Living up to God's standards

In early July, evangelist Jimmy Swaggart passed away at the age of 90 in his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Swaggart was well-known in the 1980s for his television programs and large crusades. He had a very dynamic style of preaching and took a strong stand against sin, including sexual immorality. I used to watch him on television in the mid-’80s and went to one of his crusade services in Birmingham, Alabama.

Then, in 1988, Swaggart was photographed with a prostitute outside of a hotel room. He was subsequently defrocked by the Assemblies of God denomination and basically lost his national following because of the scandal. Although he publicly repented, it was – for all practical purposes – the end of his ministry outside of his local church.

A great price

We all have known fellow Christians who, because of their sinful behavior, have paid a great price in their personal or professional lives … or both. Infidelity, for example, often leads to divorce because trust is broken.

Often, non-Christians (the world) are gleeful when Christians fail to live up to the biblical standards that they (we) proclaim. The world says, “Look! The Christians are hypocrites!”

Just because someone fails to live up to a standard does not negate the standard itself. But that’s what the world thinks when Christians stumble.

Those of us who believe that the Bible is the Word of God recognize that our standard of right and wrong comes from the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. We, who follow Jesus Christ, desire to obey these statutes to please our heavenly Father. Our failure to live up to those standards is called sin.

There is forgiveness for sin because of the blood Jesus shed on the cross, but the fallout (or earthly consequences) of sin remains and varies depending on the situation and the people who are affected by it. In the case of Jimmy Swaggart, he lost his platform.

Hypocrisy

So, to those non-Christians who can’t wait to call out the hypocrisy of Christians when they fail to live up to biblical standards, I ask, “Why do you believe hypocrisy is a sin? If you don’t believe in any moral absolutes, then why do you judge someone for being a hypocrite?”

I have often said the favorite Bible verse for people who don’t believe in the Bible is Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” Jesus’ words in this verse are a warning against self-righteousness – not a dismissal of moral standards themselves.

Real change

We, as followers of Jesus, always need to be aware that nonbelievers are watching to see if we truly “walk the walk.” They want to know if Jesus really does change lives. I hear testimonies all the time from people who say they saw what the Lord did in someone else’s life, and it convinced them to surrender themselves to Christ.

A good reminder

So, when fellow Christians (sometimes longtime Christians) fall, let it serve as a reminder that we are all susceptible to sin. If that were not the case, the Bible would not warn us against it … again and again and again. We all have “feet of clay,” as the old saying goes.

I am also reminded of what the wise Benjamin Franklin once said: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

The best way to avoid the consequences of sin is to not sin in the first place. Living for God on a daily, consistent basis is our goal. Just like an athlete trains to execute and perform up to a certain standard when the game is on, we Christians must control our words, deeds, and actions in an effort to conform to God’s standards. No excuses.

Pray often during the day, read the Scriptures daily, hang around fellow believers, and go to church.

The world will mock and ridicule us regardless, according to the Bible. However, let the mockery and scorn come because we do live up to God’s standards – not because we fail to do so.