“A bishop then must be
blameless…” (1 Timothy 3:2 NKJV)
The requirement for a pastor to be “blameless” may stop many potential candidates in their
tracks. If I must be sinless to stand in
the pulpit, then how can I qualify?
But, it isn’t perfection that is required; it is
purity. That is, there needs to be
evident the pursuit of holiness in my life.
Where and when I have sinned, there has been repentance. Confession has brought cleansing. The pastor has his sins under the blood of
Jesus (1 John 1:9). This also means—to
the degree possible—that we have righted wrongs done to others.
Being blameless means that no one can blame us—being able to
rightfully point a finger of blame at us concerning some glaring moral flaw and
brand us a hypocrite—calling others to repent while we show no evidence of the
same. If someone looks at the pastor and
immediately thinks of scandal, he will be incapable of the moral authority
required to lead.
This character quality calls for an incredible amount of
grace. God’s Holy Spirit must ignite a
passion in us for holiness, and then His Word fuel that pursuit. We must never allow the flame to diminish,
lest the tempter take advantage of our carelessness. Tend the sacred fire!
Plainly, pastors need to pursue holiness—not that other
members of the church don’t, but the leader must set the standard. Our competence is required, but our character
is non-negotiable. It is foundational to
ministry, and that is why it leads the way in this list of requirements.
A PRAYER
Holy God,
You are holy, holy, holy!
We join the seraphim with that cry!
With the prophet Isaiah, we also confess our corruption as we stand in
Your glorious presence! As You called
the prophet to go speak for You, so You still call unworthy instruments—save
for the fact that You cleanse us when we confess our sin. Thank You for Your grace and mercy, or none
of us could stand behind the sacred desk!
Yet, let us never presume upon Your grace to accommodate sin. As we once pursued sinful pleasure, material
prosperity and worldly position, may we now relentlessly pursue holiness and
its accompanying desire for Your pleasure, eternal reward and humble service
that constitutes greatness in Your Kingdom.
With Robert Murray M’Cheyne let us pray, “God make me as holy as a saved
sinner can be!”
In the name of Your Holy Son, Jesus,
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment