Lauren Daigle’s (Almost) Peter Moment by the Media Fire
Songwriter/singer Lauren Daigle has been having some rough days lately which stem back to her comments (or lack thereof) about homosexuality as a sin.
Three times Peter denied Christ after Jesus was taken away on his road to the cross for our sins. Three times. Straight-out, full-in-their-face lies:
- “Woman, I do not know him,” to the servant girl who said he was with Jesus (Luke 22:56-57).
- “Man, I am not [one of them],” to someone else (Luke 22:58).
- Then, about an hour later (Peter was a slow learner like me apparently), “Man, I do not know what you are talking about” when someone said he was Galilean and that he was with Jesus.
Perhaps this historical event is where we get the saying It’s always darkest before the dawn. This was a dark time for Peter because immediately after the third denial, the rooster crowed, and he probably remembered saying, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”
While Daigle did not deny Christ, it seems she took a swing at the authority and inerrancy of God’s Word, the Bible which has left many crowing mad and others greatly disappointed.
I have the advantage of being a couple of decades older than Daigle (she’s 27), of having public relations training in the military, and, of course, of hindsight being 20/20. All op-ed writers, commentators, and others have the classic “Monday Morning Quarterback” position to call out a better way and a better play to the question.
And what was the question?
She was asked, “Do you feel homosexuality is a sin?”
The question itself is a trap, as it asks about “feelings” instead of facts. Then, as this was a secular interview, we have to discuss “sin” which by necessity requires some discussion on holiness, love, and justice to give the full character of God’s love versus the world’s blurred and inaccurate view of it.
Her answer follows from the CBN article (although I am uncertain of its sequence):
“I can’t honestly answer on that. In a sense, I have too many people that I love that they are homosexual. I don’t know. I actually had a conversation with someone last night about it. I can’t say one way or the other. I’m not God.
“So when people ask questions like that..that’s what my go to is. I just say read the bible and find out for yourself. And when you find out let me know, because I’m learning too.”
Daigle had already faced criticism for appearing on “The Ellen Show,” so she should have anticipated more questions like this.
Monday morning quarterback suggestions I’ve heard include:
- Yes, the Bible says so.
- It doesn’t matter what I feel, because we need to base it on what the Bible says. And it says… (Romans 1:26-28) and (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
- God is holy. Sin is defined by the Bible, and it says, regardless of any of our feelings, that it is a sin, along with so many other things. God is loving and just, which is why Christ suffered the sins of mankind on the cross. Until we have a relationship with Jesus, we have no relationship with God.
- Just fill in your favorite or least favorite one here. More will be said I’m sure.
But the problem is deeper than this one incident. So while I understand the comments people have made about Daigle, I’m going to try digging a little deeper with some insight.
The Church which is afraid to call sin a sin creates believers who do the same.
I have no idea what church Daigle attends or what they preach. While there is a saying that an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, like my Aunt said once, “Sometimes it can take a good roll.” Is that what happened? I don’t know.
However, any church which is not solid on what sin is will affect its members’ eternity and ability to handle the times we are all called out about these crucial questions. These do affect our eternity.
Part of the anger some Christians may have with Daigle’s response is clearly represented by what Peter said to Christ before the actual denials. Given the opportunity to stand and possibly face prison or death, he faltered.
Already I can hear the arguments like “But Peter knew he would have been taken and crucified like Jesus” or “That’s different.” But what did Peter say again? Prison or death.
Another part of the anger is when Jesus states, “but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:33). In essence, they are saying denying what Jesus calls sin becomes denying Jesus.
Peter denied knowing Jesus, before at least three people. Luckily for him, this isn’t baseball where strike three means you’re out, because if you’ve read your Bible you know Jesus restored the relationship (John 21:15-25). Peter felt so unworthy of following in Christ’s footsteps, that according to tradition when he was crucified later, that he was crucified head down.
Tis the Season for Cosmic Treason
Moving from baby Jesus of Christmas to Lord Jesus of Easter and then to Jesus as Lord throughout your life requires a Holy Spirit led confrontation and conviction about your personal cosmic treason against God.
For this to occur, it means you have understood you are judged by God, by His standard, and with eternal consequences to your relationship with Him. When it comes to a restored relationship with God where you live out eternity in heaven, Jesus won’t let you in if his blood hasn’t covered your sin.
The problem is with Daigle, and too many Christian artists, and church pastors, who aren’t calling sin a sin.
So if your pastor or favorite Christian “pop” artist isn’t adhering to biblical definitions and examples of sin, then their treason is affecting your soul’s potential eternity. Beware those who tickle your ears, because you’ll be slaughtered like a deer even though you may have panted for the Lord like water.
“Is ____________ a sin? Will it keep me from heaven? Do you feel ______ is a sin?”
It doesn’t matter what your “tribe” thinks or feels about the standards God has set.
The reality is that it doesn’t matter what you think, what I think, what our “groups” think, but what God says in the Bible.
That treason we commit if we fall with the pastors or pop singers is twofold.
First, it is a betrayal of trust where you have been relying on their status and, for the pastors anyway, enhanced studies to guide us. Second, even as they potentially lead you down a treacherous path of cosmic treason, if they have a group around them in agreement, we think this is enough proof to satisfy God.
Already you may have guessed cosmic treason is sin. Unfortunately, the Bible is clear that all of our seasons of life, whether in Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:23, or so many others, are seasons filled with sin.
What to do when questioned?’
Matthew 10:16 says, “Behold I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”
Being wise or having the skill to handle these potential soul-saving moments is both a blessing and curse. It is a blessing to have the moments because we can plant or water seeds leading to salvation. It is a curse if we love the world more than we love Christ. Wanting to be loved by the world is a slippery slope based on the same good intentions which lead to Hell.
If Jesus, the perfect Son of God, cannot make everyone happy, what chance do we have? Yet, we must also be filled with the Spirit showing those fruits because God desires none to suffer. Also because God is unchanging, we cannot falter, sugar coat, or deny the power of Jesus to restore the relationship, but only the relationship where one agrees with God about what sin is and repents.
When we are moving at life’s pace and find ourselves between a rock and a hard place of a question or a statement with eternal consequences, what are we to do?
Romans 9:3, “…just as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
What do you do? Stay faithful. And if you, like Peter, like Daigle, like me, find yourself less than glorifying to the King of Glory, repent and keep moving. God doesn’t waste the pain, and it becomes the perfect place to test how “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
