equivalent to justification (Rom. 5:1). When a person places their faith alone in Christ alone, God gives them the righteousness of Jesus as a gift.
- Perfect sanctification is equivalent to being glorified after death (Rom. 8:30; 2 Thess. 2:14).
- Progressive sanctification comes between the other two types and is what Paul was speaking about in 1 Thess. 4:3.
Although salvation is the work of God, He uses two primary means to bring about our final salvation: (1) Ongoing sanctification by His Spirit and (2) Ongoing trust in His word (2 Thess. 2:13-14). The implications of this truth are important to understand. Someone who has been saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone will experience progressive sanctification (Rom. 6:7). This is what God has called His people to.
This does not imply that Christians will be sinless in this life (1 Jn. 1:8) but it does mean that they will practice sin less (Rom. 6:1-2; 1 Jn. 3:9). As Paul wrote they will “abstain from sexual immorality.” This refers to every form of sexual activity outside of God’s established bounds of marriage, which includes adultery, premarital intercourse, homosexuality, rape, and any other perversion of God’s intended design.
God’s judgement of sexual offenders
Paul then warns believers that professing Christians who sexually violate the rights of others or take advantage of them in this manner will be judged by God, the ultimate avenger of all sexual sin (1 Thess. 4:6; Heb. 13:4). I agree with John Piper’s interpretation of this warning, “Paul is not speaking here of a fatherly swat on the behind. He is saying that if these professing Christians continue to act as those who do not know God or love the brothers, the Lord will condemn them along with the unbelievers.” This interpretation is corroborated elsewhere in the New Testament (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Eph. 5:5-6).
Paul’s strong and firm warning is incredibly sobering and challenging, right? But I believe that his words were intended to have this effect on us in order to put the fear of God in us (Gen. 39:7-9). God is serious about our sanctification and sexual purity (1 Thess. 4:3-5). And in case we missed what God called us to, Paul reiterates it again at end of this passage (1 Thess. 4:7). The reason that Paul beats on this drum so emphatically is because he wants us to realize that an ongoing lifestyle of sexual sin is incompatible for born-again Christians who love Jesus.
God is a gracious and forgiving Father (Ex. 34:6-7), but let us not forget that He will punish sexual sin if we do not repent of it and stop doing it. Those who persist in disobeying the Lord in this matter must humbly consider their own walks to determine whether we truly possess saving faith or whether we merely profess to have it (2 Cor. 13:5).
God’s antidote for combatting sexual sin
The message of sexual purity was hard to sell in Paul’s day and his message seems to have fallen on deaf ears 2000 years later. So, is there a way forward for the church? Is there a solution to combat sexual immorality in the church today? How can we prevent another Ravi from falling from grace and bringing the name of Jesus into disrepute? These questions will no doubt be answered in sermons, blogs, articles, interviews, podcasts and the like in the weeks and months and years that lie ahead. For now, I’d like to turn your attention to what Paul himself wrote.
Firstly, we must accept Paul’s words as God’s words. Paul was merely the messenger who delivered the message. So, if we reject Paul’s apostolic teaching on sexuality we will be guilty of rejecting God Himself (1 Thess. 4:8). Secondly, we must recognize our own weakness in this area. We should be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking that we are exempt from immorality (1 Cor. 10:12). We are all capable of being deceived and committing sexual sins like Ravi.
Finally, we must press into knowing God more and more. I believe that Paul provided the antidote for combatting sexual sin in 1 Thess. 4:5. Unlike unbelievers, we can live sexually pure lives because we know God and have the power of the Holy Spirit living within us (1 Thess. 4:8; Rom. 8:12-13). What a privilege to have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe.
Let’s not take our calling for granted but continue to cultivate our relationship with the Lord by growing in God’s word and depending on His Spirit’s power. As we become progressively more like Jesus we will better know how to control our physical bodies in a way that brings God glory (1 Thess. 4:4; 1 Cor. 10:31).