Repentance is only skin deep

One recent lesson i learnt and have an opportunity to witness is the principle laid down by God in the bible, for repentance is only skin deep if we thought that we can get away with sinning against God by just saying that you repent. . If we sinned against God then, i think we need to expect some consequence of our action. The higher we are in God the tougher will be God's expectation on us.

When David sinned against God and openly confessed and repented, Nathan told David in 2 Sam 12:7-12 Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 'I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! 9 'Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 'Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' 11 “Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 'Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.”'

When Solomon fell from God and worship the idols of his wives, and when his heart was not with God and did evil in the eyes of God. God tore the kingdom away from Solomon and gave it to someone else. 1 kings 11 - 11 So the LORD said to Solomon, Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.

I think God's principle never change, with greater power comes greater responsibility and greater consequence for your action. The bible say that God will judge the teachers of the word more severely and they expected to live a higher moral standard. If in anyway they fail, the consequence of their action is more severe. When a leader sin intentionally against God, and refuse to take the consequence for their action. Then God will do what is necessary.

That is why I think as we grow as a leader in the house of God - our moral integrity and character must be above reproach and if in anyway we fall sometimes its always better to take sometimes off.

Take for eg. the recent case of the Cancer hoax by a prominent Pastor, he had to take some time off. When Geoff bullock had issues in his marriage and sinned against God. He stepped down to allow himself restored and later wrote the book Hands of Grace.

I have learned as a Christian we need to practice what we preach if not then Christianity is only skin deep and we are no different from other religion. And for this I applaud all the leaders who bear the face of the public and stand in front of the church to apologize instead of hiding in secret.
when their actions have caused hurt to the church, so for this i am so happy that people Like Geoff Bullock and Ps Gugelmuci choose the right way out.