Apologist, author, and teacher Ravi Zacharias has been my online mentor and teacher for almost two decades. Like many others, I was floored when I heard the first accusations against him. The first hint of misconduct arose in 2017 when he was accused of an inappropriate relationship with a female apologist. In Ravi’s view, he was the victim of unwanted sexual photos sent to him. She, however, claimed that Ravi groomed her and was emotionally abused by him.
In the latter part of 2020, three more women came forth, accusing him of sexual misconduct at two of the spas he co-owned.
Indeed, Ravi led a terrible double life. In one, he was a confident, world-class apologist and defender of the Gospel. But in the other, a deeply wounded man who was addicted to sexual encounters with massage therapists. The ministry with his moniker is now in shambles, the legacy of his work is shattered, and his books have been pulled from the shelves. Dozens of women need healing in the wake of the aftermath.
Unfortunately, Ravi’s case is not an isolated case. Christian leaders implode all too often. One high-profile pastor, who previously led the church where I attend in Colorado, crashed in public in a grandiose fashion. It happened before I moved there, but people inside and outside the church still frequently spoke of his failure. I never heard him preach, but he apparently was a dynamic and magnetic orator who led many to the Lord. His fall came as a shock to his church and community. Like the aforementioned apologist, he was leading two opposing lives.
But what would have happened if this pastor and Ravi had confessed their sins early-on? Surely if they had shared their smaller failures when they were less egregious, they could have prevented an untold amount of pain to themselves, God and their families.
I Pray That All of the Victims Find Healing
Some have responded to Ravi’s scandal by arguing that too much focus has been on him as a leader and not the wounds of the victims. I grieve with the women who fell prey to his advances. Many will need counseling for months—if not years—to heal. I also mourn for the millions of men and women whose faith in God was weakened when they heard the news. How could such a godly man live in such a grievous sin? Why did God let this happen? Is any leader truly who they say they are? He was famous for his rapport with innumerable non-Christians. Sadly, now they might use this tragedy as a reason never to accept Christ into their lives. When pillars fall, they crush an untold number of people.
So how do we prevent Christian leaders from falling when they’ve earned an eyrie office and obtained influence? How can they steer clear of the pitfalls of sin and lead productive, life-long ministries that will bless the world?
Leaders Are to Live “Above Reproach”
The standard for pastors and Christian leaders, according to the Apostle Paul, is not just avoiding catastrophic failures. Not engaging in adultery, embezzlement, and outbursts of anger are essential, but God cares just as much about the smaller, not-so-public sins. Elders (or “bishops”) are to live “above reproach” (Titus 1:6-9, NASB). Here, above reproach, is translated from the Greek word “anenklētos.” It means “unaccusable” or “blameless.” Paul emphasis this attribute so much that he writes it twice, both in verses 6 and 7.
He also uses its synonym in similar requires for leaders in 1 Timothy 3:2. “An overseer, then, must be above reproach.” Here, the word is “anepílēptos” It means “One who has nothing which an adversary could seize upon with which to base a charge.” [2]. One commentator noted that “Such a person keeps his accounts settled with God and others. He confesses his sin, makes restitution when needed, and commits to purity in all areas of life[1].” Certainly, Scripture holds a lofty standard for men and women who desire to hold official roles in the church.
But it’s not that leaders are flawless, and Paul never meant that in what he wrote for elders in the church. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Ro 3:23). Instead, living above reproach means that your most egregious sins are behind you. It’s one thing to set a lofty standard. But how do you live up to it?
Be Transparent
Leaders can live blamelessly by being transparent with their struggles. The higher leaders climb in Christendom, the more they need to be open about what ails them. If it’s a sexual struggle, then he or she must confess it immediately. With any personal struggle of a serious nature, openness will only protect when it’s practiced early-on. If you wait, the rabid teeth of sin will completely infect you and your ministry. 1 John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness ” (NASB).
Sharing with others requires humility. But often leaders hide their sin because of shame. They think “I’m a pastor and supposed to help others get free. What will people think if I’m still battling the same thing?” But leaders must go against their shame and be open and honest. When temptations are confessed, they will almost always be met with grace, encouragement, and a plan to overcome. As I stated previously, the best case is if it’s done early.
For example, if a leader is plagued with lust, he or she would share it with at least one, if not two, confidants way before they acted upon it. In this case, before it led to pornography. He can still recover if he’s open. A trusted group can love him, pray for him, and provide him practical steps to renew his mind, but only if the leader is open and honest (Romans 12:1-2). His ministry doesn’t have to come crashing down, and he can recover from his fall.
To use a metaphor from the body, abrasions won’t get infected if it’s taken care of properly. Likewise, temptation and missing the mark in lesser ways doesn’t mean you will scuttle your career. Just take care of it at the outset.
But if the same person stays emotionally closed and doesn’t confess his sin, the temptation will turn might turn into a full-blown sin. The small cuts have turned into a gaping wound. Lustful fantasies transform into pornography use, adultery, or sexual abuse. Sin like this will definitely end the ministry of most Christian leaders.
As James states,
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
The solution is for leaders to form the habit of confession. Confession frees you from the burden of carrying a sin by yourself. It also brings light into that dark place so God can heal it. I am thankful I grew up in the Roman Catholic tradition. The second grade seems like a lifetime ago, but I vividly remember confessing my transgressions to the priest once a month (mostly having to do with fighting with my brother, I suppose). but it saddens me that many Protestants have jettisoned a lifestyle of confession. Some have relegated the verse “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5, ESV) to mean that they don’t need to share their struggles with others.
But James 5:16 states, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed” (NASB). Ravi and the pastor I mentioned could have thwarted their secret sins if had they followed this verse.
Create a Plan to Overcome Sin
To be open and honest is a solid start, but pastors and Christian teachers must create a plan to be sanctified. Christians can get caught in an endless sin-confession cycle for decades without experiencing any true change. They bounce back and forth between committing and confessing sin like a tennis ball is bandied back and forth between two players. But they never break free from the loop. To win, they need to set up an action plan. Repenting not only means that you speak-out what you did wrong but that you act to change to keep it from happening again.
Creating a plan also means that he or she has a vision for the kind of life God has called them to. Our faith is much more than a laundry list of things we “shouldn’t” do, so a godly vision for the spiritual life isn’t as much about stopping certain activities as it is about replacing them. Lust is about taking, but love is about giving. As the pastor stops gawking and fantasizing about women, he needs to replace those thoughts with a new habit of serving others. He could serve a day-a-week at an elderly care facility, feed the homeless at the soup kitchen, or volunteer to help build a house for a family in need.
Whatever he decides, the important point is that he has a plan to replace what ails him with something that glorifies God. As Dallas Willard states, the most important question you can ask yourself is, “What is my plan for discipleship?” Spend an afternoon praying and taking notes about the kind of life with God you want to lead. I love being practical, so consider making a daily schedule. To overcome and replace lust, the best plans include the spiritual disciplines of daily scripture reading, praying, fasting, and scripture memorization. Also, mentorship (or counseling) and being held accountable are critical for success.
Insist on Accountability
Accountability is the crucial step that measures success. It holds your feet to the fire and keeps you committed to your plan of freedom. How can you measure success to a sin that was never shared? and how can someone be held accountable for a plan that hasn’t been created?
Who are these people that poke and prod into your life every week? They are accountability partners. Accountability partners are trusted individuals who check-in on you regularly and keep track of how you’re doing based on your honestly and openness. They ask tough questions. The how-is-the-weather-type-questions are replaced with the ones that are meant to make you feel vulnerable and uncomfortable. Not only do they inquire about your sexual life, but about your finances, working relationships, marriage, and how you’ve spent your time. You’d also give them access to your phone, email, checkbook, and your Internet browser’s history.
Pastors must welcome accountability into their lives. More than that, churches, organizations, and ministries also need to insist that their leaders will regularly take part in accountability. It takes courage to hold people to that which they have committed. I’m sure Ravi seemed larger than life to many around him and they were afraid to ask him the tough questions. Their job might have been at risk along with their reputation, and standing within the organization. But one person brave enough to ask what no one else dared would have saved much carnage.
Conclusion
What makes a pillar fall? One crack at a time. It begins with slow and methodical decisions that take you away from God. Is there an area of your life where you’re moving away from God? How can you move towards Him today?
The first step is to confess your cracks before they turn into a crevasse. Personal failures will be dealt with much more care early-on if shared at the beginning stages of the battle. After that, create a plan for emotional and spiritual growth. Finally, invite accountability into your life. The famous evangelist, Billy Graham, met with his leaders in 1948 and made a rule to “never be alone in a room with a woman other than their wives, and to keep honest financial records.” The former pledge sounds extreme, but it obviously worked since he was never accused of sexual misconduct.
We need to allow God and others into the sacred spaces in our lives before anything can topple our ministries, small or large. I want to be like Billy Graham and the Apostle Paul. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Tim 4:7, NLT).
[1] Larson, K. (2000). I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol. 9, pp. 342–343). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. [2] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
