Restoring Leaders: Getting Clear of Sin Through the Cross

Restoring Leaders

RESTORING LEADERS. I have searched high and low for a good resource on how to restore fallen leaders. Resources abound on just about every other aspect of misbehavior in the church. But they tend to focus on the victim.

We need that focus. Yet Galatians 6:1 tells us, “if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” As I was seeking God about this, a Scripture about repentance came to me. But I realized it also provided a model of restoration.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul previously sent them a sorrowful letter pointing out someone’s sin. Most scholars say it wasn’t 1 Corinthians but a more specific letter about that sin. For background, Paul says this earlier in 2 Corinthians:

“For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears… The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him” (2 Cor 2:4,6-8).

So the sinner repented and said he was sorry. The majority voted for a certain punishment, and he accepted it. Now, Paul says, don’t let the sorrow overwhelm him. Instead, forgive him, comfort him, and reaffirm your love for him.

But how do we know he has truly repented and won’t do it again? How do we know we can confidently restore him to his former place in the church? The Scripture about repentance, 2 Corinthians 7:10-11, provides the key.

Making things right

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret. But worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.”

Now I’ve seen this happen before in restoration. The sinner shows he is earnest to go through the whole process. And eager to get clear of his sin, so it has no further hold on him. He gets so clear of his sin so he becomes indignant about it. He becomes alarmed at the prospect of it happening again.

So he can preach and counsel people against that sin because he’s seen what damage it can do. He shows a longing to make things right, a concern for those who suffered harm. And a readiness to see justice done, to take his punishment. And to see justice done to other sinners in a redemptive way.

Therefore, if he does all this not with reluctance but with a clear conscience, he’s good. At every point he has proved himself to be innocent in this matter.

Innocent? Yes, with God you can restore someone to a state of innocence. God says, “I will not remember your sins” (Isa 43:25). If God can forgive and forget a sin, so can we. That shows the power of the cross—to take away sin completely.

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