David was an adulterer, an assassin and murderer by proxy, an abuser of power, and a liar, and even with all his wealth, power, and fame, he was pledged by covetousness. Moses was a person struggling with anger, and fear mainly was likely the reason for his becoming a murderer. They say Noah was an alcoholic. And many more patriarchs of the Bible demonstrated faults and weakness on many levels. Leaders try to use these patriarchs' faults and failures as permission or as being ok to be or to commit; they say, 'Surely it's enough grace to cover my sins,' but they use grace to cover up enough of their sins. These patriarchs' faults show that those with great wealth, power, influence, or fame are more susceptible to those things and to use that great wealth, power, influence, or fame for wrong. To be clear, the one thing that these patriarchs/leaders did not do was call their sins right or justify them, even the most heinous ones. Sure, we ought to feel good about ourselves despite our sins, but not to feel good about our sins. We should look at sin for what it is, not for what it's not, and conversely, we should look at grace for what it is, not for what it is not.
Leaders these days are using the flaws of these patriarchs/leaders to teach a doctrine of permission that upholds an ideology and advocacy for one not to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing/sin. This ideology started in Genesis 3:1-24 with doubting what God said vs. three and then putting his spin on why God said what he said vs. 4 & 5; and then the tragic state of man for believing such ideology. Genesis 3:1-24 also shows that the enemy will use the one who has the most significant influence over you, the one you won't question, the one that if they jump off the roof, to show your allegiance to them, you will take that same dive, all while singing the lyrics to R. Kelly's song 'I Believe I Can Fly.' Believing you will touch the sky but are headed for rock bottom. The enemy uses the lives of those who have the most significant influence over us, those who were supposed to help us, to become the reason for our demise. Unfortunately for the believer, those influencers are pastors, preachers, teachers, and those who are in leadership because Satan knows that sheep will follow the shepherd to the slaughterhouse without questioning their leading.
Sure, we all have sinned and will sin, but this ideology of calling evil good and good evil, of putting darkness for light and light for darkness, calling bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter, is the teaching of self-indulgent leaders who care nothing for the flock but only for fame and fortune; they are harming the flock not helping them. But Isaiah says woe to those who do so (Isaiah 5:20), for they, in fact, are doing and teaching the same ideology Satan used on Eve in Genesis 3, causing irreparable outcomes for those who follow this insidious (a thing that proceeds in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects) doctrine.
What person who has car trouble (like everyone else) and then takes their car to the Automobile mechanic and then gets mad with the mechanic for telling them everything that's wrong with the vehicle and the possible reason for the problems and then goes to another mechanic to hear something different (church hopping)? We all are a work in progress, but there is no progress in being permissive to the wrong in us. The problem is not so much in what it is but in what we choose to call it and what we choose to treat it as.
In conclusion, James had this to say: " My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins."~ James 5:19-20
Be well, and stay blessed.
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