@@dawhite84 The idolatry of this age is not to carved by knife images, but to molded by life people that become "Heroes". We should really be aware of the damage we do to ourselves and also to these people by putting them on a pedestal rather than be their brothers.
Yes, no need to process his sin. Yet it is important not to gloss over it either... He was such a public figure and caused so much hurt and harm to his victims and countless others in the name of Jesus.
I would say that thinking about our sins collectively is a way of processing your own sin. I understand your point, but we don’t exist in individual Christian bubbles. When one part of the body is hurting we all are hurting. We shouldn’t be talking about Ravi strictly in self-righteous judgement, but in a way that should produce godly sorrow for ourselves about our own sin that leads us to repentance. Also having wise leaders with many years of ministry under their belt address this issue is helpful to many who are immature in their faith and are legitimately asking difficult questions like “what does it mean if I got saved because of Ravi?”.
I remember an old Puritan writer that said whenever you go to God in prayer, just bring all of your sins, because that’s all you have to offer Him anyways.
No they love to see the ministers fall instead of pray for & protect them. They disgraced a dead man & discredited his ministry for absolutely being a human. Well done people.
Yeah, they really needed our prayers, you know most times we easily think that our ministers are not in need of our prayers and we are the ones in need of theirs but that's not right at all, the same thing happened to Moses, he was constantly standing in the gap for the people but none was interceding for him, no wonder he couldn't gets to the promised land. I pray that God will help us to be different in this generation and to constantly see the need of standing in the Gap for our leaders.
"Don’t let the imperfections and failures of men turn you away from the perfections and the triumphs of Christ, who will never, never fail you." -John Piper
👍 thats right. We just need to take out the rotten one and chose the good one. Hate sin not a sinner, & this was what Jesus taught and came for the sinners to saved them from their sins.
Yesterday, our pastor just announced he had a affair and is resigning. The impact of this has created feeling of betrayal, trauma, and pain. We all cried. Men in ministry, please get it together. The impact of your actions are much more than you will ever know.
While I understand what you are saying, I would urge you to not put so much faith in your pastor that finding out that he has sinned causes such a rift in your emotional state. We are ALL sinners and ALL screwups. Pastors are going to screw up, priests, bishops.. people get the idea that preachers are somehow morally above us all in the church... they aren't, and never have been. Jesus is the only one that was sinless and will be the only one to ever be sinless. Pray for Ravi and even your old pastor, for it is not flesh and blood we battle, but principalities.
I,too, was grieved by the falling of yet another high-profile member of the Body of Christ. Our Loving, Faithful Father has ALWAYS chastised those that are His to move us to repentance. Raving was, gravely, ill for a long-time. Only GOD and he knew the conversations that were had in those final days...hours....minutes. Amen? Having written that, I have reached out to the grieving family to do everything possible, in a Christlike, selfless manner to every victim that suffered from this sin. Heartfelt generosity and hospitality, privately, to each and every demoralized woman would be a VERY good first step in helping them to heal. Praying for them without ceasing and be willing to "wash" wounds as the Lord leads. What was meant for evil CAN work out for the glory of GOD if pride is cast aside and love is brought to the forefront. Amen?💟🙏
please remember one thing. Your pastor committed an affair according to the world. According to Jesus he committed adultery. We need to call sin what it is. Maybe we would be slower to commit them.
@@Abdaaf444 in 2016 he was taken to court by one of the victims. I believe it was 2016. He had multiple people at RZIM try to call him out and he is reported as being a bully to them.
@@maranatha1118 maybe if leaders of his Christian group really knew the truth and confronted him, he might have repented. But who knows., only God knows.
Though the presence of Jesus is still here with us, He physically ascended into heaven. Have you ever seen God physically? God works through people for a reason. We just refuse to repent from our judgmental sin of attacking & disgracing ministers. God used many flawed people from Abraham (Adulterer) before Jesus to Apostle Paul (Murderer).
True that ,and by the way the Bible is full of failed ,depraved men of God who were used of God still , but the writers didn’t delete them from the Bible why ? ,that’s a sign that we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the glory might not be on us but on God ,the Bible says whoever wants to follow me must deny himself and carry his cross daily meaning U must crucify urself daily
Yea, he was a fraud, double life. He was running a “prostitution” business in spas. He had no fear, nor did he care about the coming day. He had multiple times in his life to ask for forgiveness and come out, but instead, he payed them so they can’t say anything. He used his “philanthropy” and donations from rzim to pay for his prostitution business. A disgusting man in the cloak of the wise. Allah exposes the hypocrites. Keep your eyes on the creator of Jesus. He was but a messenger my sister. It’s in your fitrah (your natural state), and I only call you back to that.
If you know the Lord, You need nobody else, To see you through The darkest night. You can walk alone, You only need the Lord To keep you on the road Marked right. Take time to pray, every day; And when you're heading home, He'll show you the way. If you know the Lord, You need nobody else, To see the Light, God's wonderful Light.
I think it’s very important to remember that we have a relationship with God through Christ, not through Ravi Zacharias. Though he was a great apologist, we often forget that God is and has always been the main character of our stories - we need to look through His eyes: what does God want to teach us Christians through the downfall fo Ravi Zacharias? For King David, we’ve learned the importance of humility and keeping God’s commands. For Ravi what is it? Is it that Christians need to be reminded that pastors are not our saving grace? Is it that we are idolising pastors? We need to refer to the Scriptures to understand the lesson being made here.
Satan with all his awesome power will attack anyone that he hates. Satan hated Ravi and attacked him in his weakness of old age and battle with physical pain. I lay this whole disaster at satans feet. My love and respect for Ravi remains.
In his old age? I believe this abuse went on for decades. When satan attacks, those who truly love Christ fight back. Ravi succumbed to temptation and exploited the vulnerable for his own self gratification. May the Lord have mercy on his soul, but we ought not minimize or excuse his sin. That won’t fly for us either on Judgment Day.
My husband's a muslim (only by name really), but one of the few preachers he could sit a watch patiently was Ravi. One day I wondered why that it...and finally realized the Ravi never preached "repentance". Then I found out why my unbelieving husband was so comfortable hearing Ravi and his stories. Not to say at all that Ravi's messages weren't powerful at times, but if repentance of sin not preached....then how can people be convicted of their sin and be lead to call on Jesus Christ for forgiveness and Salvation.
He did and alot more. The question people need to ask is, are the accusations true? Have they been led astray? Everyone who speaks out to open our eyes ends up arrested or shamed. Why do you think that is? If god exists you must therefore acknowledge that Lucier is live and well in our society bringing people of god down. Ravi said himself we are always exposed to temptation. The lady that contacted Ravi has done this before, its not her first time.
@@freedom4life312 when you are right with god you dont need to defend yourself to others. Lucifer is the god of this world as outlined in the bible. God took Ravi cause the world is no longer worthy. So now I follow Gino Jennings.
It is so hard to hear what Ravi did. But this must be a warning to us all that none of us are above temptation. We must protect ourselves from temptation!! We must all be careful and create accountability in our lives to keep us on track with God! That we discipline our own bodies so that we may not be discounted of the prize ourselves.
But continuance not just temptation but sinning is the issue, being tempted is not a sin, but continuing to abuse women sexually for years with no sign of repentance is the biggest issue, scripture is clear, by their fruits you shall know them. Ravi, does not seem to be a brother in Christ by his fruits.
If you are a believer, you will desire nothing more than to glorify God. You won't have to worry about being a sexual predator, manipulating the faith to your own advantage. No Christian should worry about that since we don't house those wicked thoughts. We can all be sexually tempted but we all aren't absolutely possessed by our lust and passions like Ravi Zacarias was. How can you repeatedly commit these wicked acts of sexual immorality while housing the Holy Spirit of God and feel nothing? How could he commit these actions with no spiritual conviction? If he knew the word of God, he knew very well what he was doing and didn't care. I believe Romans 1: 24 aptly describes people like Ravi: "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another."
It's also a reminder to care for the abused in our midst. To not just silence them when they speak up! This could have been stopped years ago, but instead those who spoke up were shamed and silenced, which then led to even more women being abused.
I think you heart is in the right place but this statement needs correction. It is not taking into account of the audience and other scriptures about "spiritual fathers". “I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” 1 Cor 4:14-15. Pauls words. He also names Timothy and Onesimus as "my sons" in 1 Timothy and Philemon. The Apostles used familial spiritual titles with great adoration and affection. Regarding Mat 23:9, which you quoted, McArthur comments, "Here Jesus condemns pride and pretense, not titles per se. . . . Christ is merely forbidding the use of such names as spiritual titles, or in an ostentatious sense that accords undue spiritual authority to a human being, as if he were the source of truth rather than God..."
A Christian leader is to be held to the very clear moral standards laid out in the Bible. This is not about judgment. We are all undeserving of grace and yet our leaders are to be above reproach, completely submitted to God and his church, unentitled to any special moral treatment. And the women he misused-are they to just deal with it because we don’t dare “judge”? God is a God of justice and mercy for the victim and calls his people to be the same. This attitude smacks of laziness rather than grace.
@@kristasaari255 ok then, so was King David perfect? He was Isreal greatest king, & he murdered & committed adultery, do you view him any less? Jesus was the ONLY sinless person period. I guarantee in the end Ravi has done more for the body of Christ than you will in your lifetime
David repented. We have clear record of that. Ravi doesn’t appear to have done so as far as anyone can tell. I believe Jesus has ready and available grace for all who repent, including David and hopefully Ravi. Jesus himself said many who call him Lord and do wonderful things in his name are wolves in sheep’s clothing and will be turned away in the end. Whether this includes Ravi is not up to me. I believe that the Almighty God will do what’s right. He gets to be the Judge, and from his own words he has dire warnings for those who do not follow him.
@@kristasaari255 Well said Krista. I think what Piper mentioned is very insightful on "untethered calls for mercy," Ravi appears to have used this approach to manipulate people to get them to feel sorry for himself to get the outcome he desired. He used working for God's kingdom as a means to indulge in sexual prevision (I did read the full report). I'm not sure how you can compare that to King David. David seems to had moments of weakness but then we would repent and come to his senses Ravi's actions must be dealt with in truth.
Sorry, but accusations and a one sided investigation with no defense does not make a person guilty. Ravi's ministry has blessed me over the years and I am not jumping on the accusation bandwagon against a dead man. I stand with Ravi's family. And the way that RZIM and all these so called Godly preachers are treating a widow, makes me suspect them more as the ungodly ones than Ravi. I did read the investigative report and in no way was it convincing of any wrong thing of Ravi. Any time someone speaks first on a matter, it may seem true....but after a solid defense, then the other seems true. There are always two sides to every story. We've only heard one.....after Ravi is dead and cannot defend himself.
Only God can read your heart, remember David was a man after Gods own heart (ACTS 13:22) and committed adultery and even had her husband killed to cover it up(2 Samuel 11:1-27), yet God still described him as having a perfect heart(Kings 11:4) Why? Because he repented and was truly sorry and had a relationship with God that only him and God understood, so who are we as human beings to judge someone's actions without understanding their heart? Our thoughts are not God's thoughts, neither or our ways his ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) Let God be true and every man a liar.(Romans 3:4)
Yes that's true. Satan is really an accuser! Although lots of us have failures and sins but thanks God for his forgiveness. For this kind of accusations on Ravi, the only thing to do is to wait for God's judgement when truth is unveiled.
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
A very eloquent, thought-provoking response that was easy to understand, Biblical, truthful, but also humble at the same time. Great work Pastor, all glory to God for granting you wisdom to guide.
Thank you for your explanation Ptr. John. I was very sad and confused when I heard about Ravi's issues. I am one of the many, whose faith was strengthened by him. You have helped process my emotions.
"Truth is Truth," whether a godly man speaks it or an ungodly one. If a person is genuinely saved or spiritually fed through someone who later turns out to be false, the *saved/fed person need not question their own salvation or spiritual growth. The one who spoke the Truth to them was merely a planter or waterer of God's Word, and it was/is God who gives the increase. It can be sad and confusing, but ungodly (unsaved/unrepentant/hypocritical/apostate) people speak God's Word all the time, and it still accomplishes that which it is sent out to do. The Gospel saves people, not people themselves. The Word changes people, not the ministers shouting it. And we love the Truth, who is Jesus, not, necessarily, the pastors who tell us the Truth. Jesus is the Savior, not men. *Edited to clarify that being saved/fed by someone who is later proven to be a false Christian does not diminish the holy work accomplished in the people the false Christian ministered to.
No one is perfect no matter how we tried to be, we are made out of dust weak & fragile. Only God is perfect. Ravi has done well with his career it doesnot mean that he must be perfect. So just take the good ignore the wrong.
Be careful about processing this man's sin. We all are of our own humanness desperately wicked. Even our speaker. Sin is sin. Make your own lives right with God.
That was my first thought when I read this headline. Is it mine to process? Men will always be infallible, only one was perfect. I’ll process & work out my own sin with my savior. I feel for his family and will pray for them. I’ll leave God to judge Ravi’s sin. While I strive to be able to answer questions half as eloquently as he was able to.
@pilanceboil thank you for sharing your thoughts, well said, and heart provoking. I suppose it is a form of processing a subject. I believe that my concern is that we are all capable of this accused sin. We all are sinners even if we are born again. Praise God one day we will be in our new glorified body to never sin again.
A Double Life lived Contrary to the Christian Conscience is a Shipwreck about to happen. 1. Souls saving, Christ Exalting Truth may be spoken by Hypocrites. 2. Porsaking a Good Conscience is prelude to Moral Disaster. 3. The Amassing of Money & the pursuit of Lavish Lifestyles through Ministry are Alarm bells of Love of this Age. Thank you John!! 🙌💯❤️
Ravi Zacharias will always remain a defender of God and His Word. By the way, the ignorant athiest even say that Christ was just a man and his wife was Mary Magdelene. I don't know about Ravi's misfortune. But I hope for no man to deviate from the path to righteousness.
It is incredibly hard to see this happen but one thing I thought of was that those beautiful words of the gospel are not his words, they are beautiful because the Lord have them to us all. God bless you John piper for addressing this issue. I think it was best to wait a bit for the dust to settle for us all to truly appreciate what you had to say on the subject.
Through this disaster, there’s also another thing to be remembered. “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. “ 1cor 10:12 It is right to talk about what happened with Ravi. But let’s be careful to begin to judge him as if we will never, never fall like that. Why? Because everyone of us is at risk while we’re in this damned body of sin. So, talk about this difficult matter, and learn what it has to be learned. Because John Piper, John MacArthur, Paul washer, Timothy Keller, name your preacher, are not free totally from their sin nor this fallen and horrible world( the whole creation is groaning ) , not while they’re alive. So let’s take heed brothers and see you in heaven you all.
Wow! Great! That verse is so true! If we say we would never do the same as Ravi then we don't know the gravity of sin nor how much we rely on Christ to keep us from sin.
@@thereisnopandemic indeed. Thank you for adding that, crucially important. I mean, theres been lots of public cries of repent from big televangelist but they tend to cycle back which is a sign of unfruitfulness. And i get that people want to be optimistic but sin must he called out, and, as my preacher used to say, you have more than enough time to turn from sin than to cultivate it. I will remain optimistic, but only because i do believe a faulty mans ministry can still impact people. Was he a repenting man? Doesn’t seem like it, a sexually tempted man is a potentially sinning man, a secretly sinning man is likely an unsaved man.
@@koffeesaint1263 Whether or not Ravi was truly saved is more than we can know. That is ultimately between him and God. I am reluctant to say that he was not saved. 1 Corinthians 3:15. Comparison to David, however, is misplaced. David made multiple terrible mistakes and repented. Ravi did not just make a mistake. He led a double life, for years, perhaps decades, concealing this from his family and closest associates. There is no sign of repentance, although we cannot know what was in his heart on his deathbed. But it is not comparable with David.
Thank you 🙏 everyone points to David but David REPENTED and it becomes very apparent to everyone. He didn’t hide from it or blame anyone. Thank you for the clear examples of people who were not saved but have the gospel. It is painful, scary and humbling to think that we can give the truth but not be saved ourselves 😱 Jesus have mercy on us and save those who believe they’re saved 🙏
Thank you so much for not being like other TH-camrs who are saying Ravi's sin is no big deal, or that his sin was so minor compared to the great work he did. Thank you for keeping the Bible front and center of the discussion.
@@FahimusAlimus What are you trying to get at? Okay, the cross isn’t important, so how does this help people who are trying to follow jesus’ teachings? What are you trying to correct? This is a legitimate question by the way.
@A. Catarina A. M. Right? I don't know why Christians are having such a 'soft' attitude towards this. "well we're not supposed to judge" Of course we are!! Call him out as a wolf that he was and let the world know he was no Christian. He didn't just sin every now and then, he practiced it and it was his lifestyle. The Bible is quite clear you can't serve two masters and that we are supposed to crucify the flesh on the cross.
He started his ministry with lies about where he studied and his qualifications. Then he used church funds to buy a massage parlour so that he could abuse women. At no point did he turn from his sin and repent. He used to spend half the year in Thailand by himself 'writting his book'. You can imagine the stuff he used to get up to there. He was a sinful man only looking for forfill his own desires.
I gave up on RZIM about 3-4 years before the first hints of scandal in Ravi’s life. Why? As an accountant, I always check out the online financial statement of organizations. There were numerous red flags you could see in the RZIM financial statements. 1). The board of directors was Ravi and his family. There was no accountability. 2). The salaries of Ravi and his family were quite excessive. 3). The organization had tens of tens of tens of millions of dollars in the bank. When ever I see this sort of thing, the red flags of Jude and 2Peter immediately come to the forefront. When you have greed and the unwillingness to submit to authority, bad theology and sexual sin are almost sure to follow. So I was not surprised when, years later, a secret life of sin was revealed.
The same way I proceed King David’s sins. I still love the Psalm and read them. Ravi was a gifted teacher and taught God’s Word! He was a sinner saved by grace. Anyone who hasn’t sinned cast the first stone! ❤️
@@TheJpep2424 Just because he did not do it in front of you does not mean he did not repent. Everyday we woke up on his sick bed before he passed away, he prayed to God and prayed for forgiveness just the way we all do
I have processed it in two ways: One, by not caring as it has nothing to do with me, and it is unethical to prosecute a man without a proper trial. For all we know, all of this information could be false. HE STILL HAS A FAMILY and loved ones, and it does no good and Christian service to drag the dead man's name through the mud just for our entertainment. The bible instructs us that if we are involved in some sort of dispute or problem, that we should do so privately, and if it doesn't concern us, to mind our own business. Read Proverbs if you've forgotten how God wants us to behave. Oh wait, Solomon did far worse than Ravi, AND fell away from God and worshiped the idols of his foreign wives, yeah, so maybe throw out Proverbs and lets just focus on the failures of Solomon and how to "process" that. All the so called Christian media attention around this event reeks of an episode of Dateline: Kiddie Diddle. "Ooh, that's dirty, isn't it?" The second way I process it is to not make money off of it, as you are doing here. Good work pouring lemon juice on the wounds of his innocent family and loved ones. Good Christian service there, DG. You must be very proud.
This might be the most Pharisaical thing I've heard. He didn't even address the "David" reference. The references to Judas (and others) are legit. The difference, we actually have Scripture (authority) to affirm they were not true believers. You can have your doubts and concerns about someone's salvation (not authority btw), but to act like you know they are a Judas, is to be the kind of Pharisee Jesus rebuked. It would do the Reformed community (of which I consider myself) well to remember there will be a lot more prostitutes in the kingdom than Pharisees. Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom.
Shouldn't it also urge us to believe those who speak up? To not dismiss or trash people who speak up against someone who is powerful, knowing that it is going to cost them so much by speaking up?
I appreciate how Pastor John's aim here was not to placate Ravi's fans or even to preserve his memory, but to shepherd our hearts to soberly assess where we stand before God and in our life and ministries. These are warnings I must hear regularly, for the deceit of sin and allure of the world would have us turn from the perfections of the Son of God. Thank you DG & pastor John!
I don't think we are fans. He is our brother in Christ , we love him, forgive him and have compassion because we all know how easy it is to mess up. I guess you may have the opportunity to talk to him about it in heaven. I say that because I'm not sure where you stand. God be with us all.
Thank you for responding to this candidly. As a young college student I admired RZIM for their global work in apologetics and I will admit that their early ministry has bolstered my faith. But as I continued to grow in my faith and being guided by the Holy Spirit by living by God's Word and having a love for truth, I have noticed throughout the years Ravi's aberrance. It seemed as if he was more interested in grandiloquence rather than expositing biblical truth, he would quote a few of God's Word but would spend the entire sermon indulging in quotes from philosophers, poets, moralists, theologians, etc. He would also mingle with mormans, muslims, buddhists, as if they all believed in the same truth. Sad to say but I'm not surprised by his downfall and it is indeed a tragedy. But if Satan can deceive 1/3 of the angels in heaven, how much more can he decieve us mortal humans. "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." I Corinthians 10:12 NKJV
We don't even know the full story of what happened. And if Ravi was living in continuous unrepetant sin or if he was struggling to overcome it. Everyone mentioned in the bible especially in the line of Christ's genealogy is filled with murderous, adultrers, liars and prostitues. God came for sinners. And as Paul said of whom I AM CHIEF. Sure you should not cover up a fellow believer's crime if it is found and justice needs to be given but stop condemning. You who are spiritual should lift that person up in gentleness and turn him to repentance back to God. Bear each others weight.
I'm reminded of the adultress women caught and how Jesus handled, my submission is that we look at the board in our eye, than look at the spec in others eye... The Lord is the righteous Judge... Let's leave judgement to our Lord..
I once hastily commented negatively on his Son's website who was defending Ravi. I had a huge rebuke from God, cautioning me He was the Judge. That place is soley Gods Place. it is Christ who justifies...ans there is no more condemnation fie those in Christ. I truly believe Ravi must have silently repented in his last days at home n like the thief on the Cross, he waa given a chance with body destroyed but soul saved. God used him much as i used his vcs's and dvd's as a personal evangelist, and God used his sharing and preaching powerfully
Well said 👏 Don’t focus on the man- the human- the sinner saved by Grace; focus on the one who saved you , who has you; who died fir you being PERFECT and without sin - took your place for punishment and wages to be paid That truth alone should fill You with Grace and humility and forgiveness for those who fall short
Starting out with David as a Biblical example is excellent. We must grieve for all. We must hold out love and help for them, too. We must forgive, as God has forgiven us. We must also learn to not let such evil happen again.
Solomon, the wisest man, sinned against God and yet we have his writings in the Holy Bible .. it doesn't matter to me what he does .. i don't have the freedom to judge anyone...we are all sinners saved by grace in the eyes of the Lord... But what Zacharias taught were related to the living words of the living God which are infallible...that's all I need..
It's spiritual immaturity to fall into the trap of canceling Ravi for his failures. That's what the enemy is trying to accomplish. His lifes work stands on its own.
Nothing man! I just loved his teachings! I feel bad about what they did to him! I loved him and his teachings! I am just sad for his death, please pardon my rant! Sorry@@jameswhite7997
I would say he was a man who at times helped me (and many others i imagine) find answers to some of the most difficult questions regarding my faith and I will always be thankful to God for that. To see the allegations that he faced the same struggles that every single Christian has faced should come as no surprise to anyone. Should we disregard the wisdom of King Soloman because of his lust? Should we diregard to Psalms because of King David's lust? Seeing the reactions at times such as this helps mke identify the goats and the sheep.
You both clearly prove that you do not understand scripture. Over and over I am confronted by believers who claim that it is impossible for a believer to stop sinning in this lifetime and they will come right out and admit that they still possess sin in their life. Little do they realize just how lost and deceived they actually are since they are admitting with their very own words that they do not know God nor do they even possess God’s Holy Spirit. “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” I John 3:8-9 NKJV “Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.” I John 3:6 NKJV So scripture clearly relates that anyone who does sin does not know God nor have they ever seen God and there is not even one scripture that ever reveals that a sinner can be a child of God or that a sinner can actually know who God is. Scripture is definitely relating that if you are a slave to sin then you will certainly die an eternal death. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” Romans 6:16 NKJV “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 NKJV What the vast majority of believers clearly do not understand is that any believer who truly possesses the Holy Spirit and who is living by the Holy Spirit cannot possibly sin since they are now someone who is allowing the Holy Spirit to guide them in their lives. A holy person is someone who does not sin and they are living righteously in the eyes of God just as He commanded. So any believer who truly possesses the Holy Spirit can no longer sin since they are no longer living by what their sinful flesh desires. It is impossible for them to sin since they are now living through the Holy Spirit and since God’s Spirit is Holy it cannot possibly sin. “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Romans 8:13-14 ESV “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” I Peter 1:15-16 NKJV “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.” Galatians 5:16-18 NLT We are all born in sin and in ignorance of God’s truth. This did not mean that everyone will live their entire lives in sin as many are foolishly believing though. Yes, scripture relates that Jesus was born without sin and that He lived His entire life without sinning so Jesus certainly was the only sinless person. However scripture is definitely not relating that His followers will always sin or that they will always have sickness in their lives. Scripture is actually stating the exact opposite of that nonsense and it is relating how the children of God will learn how to overcome their sin and their sicknesses through God’s gift of His Holy Spirit. Scripture describes how sickness is the result of sin and that sin and sickness can only be found in unbelievers and deceived believers who fell for the devil and his lies. Sin and sickness cannot be found in anyone who is a sanctified believer since they are now someone who is truly living by the Holy Spirit. They are now a Christian who is a child that is born of God and they cannot possibly sin. So if you are someone who can get sick then you are certainly proving that you are still living in sin since sickness is a curse and it reveals that you are disobeying God and His commands. If you do not believe that what I am relating is truth then read Deuteronomy 28 since it clearly reveals that sickness is a curse for anyone who chooses to live in disobedience and in sin. God clearly stated in scripture that if we would truly follow Him, obey His commands and do not sin then He would not allow the devil to touch us with sickness or disease since God will now remove them from our life. “So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.” Exodus 23:25-26 NKJV “And said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” Exodus 15:26 NKJV “And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.” Deuteronomy 7:15 NKJV “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.” I John 5:18 NKJV Psalm 107:17. “Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.” Know what this above scripture means? First transgression, it means an act that goes against a rule, a law or a code of conduct. Next iniquity, it means a wicked act or thing, sin. Finally, affliction, it means something that causes persistent pain or suffering. Translated it is saying that you are a fool if you do not follow God’s laws and commands and you go and sin because you will then have pain, suffering and sickness. So our lack of knowledge of scripture will then lead us into sin and sin then opens the door for the devil to torment us with sickness and suffering. God allows this to occur since God warned us many times that our ignorance of His truth would allow sin and the devil to destroy our lives and even the lives of our children. And yes our sins can definitely be passed onto our children since they are also vulnerable to the attacks of Satan and his demons. “And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7 NKJV The iniquity (immoral behavior, sin) of the fathers will visit the children to the third and fourth generations. In other words the sins that the parents are committing will then be laid upon their children and their children’s children. Since everyone is born in ignorance of God’s truth this is why God commanded the parents to teach their children His word and truth so that they would then understand how to live holy and righteously and not live in sin. Now there are many believers who do not believe that their sins can be past unto their children and for some it is because they have confused what the Ezekiel 18:20-24 scripture is relating. This scripture is simply revealing how our eternal fate is based on the sins that we ourselves commit during our lifetime. We will all answer to God for the sins that we ourselves commit so a child will not be eternally condemned for the sins of their parent nor a parent condemned for the sins of their child. This scripture has nothing to do with how we are born into this sinful fallen world though. So anyone who claims that they cannot stop sinning clearly reveals that they are nothing more then a deceived believer who is simply an unbeliever since they have fallen for the devil lies. Plus anyone who can get sick or anyone who feels like they need to take this COVID vaccine also proves that they do not know God nor do they understand the blessing that Jesus provided for all of mankind through his Holy Spirit. These people clearly have never experienced God’s spiritual awakening and this is why they cannot comprehend what scripture is relating. The devil has them exactly where he desires them to be since he has blinded their eyes to truth and he clearly has them believing his lies and his utter nonsense. “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” II Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV
@@mikerutkowski7265 pretty sure they are referring to willful sins that should be removed from your life and I don’t think we’re perfect and completely sinless we can still become angry with one another and fall to sin in our human nature.
@@j.gonzalez1146 well you certainly just proved that you do not possess the Holy Spirit and that you are clearly and unbelieving child of the devil who is utterly clueless in regards to God and scripture. “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48 NKJV Just what fool, there are no scriptures to back up the nonsense that you just related.
@A. Catarina A. M. No, but what I want to ask you is, do you think what he said about Jesus all his life is false? If you do than you're faith is way to weak, BUT if you don't than you're faith was strong enough to endure what transpired and not actually loose your faith. I'm not sure if you are a Christian and in all honesty as a Christian I couldn't care less about your choice of religion, but if you truly believe God's Word than you would forgive him even though he did what he did, because that is what Jesus requires from us. If what I said is Cringe to you than you need to seek other spiritual advice from another church if the church repulses you now. Also he is human he makes mistakes, I am just glad he was caught so that he can ask the Lord's forgiveness, because that's all I care about.
I never believed that Ravi had a problem, now I heard from the one whom I need to hear with the right response. Thank you Pastor John. May God continue His abundant blessings to you!
This situation has caused me much reflection and contemplation. And I've been avoiding comment but here goes. First, I recognize that as a human I'm a sinner by nature. Therefore I'll leave judgement to Jesus.And as Jesus taught "let him without sin cast the first stone". Second, Irecognize that we all have feet of clay. Most important, imho, weneed to make sure that we are worshipping Jesus and not preachers. Jesus told the people to make sure they were worshipping God and not the Pharisees. And while preachers can guide us, they are humans, and not to be worshipped.
I refuse to believe any of the allegations on Ravi. It just doesn’t add up. Not to say that humans don’t fail. But it makes no sense to me. Only God knows the truth. Let’s not be quick to speak. For Piper to say these things like he knows it’s true for a fact upsets me so much.
Pastor John, will all due respect, could and would you say the same thing about yourself if it ever were to turn out after your own death that you had been living a double-life, then??? I.e., "Don’t let the imperfections and failures of men turn you away from the perfections and the triumphs of Christ, who will never, never fail you." -John Piper
I believe that when pastor John Piper said "religious profession" and the issue of "conscience" he nail the situation completely. We must check our heart continuously for not live a christian double christian life by forsaking a good conscience before the Lord. We must seek our Lord in private praying honestly about our heart.
It just reiterate what the Bible says, our full trust can only be give to God through Jesus, people although we must care and love them, can always fail, so we must never give our full trust to anyone other than God.
Where were the accusers of Ravi Zacharias cross examined as to their findings and methodology of inquiry? As a former cop, I've been to more than several criminal trials and the prosecution witnesses/detectives always had to respond to inquiry from those who questioned the evidence. I read the report from Martin and Milner and did not detect that this took place.
Pastor John as a man of the cloth all I heard from you was accusations after accusations after accusation. I think U are one of those holier than thou people. If I was thinking of being saved you would definitely turn me off😢
Exactly. There were a lot of misleading and ambiguous statements made by the lawyers.. his wife rifled through everything.. the photos were not nude photos.. Ravi is not here to defend himself.. we can't judge!
As soon as I get ALL the beams out of my own eye I might take a look at the speck in anothers. Thank you Father for the ministry that went forth from this brother. I pray it did and will bare fruit for your eternal kingdom. Lord Jesus come quickly.
@@christopherg.matton9610 This has already happened. He has been publicly rebuked. We don't need to continue to live with hard hearts and judgment of him to this day. For our own heart's sake we can't live in hatred toward him. We need to forgive as we have been forgiven.
"Don't let the imperfections and failures of men turn you away from the perfections and triumphs of Christ who will never, never fail you." There are clever quotes, illuminating analogies and brilliant songs that I enjoy from people like this (who were found to have no love for God) and I can keep my conscience clear by glorifying and honoring the God and scripture they are based upon and not the human author.
Ravi’s sins?? Duuuude I myself could give Paul and king David a run for their money off my sins alone lol. I’m not gonna answer for Ravi. I’m gonna answer for me. But that doesn’t negate to us humans Ravi’s words and work.
From the very first time I heard about the news, I was more or less apathetic and my viewpoint of Ravi did not change one bit. Every single person has the capacity for any form of evil. Anyone that reads the bible or even understands the teachings of Jordan Peterson knows this.
When the adulterous woman was brought to Jesus by so called righteous people to stone this woman to death But Jesus said to the very people who brought her, who ever is without sin throw the first stone. No one dared to throw the stone at her because they were sinful as well. So judge not or you will be judged in the measure you judge. SO SET YOUR HEART RIGHT BEFORE THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY JESUS CHRIST. FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF THE KNOWLEDGE. FEAR HIM WHO CAN DESTROY BOTH BODY AND SOUL. GOD IS NOT ONLY LOVE BUT HE IS ALSO GOD OF ANGER AND WRATH. TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR HIS LOVE,GRACE,COMPASSION,FORGIVENESS, SEEK GOD AND MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH HIM
I don't remember Robbie Zachariah openly apologizing at all for any of the allegations...........King David did (Psalm 51) Bottom line, David spelling to send Zacharias was a practicing participant!
Exactly, his wife rifled through everything, the 200 pictures were not nude pictures.. Ravi is not here to defend himself, a lot of statements made by miller company lawyers are ambiguous and misleading.. Ravi's phone was always available to the family as he wasn't tech savvy. I find it hard to believe that Ravi lived (so consistently without ever being caught ) a double life.. I believe he is in heaven. We shall see.. because Ravi's accusations happened after his death their us no way we can judge!
Honestly? It doesn't matter. Why? Because my focus isn't on a pastor who fail from grace (nothing new anyways) We just have to pray that people have a heart for His truth and run away from sin, just like Joseph did. We all fall short of glory. Lift each other up in love and if a pastor is doing something wrong, rebuke them for it before it can lead to Ravi's choice. Open rebuke is greater than secret love.
@@Vnm-sh1jv No one volunteers to be hurt by someone. And yes we are more than conquerors through Christ. But these things do affect people and for some cause pain. It didn’t you...great! But Please don’t be inconsiderate and insensitive for those hurt by this.
Overall, some great insights, very helpful to me especially around untethered sympathy. I confess I have used that myself, many times in my mind. Lord, forgive me. I heard sorrow for Ravi's family in the aftermath, but how about for the many victims that were emotionally, spiritually and sexually abused? They need our prayers, they are still living with this and their faith was deeply harmed or may never want to approach Jesus again. God have mercy on each one of them!
Here's my take: Ravi was a creep who hid it very well. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing. His family, friends, staff AND the "VICTIMS" KNEW and were complicit in aiding and abetting his sins. God can and will use even evil people to draw people yo Him. Don't put your trust in mankind, Only trust God.
Thanks so much for this p John! I'm also a pastor and listening to this really sharpened the need to be careful and alert to what is truly in my heart. The examples of Judas and Demas really struck home with me
When I first heard about the scandal, I took it as some people wanting to slam a dead man not around to defend himself. However, his own ministry team investigated the allegations and evidence was found to affirm them. My heart broke. I learned so much from Ravi and despite his secret sin life, that doesn’t erase the truth of the Gospel. I remember him sharing a story about a colleague visiting India. He saw a woman alone bathing in the lake. His conscience told him to not look and keep moving on. However, he didn’t. The man soon took off his clothes and swam out to the woman and when he got close enough he was horrified to see that the woman had leprosy. He thought, “Wow, what a hideous, ugly woman.” But then he looked inward and realized that it was his heart that was hideous and ugly. I wonder if Ravi ever thought that story was ironic or did he keep telling himself that he’s justified to do what is wrong? I hope in his final moments he truly repented :’(
Did anyone actually have the physical proof that pastor Ravi had committed the sin? I question the motive for accusing someone who can’t defend himself & added shame/ wounds to his family. I trust God’s justice & pray soon let the truth be revealed.
im sorry this makes me sick. the evidence is ridiculously overwhelming but you choose to defend a sex pest. he is a sexual offender and one woman described it as rape. think about the wounds the HUNDREDS of women who suffered because of him. shame on you
@@WakeRunSleep surely this comment is a joke right? and how would you even know that she made that up for money? seems like you have just made that up to suit your narrative and demonise a sex abuse victim...
@@aodhanobrien545 Lori Anne Thompson said initially in her accusation she wanted no money but later asked for a large sum of money as she had a history of doing prior to Ravi.
@@WakeRunSleep okay. its called compensation and happens in sooo many cases, especially sexual assault. That does not mean at all that she made it up for money and to suggest so is actually shocking
Ofcourse this is Shocking,, but only question why this all issues are coming up now ... why all these victims didn't speak when he was alive. Ultimately GOD is supreme Judge .
I used to think of Ravi as my hero and look upto him. His moral failure made me realize that I was supposed to look upto Jesus, not Ravi.
This is so relevant.
Amen for breakthrough. Be blessed brother
Amen. "Cursed is the man who trusts in man' (Jer 17)
Amen to that. I felt exactly like that.
@@dawhite84 The idolatry of this age is not to carved by knife images, but to molded by life people that become "Heroes". We should really be aware of the damage we do to ourselves and also to these people by putting them on a pedestal rather than be their brothers.
I’m too busy processing my own sin......I think I’ll leave Ravi alone
Exactly! He's not my servant. He's God's servant.
Yes, no need to process his sin. Yet it is important not to gloss over it either... He was such a public figure and caused so much hurt and harm to his victims and countless others in the name of Jesus.
I would say that thinking about our sins collectively is a way of processing your own sin. I understand your point, but we don’t exist in individual Christian bubbles. When one part of the body is hurting we all are hurting. We shouldn’t be talking about Ravi strictly in self-righteous judgement, but in a way that should produce godly sorrow for ourselves about our own sin that leads us to repentance. Also having wise leaders with many years of ministry under their belt address this issue is helpful to many who are immature in their faith and are legitimately asking difficult questions like “what does it mean if I got saved because of Ravi?”.
Amen !!!
Amen
Don't let the imperfections and failures of men turn you away from the triumphs and perfections of Christ who will never fail you
Exactly!
That's not true
I remember an old Puritan writer that said whenever you go to God in prayer, just bring all of your sins, because that’s all you have to offer Him anyways.
I love the old puritan writings. They were Godly men.
Wow so true
Wow ...Yes .. True ...
May we offer up ourselves as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God
Thank you Mr. King, that is so true
Amen #PreciousPuritans
1 Corinthians 9:27, ESV: "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."
I have a hard enough time processing my own sins let alone that of RAVI...Lord Have Mercy on us all
Amen and well said. Better to point at myself than to point at others.
@@Hobbit_1023 Exactly!! Well said!
Post of the year ! Thanks
Well said buddy
Amen, Allen!
We need to pray for our ministers...
No they love to see the ministers fall instead of pray for & protect them. They disgraced a dead man & discredited his ministry for absolutely being a human. Well done people.
We certainly do!! They are under greater attack because they bring us truth of God. So many fall and God can forgive and restore.
Yeah, they really needed our prayers, you know most times we easily think that our ministers are not in need of our prayers and we are the ones in need of theirs but that's not right at all, the same thing happened to Moses, he was constantly standing in the gap for the people but none was interceding for him, no wonder he couldn't gets to the promised land.
I pray that God will help us to be different in this generation and to constantly see the need of standing in the Gap for our leaders.
your prayers are useless, start living in reality
@@dearmaths1687 yes very true. May the Spirit of God give us more burdens to pray for our leaders.
"Don’t let the imperfections and failures of men turn you away from the perfections and the triumphs of Christ, who will never, never fail you."
-John Piper
👏👏👏
👍 thats right. We just need to take out the rotten one and chose the good one. Hate sin not a sinner, & this was what Jesus taught and came for the sinners to saved them from their sins.
Awesome word
Samuel Aguilar what a powerful statement! Thanks!
Neither Will it Fail Ravi,
If He Repented...God's Love Doesn't Fail Us
Some Reject His Love .
I cannot fathom the extent of my sin, and the Grace of God that saved even me.
Yup, the scale of our wicked ways against a Holy God is quite disturbing, Halleluyah for the blood shed for you and me !
But if he died unrepentant in his sin that is like an insult to God.
@@Wywy14-c4s Exactly
@@Wywy14-c4s How do you know he was unrepentant??
Yesterday, our pastor just announced he had a affair and is resigning. The impact of this has created feeling of betrayal, trauma, and pain. We all cried. Men in ministry, please get it together. The impact of your actions are much more than you will ever know.
While I understand what you are saying, I would urge you to not put so much faith in your pastor that finding out that he has sinned causes such a rift in your emotional state. We are ALL sinners and ALL screwups. Pastors are going to screw up, priests, bishops.. people get the idea that preachers are somehow morally above us all in the church... they aren't, and never have been. Jesus is the only one that was sinless and will be the only one to ever be sinless. Pray for Ravi and even your old pastor, for it is not flesh and blood we battle, but principalities.
I,too, was grieved by the falling of yet another high-profile member of the Body of Christ. Our Loving, Faithful Father has ALWAYS chastised those that are His to move us to repentance. Raving was, gravely, ill for a long-time. Only GOD and he knew the conversations that were had in those final days...hours....minutes. Amen? Having written that, I have reached out to the grieving family to do everything possible, in a Christlike, selfless manner to every victim that suffered from this sin. Heartfelt generosity and hospitality, privately, to each and every demoralized woman would be a VERY good first step in helping them to heal. Praying for them without ceasing and be willing to "wash" wounds as the Lord leads. What was meant for evil CAN work out for the glory of GOD if pride is cast aside and love is brought to the forefront. Amen?💟🙏
@@beverlygonzalez6264 YES!! AND AMEN! YOU ARE RIGHT!
please remember one thing. Your pastor committed an affair according to the world. According to Jesus he committed adultery. We need to call sin what it is. Maybe we would be slower to commit them.
@@angelritchey3421 very good points. You're right it's adultery, and it should be called that.
David repented. He said, "Against You, Lord have I sinned." We overlook David's sin because he changed his pattern.
I agree. I also don’t think we can compare Ravi and David because he clearly continued in sin for decades as the official report says.
@@maranatha1118 yes. Ongoing & premeditated sin, & zero repentance on his deathbed according to those who were there
Only when Nathan confronted did David confess and repented. Maybe Ravi had no Nathan.
@@Abdaaf444 in 2016 he was taken to court by one of the victims. I believe it was 2016. He had multiple people at RZIM try to call him out and he is reported as being a bully to them.
@@maranatha1118 maybe if leaders of his Christian group really knew the truth and confronted him, he might have repented. But who knows., only God knows.
People are not perfect. People will always fail you, but God NEVER will. Keep your eyes upon Jesus. 🙏🏼
Though the presence of Jesus is still here with us, He physically ascended into heaven. Have you ever seen God physically? God works through people for a reason. We just refuse to repent from our judgmental sin of attacking & disgracing ministers. God used many flawed people from Abraham (Adulterer) before Jesus to Apostle Paul (Murderer).
True that ,and by the way the Bible is full of failed ,depraved men of God who were used of God still , but the writers didn’t delete them from the Bible why ? ,that’s a sign that we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the glory might not be on us but on God ,the Bible says whoever wants to follow me must deny himself and carry his cross daily meaning U must crucify urself daily
Yea, he was a fraud, double life. He was running a “prostitution” business in spas. He had no fear, nor did he care about the coming day. He had multiple times in his life to ask for forgiveness and come out, but instead, he payed them so they can’t say anything. He used his “philanthropy” and donations from rzim to pay for his prostitution business. A disgusting man in the cloak of the wise. Allah exposes the hypocrites. Keep your eyes on the creator of Jesus. He was but a messenger my sister. It’s in your fitrah (your natural state), and I only call you back to that.
Please watch Zac poonen on TH-cam, your life will change for ever, Zac poonen is one of the greatest servants of God alive on planet Earth 🙏🙏🙏
If you know the Lord,
You need nobody else,
To see you through
The darkest night.
You can walk alone,
You only need the Lord
To keep you on the road
Marked right.
Take time to pray, every day;
And when you're heading home,
He'll show you the way.
If you know the Lord,
You need nobody else,
To see the Light,
God's wonderful Light.
I think it’s very important to remember that we have a relationship with God through Christ, not through Ravi Zacharias. Though he was a great apologist, we often forget that God is and has always been the main character of our stories - we need to look through His eyes: what does God want to teach us Christians through the downfall fo Ravi Zacharias? For King David, we’ve learned the importance of humility and keeping God’s commands. For Ravi what is it? Is it that Christians need to be reminded that pastors are not our saving grace? Is it that we are idolising pastors? We need to refer to the Scriptures to understand the lesson being made here.
But we should also not judge any other man other than oneself correct?
Satan with all his awesome power will attack anyone that he hates. Satan hated Ravi and attacked him in his weakness of old age and battle with physical pain. I lay this whole disaster at satans feet. My love and respect for Ravi remains.
In his old age? I believe this abuse went on for decades. When satan attacks, those who truly love Christ fight back. Ravi succumbed to temptation and exploited the vulnerable for his own self gratification. May the Lord have mercy on his soul, but we ought not minimize or excuse his sin. That won’t fly for us either on Judgment Day.
My husband's a muslim (only by name really), but one of the few preachers he could sit a watch patiently was Ravi. One day I wondered why that it...and finally realized the Ravi never preached "repentance". Then I found out why my unbelieving husband was so comfortable hearing Ravi and his stories. Not to say at all that Ravi's messages weren't powerful at times, but if repentance of sin not preached....then how can people be convicted of their sin and be lead to call on Jesus Christ for forgiveness and Salvation.
Amen.
He did and alot more. The question people need to ask is, are the accusations true? Have they been led astray? Everyone who speaks out to open our eyes ends up arrested or shamed. Why do you think that is?
If god exists you must therefore acknowledge that Lucier is live and well in our society bringing people of god down. Ravi said himself we are always exposed to temptation. The lady that contacted Ravi has done this before, its not her first time.
@@valherustinger7848 …I hear you my friend, but why did his family not speak up if they had any doubts?
If Ravi didn't preach.repentance then what were you doing staying together only on the basis of lust?
@@freedom4life312 when you are right with god you dont need to defend yourself to others. Lucifer is the god of this world as outlined in the bible. God took Ravi cause the world is no longer worthy. So now I follow Gino Jennings.
It is so hard to hear what Ravi did. But this must be a warning to us all that none of us are above temptation. We must protect ourselves from temptation!! We must all be careful and create accountability in our lives to keep us on track with God! That we discipline our own bodies so that we may not be discounted of the prize ourselves.
Amen. "Cursed is the man who trusts in man' (Jer 17)
But continuance not just temptation but sinning is the issue, being tempted is not a sin, but continuing to abuse women sexually for years with no sign of repentance is the biggest issue, scripture is clear, by their fruits you shall know them. Ravi, does not seem to be a brother in Christ by his fruits.
If you are a believer, you will desire nothing more than to glorify God. You won't have to worry about being a sexual predator, manipulating the faith to your own advantage. No Christian should worry about that since we don't house those wicked thoughts. We can all be sexually tempted but we all aren't absolutely possessed by our lust and passions like Ravi Zacarias was. How can you repeatedly commit these wicked acts of sexual immorality while housing the Holy Spirit of God and feel nothing? How could he commit these actions with no spiritual conviction? If he knew the word of God, he knew very well what he was doing and didn't care. I believe Romans 1: 24 aptly describes people like Ravi: "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another."
It's also a reminder to care for the abused in our midst. To not just silence them when they speak up! This could have been stopped years ago, but instead those who spoke up were shamed and silenced, which then led to even more women being abused.
Apparently, Zach was never even saved.
Dead men tell no tales!!! Who are we to point fingers to Ravi Zacharias?
Never call any man your “spiritual father”. You have one Father and he is in heaven.
Amen. "Cursed is the man who trusts in man' (Jer 17)
False. Call every priest father.
Please stop misquoting the Bible.
I think you heart is in the right place but this statement needs correction. It is not taking into account of the audience and other scriptures about "spiritual fathers".
“I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” 1 Cor 4:14-15.
Pauls words. He also names Timothy and Onesimus as "my sons" in 1 Timothy and Philemon. The Apostles used familial spiritual titles with great adoration and affection.
Regarding Mat 23:9, which you quoted, McArthur comments, "Here Jesus condemns pride and pretense, not titles per se. . . . Christ is merely forbidding the use of such names as spiritual titles, or in an ostentatious sense that accords undue spiritual authority to a human being, as if he were the source of truth rather than God..."
The bible says what it says. "You must be born again" (John 3). Have you been born again?
Let the man rest in the grave,its between him and his maker,keep our eyes upon Jesus the sinless one,our redeemer and Saviour
He who is without sin, cast the first stone...
A Christian leader is to be held to the very clear moral standards laid out in the Bible. This is not about judgment. We are all undeserving of grace and yet our leaders are to be above reproach, completely submitted to God and his church, unentitled to any special moral treatment.
And the women he misused-are they to just deal with it because we don’t dare “judge”? God is a God of justice and mercy for the victim and calls his people to be the same.
This attitude smacks of laziness rather than grace.
@@kristasaari255 ok then, so was King David perfect? He was Isreal greatest king, & he murdered & committed adultery, do you view him any less?
Jesus was the ONLY sinless person period.
I guarantee in the end Ravi has done more for the body of Christ than you will in your lifetime
David repented. We have clear record of that. Ravi doesn’t appear to have done so as far as anyone can tell. I believe Jesus has ready and available grace for all who repent, including David and hopefully Ravi. Jesus himself said many who call him Lord and do wonderful things in his name are wolves in sheep’s clothing and will be turned away in the end. Whether this includes Ravi is not up to me. I believe that the Almighty God will do what’s right. He gets to be the Judge, and from his own words he has dire warnings for those who do not follow him.
@@kristasaari255 Well said Krista. I think what Piper mentioned is very insightful on "untethered calls for mercy," Ravi appears to have used this approach to manipulate people to get them to feel sorry for himself to get the outcome he desired. He used working for God's kingdom as a means to indulge in sexual prevision (I did read the full report). I'm not sure how you can compare that to King David. David seems to had moments of weakness but then we would repent and come to his senses Ravi's actions must be dealt with in truth.
@@kristasaari255 no grace without repentance.
This is one of the clearest explanations ive ever heard on this difficult issue. Thank you brother John and team. Bless you.
Well said... Very clear...
Sorry, but accusations and a one sided investigation with no defense does not make a person guilty. Ravi's ministry has blessed me over the years and I am not jumping on the accusation bandwagon against a dead man. I stand with Ravi's family. And the way that RZIM and all these so called Godly preachers are treating a widow, makes me suspect them more as the ungodly ones than Ravi. I did read the investigative report and in no way was it convincing of any wrong thing of Ravi. Any time someone speaks first on a matter, it may seem true....but after a solid defense, then the other seems true. There are always two sides to every story. We've only heard one.....after Ravi is dead and cannot defend himself.
Only God can read your heart, remember David was a man after Gods own heart (ACTS 13:22) and committed adultery and even had her husband killed to cover it up(2 Samuel 11:1-27), yet God still described him as having a perfect heart(Kings 11:4) Why? Because he repented and was truly sorry and had a relationship with God that only him and God understood, so who are we as human beings to judge someone's actions without understanding their heart? Our thoughts are not God's thoughts, neither or our ways his ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) Let God be true and every man a liar.(Romans 3:4)
Amen wk. t 🙏🙏
@@chosenone1481 yes, and potifer's wife falsely accused Joseph and was believed by everyone. Joseph went to prison for a long time.
Yes that's true. Satan is really an accuser! Although lots of us have failures and sins but thanks God for his forgiveness. For this kind of accusations on Ravi, the only thing to do is to wait for God's judgement when truth is unveiled.
Yes. Don't let the imperfections of men to distract you from the perfection of Christ.
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
A very eloquent, thought-provoking response that was easy to understand, Biblical, truthful, but also humble at the same time. Great work Pastor, all glory to God for granting you wisdom to guide.
Thank you for your explanation Ptr. John. I was very sad and confused when I heard about Ravi's issues. I am one of the many, whose faith was strengthened by him. You have helped process my emotions.
"Truth is Truth," whether a godly man speaks it or an ungodly one. If a person is genuinely saved or spiritually fed through someone who later turns out to be false, the *saved/fed person need not question their own salvation or spiritual growth. The one who spoke the Truth to them was merely a planter or waterer of God's Word, and it was/is God who gives the increase.
It can be sad and confusing, but ungodly (unsaved/unrepentant/hypocritical/apostate) people speak God's Word all the time, and it still accomplishes that which it is sent out to do. The Gospel saves people, not people themselves. The Word changes people, not the ministers shouting it. And we love the Truth, who is Jesus, not, necessarily, the pastors who tell us the Truth. Jesus is the Savior, not men.
*Edited to clarify that being saved/fed by someone who is later proven to be a false Christian does not diminish the holy work accomplished in the people the false Christian ministered to.
No one is perfect no matter how we tried to be, we are made out of dust weak & fragile. Only God is perfect. Ravi has done well with his career it doesnot mean that he must be perfect. So just take the good ignore the wrong.
Be careful about processing this man's sin. We all are of our own humanness desperately wicked. Even our speaker. Sin is sin. Make your own lives right with God.
That was my first thought when I read this headline. Is it mine to process? Men will always be infallible, only one was perfect. I’ll process & work out my own sin with my savior. I feel for his family and will pray for them. I’ll leave God to judge Ravi’s sin. While I strive to be able to answer questions half as eloquently as he was able to.
@@LBforTRUTH well said 👏
@pilanceboil thank you for sharing your thoughts, well said, and heart provoking. I suppose it is a form of processing a subject.
I believe that my concern is that we are all capable of this accused sin. We all are sinners even if we are born again.
Praise God one day we will be in our new glorified body to never sin again.
Well said. Being a sinner qualifies us for the prize. It does not disqualify. As we signed on for "forgiveness of sins." Christians, we are!!
Don’t let the imperfections and failures of men turn you away from the perfections and the triumphs of Christ, who will never, never fail you.
A Double Life lived Contrary to the Christian Conscience is a Shipwreck about to happen.
1. Souls saving, Christ Exalting Truth may be spoken by Hypocrites.
2. Porsaking a Good Conscience is prelude to Moral Disaster.
3. The Amassing of Money & the pursuit of Lavish Lifestyles through Ministry are Alarm bells of Love of this Age.
Thank you John!! 🙌💯❤️
Ravi Zacharias will always remain a defender of God and His Word.
By the way, the ignorant athiest even say that Christ was just a man and his wife was Mary Magdelene.
I don't know about Ravi's misfortune. But I hope for no man to deviate from the path to righteousness.
It is incredibly hard to see this happen but one thing I thought of was that those beautiful words of the gospel are not his words, they are beautiful because the Lord have them to us all. God bless you John piper for addressing this issue. I think it was best to wait a bit for the dust to settle for us all to truly appreciate what you had to say on the subject.
Through this disaster, there’s also another thing to be remembered.
“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. “ 1cor 10:12
It is right to talk about what happened with Ravi. But let’s be careful to begin to judge him as if we will never, never fall like that. Why? Because everyone of us is at risk while we’re in this damned body of sin.
So, talk about this difficult matter, and learn what it has to be learned.
Because John Piper, John MacArthur, Paul washer, Timothy Keller, name your preacher, are not free totally from their sin nor this fallen and horrible world( the whole creation is groaning ) , not while they’re alive.
So let’s take heed brothers and see you in heaven you all.
Wow! Great! That verse is so true! If we say we would never do the same as Ravi then we don't know the gravity of sin nor how much we rely on Christ to keep us from sin.
Amen!! Amen!! Truth
I think its important to note that, King David, saw his sin and it destroyed him in depression and he clung to Gods undeserving forgiveness
And repented publicly.
@@thereisnopandemic indeed. Thank you for adding that, crucially important. I mean, theres been lots of public cries of repent from big televangelist but they tend to cycle back which is a sign of unfruitfulness.
And i get that people want to be optimistic but sin must he called out, and, as my preacher used to say, you have more than enough time to turn from sin than to cultivate it.
I will remain optimistic, but only because i do believe a faulty mans ministry can still impact people. Was he a repenting man? Doesn’t seem like it, a sexually tempted man is a potentially sinning man, a secretly sinning man is likely an unsaved man.
@@koffeesaint1263 Whether or not Ravi was truly saved is more than we can know. That is ultimately between him and God. I am reluctant to say that he was not saved. 1 Corinthians 3:15. Comparison to David, however, is misplaced. David made multiple terrible mistakes and repented. Ravi did not just make a mistake. He led a double life, for years, perhaps decades, concealing this from his family and closest associates. There is no sign of repentance, although we cannot know what was in his heart on his deathbed. But it is not comparable with David.
@B K dude! Read the official report. It’s definitely not “baseless”.
@@76JStucki king david clearly had discretionary time (2sam 11:2).
Thank you 🙏 everyone points to David but David REPENTED and it becomes very apparent to everyone. He didn’t hide from it or blame anyone. Thank you for the clear examples of people who were not saved but have the gospel. It is painful, scary and humbling to think that we can give the truth but not be saved ourselves 😱 Jesus have mercy on us and save those who believe they’re saved 🙏
Thank you Pastor Piper for reminding us to fix our eyes on Jesus 🙏🏾
Thank you so much for not being like other TH-camrs who are saying Ravi's sin is no big deal, or that his sin was so minor compared to the great work he did. Thank you for keeping the Bible front and center of the discussion.
Strawman
We all fall short. That's why the cross is soooo important!!
No it’s not.
@@FahimusAlimus Yeah it is. It’s the whole basis of the gospel!
@@markreese4991 the gospels weren’t from God
@@FahimusAlimus What are you trying to get at? Okay, the cross isn’t important, so how does this help people who are trying to follow jesus’ teachings? What are you trying to correct? This is a legitimate question by the way.
@@uchiha453 he’s trolling probably a Muslim
Anyone can fall, especially when we are in the limelight and treated like a celebrity.
@A. Catarina A. M. Right? I don't know why Christians are having such a 'soft' attitude towards this. "well we're not supposed to judge" Of course we are!! Call him out as a wolf that he was and let the world know he was no Christian. He didn't just sin every now and then, he practiced it and it was his lifestyle. The Bible is quite clear you can't serve two masters and that we are supposed to crucify the flesh on the cross.
He started his ministry with lies about where he studied and his qualifications. Then he used church funds to buy a massage parlour so that he could abuse women. At no point did he turn from his sin and repent. He used to spend half the year in Thailand by himself 'writting his book'. You can imagine the stuff he used to get up to there. He was a sinful man only looking for forfill his own desires.
Victor, I agree here. When any human is glorified to the title of Celebrity. Temptation becomes hard to fight off. Glory is God's alone.
He assaulted women. He wasn't tempted.
I gave up on RZIM about 3-4 years before the first hints of scandal in Ravi’s life. Why? As an accountant, I always check out the online financial statement of organizations. There were numerous red flags you could see in the RZIM financial statements. 1). The board of directors was Ravi and his family. There was no accountability. 2). The salaries of Ravi and his family were quite excessive. 3). The organization had tens of tens of tens of millions of dollars in the bank. When ever I see this sort of thing, the red flags of Jude and 2Peter immediately come to the forefront. When you have greed and the unwillingness to submit to authority, bad theology and sexual sin are almost sure to follow. So I was not surprised when, years later, a secret life of sin was revealed.
1 Timothy 5:20 - "But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning."
“Never judge a philosophy by its abuse.” - Ravi Zacharias
I think its C. S. Lewis..
@@supersmart671 I think it was Saint Augustine originally
Brilliant, whoever said it first. It bears repetition. Thanks for that comment, wise brother Bilbro.
“Augustine said it”
Never abuse only 1 woman if more can be abused…
Ravi Zacharias
The same way I proceed King David’s sins. I still love the Psalm and read them. Ravi was a gifted teacher and taught God’s Word! He was a sinner saved by grace. Anyone who hasn’t sinned cast the first stone! ❤️
excellent, biblical, Christian, humane, grace-filled response. I admire and love the bit , " anyone who hasn’t sinned cast the first stone! " ❤
David repented. Ravi was living a double life and there is no evidence he repented.
@@samsonsugunakumar917 Read the rest of the verse. Jesus said go and sin no more. He called for repentance and there is no evidence he repented.
@@TheJpep2424 Just because he did not do it in front of you does not mean he did not repent.
Everyday we woke up on his sick bed before he passed away, he prayed to God and prayed for forgiveness just the way we all do
Amen
Why are you concerned about Ravi and not yourself?
I have processed it in two ways: One, by not caring as it has nothing to do with me, and it is unethical to prosecute a man without a proper trial. For all we know, all of this information could be false. HE STILL HAS A FAMILY and loved ones, and it does no good and Christian service to drag the dead man's name through the mud just for our entertainment. The bible instructs us that if we are involved in some sort of dispute or problem, that we should do so privately, and if it doesn't concern us, to mind our own business. Read Proverbs if you've forgotten how God wants us to behave. Oh wait, Solomon did far worse than Ravi, AND fell away from God and worshiped the idols of his foreign wives, yeah, so maybe throw out Proverbs and lets just focus on the failures of Solomon and how to "process" that. All the so called Christian media attention around this event reeks of an episode of Dateline: Kiddie Diddle. "Ooh, that's dirty, isn't it?"
The second way I process it is to not make money off of it, as you are doing here. Good work pouring lemon juice on the wounds of his innocent family and loved ones. Good Christian service there, DG. You must be very proud.
This might be the most Pharisaical thing I've heard. He didn't even address the "David" reference. The references to Judas (and others) are legit. The difference, we actually have Scripture (authority) to affirm they were not true believers. You can have your doubts and concerns about someone's salvation (not authority btw), but to act like you know they are a Judas, is to be the kind of Pharisee Jesus rebuked. It would do the Reformed community (of which I consider myself) well to remember there will be a lot more prostitutes in the kingdom than Pharisees. Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom.
If this incident spurs us to do anything, it is to make sure that all of us are being held accountable by other believers - no matter the position.
Shouldn't it also urge us to believe those who speak up? To not dismiss or trash people who speak up against someone who is powerful, knowing that it is going to cost them so much by speaking up?
@@erinjames5776 Yes, anytime allegations are made it is important to investigate before making assumptions one way or the other.
I appreciate how Pastor John's aim here was not to placate Ravi's fans or even to preserve his memory, but to shepherd our hearts to soberly assess where we stand before God and in our life and ministries. These are warnings I must hear regularly, for the deceit of sin and allure of the world would have us turn from the perfections of the Son of God. Thank you DG & pastor John!
I don't think we are fans. He is our brother in Christ , we love him, forgive him and have compassion because we all know how easy it is to mess up. I guess you may have the opportunity to talk to him about it in heaven. I say that because I'm not sure where you stand. God be with us all.
Thank you for responding to this candidly. As a young college student I admired RZIM for their global work in apologetics and I will admit that their early ministry has bolstered my faith. But as I continued to grow in my faith and being guided by the Holy Spirit by living by God's Word and having a love for truth, I have noticed throughout the years Ravi's aberrance. It seemed as if he was more interested in grandiloquence rather than expositing biblical truth, he would quote a few of God's Word but would spend the entire sermon indulging in quotes from philosophers, poets, moralists, theologians, etc. He would also mingle with mormans, muslims, buddhists, as if they all believed in the same truth. Sad to say but I'm not surprised by his downfall and it is indeed a tragedy. But if Satan can deceive 1/3 of the angels in heaven, how much more can he decieve us mortal humans. "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." I Corinthians 10:12 NKJV
We don't even know the full story of what happened. And if Ravi was living in continuous unrepetant sin or if he was struggling to overcome it. Everyone mentioned in the bible especially in the line of Christ's genealogy is filled with murderous, adultrers, liars and prostitues. God came for sinners. And as Paul said of whom I AM CHIEF. Sure you should not cover up a fellow believer's crime if it is found and justice needs to be given but stop condemning. You who are spiritual should lift that person up in gentleness and turn him to repentance back to God. Bear each others weight.
I'm reminded of the adultress women caught and how Jesus handled, my submission is that we look at the board in our eye, than look at the spec in others eye... The Lord is the righteous Judge... Let's leave judgement to our Lord..
What an incredibly wisdom filled non condemning instruction. Wow. thank you Pastor John
A clear conscience all the money in this world can never buy.
I respect how the ministry doesn't monetize ads in their videos
okay?
????
Why's that important? They can use the money for charity or spreading the word of God even if they do decide to monetise it in the future.
I once hastily commented negatively on his Son's website who was defending Ravi. I had a huge rebuke from God, cautioning me He was the Judge. That place is soley Gods Place. it is Christ who justifies...ans there is no more condemnation fie those in Christ. I truly believe Ravi must have silently repented in his last days at home n like the thief on the Cross, he waa given a chance with body destroyed but soul saved. God used him much as i used his vcs's and dvd's as a personal evangelist, and God used his sharing and preaching powerfully
No one is perfect except one - His name is Christ Jesus
Why pick on Ravi Zacharias then when all have sinned and come short of the glory of God .
Well said 👏
Don’t focus on the man- the human- the sinner saved by Grace; focus on the one who saved you , who has you; who died fir you being PERFECT and without sin - took your place for punishment and wages to be paid
That truth alone should fill
You with Grace and humility and forgiveness for those who fall short
Trust in Christ alone!
Starting out with David as a Biblical example is excellent. We must grieve for all. We must hold out love and help for them, too. We must forgive, as God has forgiven us. We must also learn to not let such evil happen again.
Solomon, the wisest man, sinned against God and yet we have his writings in the Holy Bible .. it doesn't matter to me what he does .. i don't have the freedom to judge anyone...we are all sinners saved by grace in the eyes of the Lord... But what Zacharias taught were related to the living words of the living God which are infallible...that's all I need..
It's spiritual immaturity to fall into the trap of canceling Ravi for his failures. That's what the enemy is trying to accomplish. His lifes work stands on its own.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Comparing myself with that douchebag, I think I am more than qualified to fking shoot up, let alone cast a stone lol
Wow. Nice reply. I thank God for it
Yessss!!!!
@@KuldeepSharma-rk2pbGenuine question: what did he talk about that threatened Christian leaders? What specifically are you referring to?
Nothing man! I just loved his teachings! I feel bad about what they did to him! I loved him and his teachings! I am just sad for his death, please pardon my rant! Sorry@@jameswhite7997
"Don't let the imperfections and failures of men turn you away from the perfections and the triumphs of Christ who will never never fail you."
I would say he was a man who at times helped me (and many others i imagine) find answers to some of the most difficult questions regarding my faith and I will always be thankful to God for that. To see the allegations that he faced the same struggles that every single Christian has faced should come as no surprise to anyone. Should we disregard the wisdom of King Soloman because of his lust? Should we diregard to Psalms because of King David's lust? Seeing the reactions at times such as this helps mke identify the goats and the sheep.
Every man is addicted to lust - this is why God instituted marriage.
We all sin and fall short of the glory of God There is none righteous no not one. That’s what the bible says
Doesn't surprise me. I have never met the perfect person in ministry. It does sadden me every time, however.
Sincere thoughts brother. I could say almost the same thing here
You both clearly prove that you do not understand scripture.
Over and over I am confronted by believers who claim that it is impossible for a believer to stop sinning in this lifetime and they will come right out and admit that they still possess sin in their life. Little do they realize just how lost and deceived they actually are since they are admitting with their very own words that they do not know God nor do they even possess God’s Holy Spirit.
“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”
I John 3:8-9 NKJV
“Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.”
I John 3:6 NKJV
So scripture clearly relates that anyone who does sin does not know God nor have they ever seen God and there is not even one scripture that ever reveals that a sinner can be a child of God or that a sinner can actually know who God is. Scripture is definitely relating that if you are a slave to sin then you will certainly die an eternal death.
“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”
Romans 6:16 NKJV
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 NKJV
What the vast majority of believers clearly do not understand is that any believer who truly possesses the Holy Spirit and who is living by the Holy Spirit cannot possibly sin since they are now someone who is allowing the Holy Spirit to guide them in their lives. A holy person is someone who does not sin and they are living righteously in the eyes of God just as He commanded. So any believer who truly possesses the Holy Spirit can no longer sin since they are no longer living by what their sinful flesh desires. It is impossible for them to sin since they are now living through the Holy Spirit and since God’s Spirit is Holy it cannot possibly sin.
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
Romans 8:13-14 ESV
“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
I Peter 1:15-16 NKJV
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.”
Galatians 5:16-18 NLT
We are all born in sin and in ignorance of God’s truth. This did not mean that everyone will live their entire lives in sin as many are foolishly believing though. Yes, scripture relates that Jesus was born without sin and that He lived His entire life without sinning so Jesus certainly was the only sinless person. However scripture is definitely not relating that His followers will always sin or that they will always have sickness in their lives. Scripture is actually stating the exact opposite of that nonsense and it is relating how the children of God will learn how to overcome their sin and their sicknesses through God’s gift of His Holy Spirit.
Scripture describes how sickness is the result of sin and that sin and sickness can only be found in unbelievers and deceived believers who fell for the devil and his lies. Sin and sickness cannot be found in anyone who is a sanctified believer since they are now someone who is truly living by the Holy Spirit. They are now a Christian who is a child that is born of God and they cannot possibly sin. So if you are someone who can get sick then you are certainly proving that you are still living in sin since sickness is a curse and it reveals that you are disobeying God and His commands.
If you do not believe that what I am relating is truth then read Deuteronomy 28 since it clearly reveals that sickness is a curse for anyone who chooses to live in disobedience and in sin. God clearly stated in scripture that if we would truly follow Him, obey His commands and do not sin then He would not allow the devil to touch us with sickness or disease since God will now remove them from our life.
“So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.”
Exodus 23:25-26 NKJV
“And said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”
Exodus 15:26 NKJV
“And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.”
Deuteronomy 7:15 NKJV
“We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.”
I John 5:18 NKJV
Psalm 107:17. “Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.”
Know what this above scripture means? First transgression, it means an act that goes against a rule, a law or a code of conduct. Next iniquity, it means a wicked act or thing, sin. Finally, affliction, it means something that causes persistent pain or suffering. Translated it is saying that you are a fool if you do not follow God’s laws and commands and you go and sin because you will then have pain, suffering and sickness.
So our lack of knowledge of scripture will then lead us into sin and sin then opens the door for the devil to torment us with sickness and suffering. God allows this to occur since God warned us many times that our ignorance of His truth would allow sin and the devil to destroy our lives and even the lives of our children. And yes our sins can definitely be passed onto our children since they are also vulnerable to the attacks of Satan and his demons.
“And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
Exodus 34:6-7 NKJV
The iniquity (immoral behavior, sin) of the fathers will visit the children to the third and fourth generations. In other words the sins that the parents are committing will then be laid upon their children and their children’s children. Since everyone is born in ignorance of God’s truth this is why God commanded the parents to teach their children His word and truth so that they would then understand how to live holy and righteously and not live in sin.
Now there are many believers who do not believe that their sins can be past unto their children and for some it is because they have confused what the Ezekiel 18:20-24 scripture is relating. This scripture is simply revealing how our eternal fate is based on the sins that we ourselves commit during our lifetime. We will all answer to God for the sins that we ourselves commit so a child will not be eternally condemned for the sins of their parent nor a parent condemned for the sins of their child. This scripture has nothing to do with how we are born into this sinful fallen world though.
So anyone who claims that they cannot stop sinning clearly reveals that they are nothing more then a deceived believer who is simply an unbeliever since they have fallen for the devil lies. Plus anyone who can get sick or anyone who feels like they need to take this COVID vaccine also proves that they do not know God nor do they understand the blessing that Jesus provided for all of mankind through his Holy Spirit. These people clearly have never experienced God’s spiritual awakening and this is why they cannot comprehend what scripture is relating. The devil has them exactly where he desires them to be since he has blinded their eyes to truth and he clearly has them believing his lies and his utter nonsense.
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
II Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV
@@mikerutkowski7265 pretty sure they are referring to willful sins that should be removed from your life and I don’t think we’re perfect and completely sinless we can still become angry with one another and fall to sin in our human nature.
Yeah, I have never met the perfect person but I have met a few who think they are. Saddens me every time too!
@@j.gonzalez1146 well you certainly just proved that you do not possess the Holy Spirit and that you are clearly and unbelieving child of the devil who is utterly clueless in regards to God and scripture.
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Matthew 5:48 NKJV
Just what fool, there are no scriptures to back up the nonsense that you just related.
Just because he sinned doesn't make his beliefs false. That's how I processed it...
@A. Catarina A. M. No, but what I want to ask you is, do you think what he said about Jesus all his life is false?
If you do than you're faith is way to weak, BUT if you don't than you're faith was strong enough to endure what transpired and not actually loose your faith. I'm not sure if you are a Christian and in all honesty as a Christian I couldn't care less about your choice of religion, but if you truly believe God's Word than you would forgive him even though he did what he did, because that is what Jesus requires from us.
If what I said is Cringe to you than you need to seek other spiritual advice from another church if the church repulses you now.
Also he is human he makes mistakes, I am just glad he was caught so that he can ask the Lord's forgiveness, because that's all I care about.
@Faisal Siraj Seek Help before it's too late.
But let us stay Focused. On Forgiveness to be Forgiven. Recalling The Lord's Prayer.
No man is beyond grave mistakes...
If he repented in the end....everything else is illrevelant.
I never believed that Ravi had a problem, now I heard from the one whom I need to hear with the right response. Thank you Pastor John. May God continue His abundant blessings to you!
This situation has caused me much reflection and contemplation. And I've been avoiding comment but here goes.
First, I recognize that as a human I'm a sinner by nature. Therefore I'll leave judgement to Jesus.And as Jesus taught "let him without sin cast the first stone".
Second, Irecognize that we all have feet of clay.
Most important, imho, weneed to make sure that we are worshipping Jesus and not preachers. Jesus told the people to make sure they were worshipping God and not the Pharisees. And while preachers can guide us, they are humans, and not to be worshipped.
I refuse to believe any of the allegations on Ravi. It just doesn’t add up. Not to say that humans don’t fail. But it makes no sense to me. Only God knows the truth. Let’s not be quick to speak. For Piper to say these things like he knows it’s true for a fact upsets me so much.
He was still used by God. Always stay humbled, never judge
Pastor John thank you for your wisdom on this.
Pastor John, will all due respect, could and would you say the same thing about yourself if it ever were to turn out after your own death that you had been living a double-life, then??? I.e., "Don’t let the imperfections and failures of men turn you away from the perfections and the triumphs of Christ, who will never, never fail you."
-John Piper
I believe that when pastor John Piper said "religious profession" and the issue of "conscience" he nail the situation completely.
We must check our heart continuously for not live a christian double christian life by forsaking a good conscience before the Lord. We must seek our Lord in private praying honestly about our heart.
I am processing my own sins, had even forgotten about Ravi.
It just reiterate what the Bible says, our full trust can only be give to God through Jesus, people although we must care and love them, can always fail, so we must never give our full trust to anyone other than God.
Where were the accusers of Ravi Zacharias cross examined as to their findings and methodology of inquiry? As a former cop, I've been to more than several criminal trials and the prosecution witnesses/detectives always had to respond to inquiry from those who questioned the evidence.
I read the report from Martin and Milner and did not detect that this took place.
Pastor John as a man of the cloth all I heard from you was accusations after accusations after accusation. I think U are one of those holier than thou people. If I was thinking of being saved you would definitely turn me off😢
His family is on the process of #defendingravi and investigating now for the aunthenticy of the evidence
Exactly. There were a lot of misleading and ambiguous statements made by the lawyers.. his wife rifled through everything.. the photos were not nude photos.. Ravi is not here to defend himself.. we can't judge!
As soon as I get ALL the beams out of my own eye I might take a look at the speck in anothers. Thank you Father for the ministry that went forth from this brother. I pray it did and will bare fruit for your eternal kingdom. Lord Jesus come quickly.
1 Timothy 5:19-25 commands us to publicly rebuke the sins of spiritual leaders
What about the victims? As Christians are we too leave them to suffer alone? What would Jesus do? Would appreciate your opinions
@@christopherg.matton9610 This has already happened. He has been publicly rebuked. We don't need to continue to live with hard hearts and judgment of him to this day. For our own heart's sake we can't live in hatred toward him. We need to forgive as we have been forgiven.
@@David-ys1dt Definitely not, now is a time for grieving and healing with all victims of abuse, everywhere.
Whatever, Ravi had a beam in his eye and it may sound like you want to keep a beam comparatively hidden in your own eye.
"Don't let the imperfections and failures of men turn you away from the perfections and triumphs of Christ who will never, never fail you." There are clever quotes, illuminating analogies and brilliant songs that I enjoy from people like this (who were found to have no love for God) and I can keep my conscience clear by glorifying and honoring the God and scripture they are based upon and not the human author.
Than you for the teaching, Lord, from the word. That will be my guide. Lord, please save the souls of the surviving members of Ravi's family.
Ravi’s sins?? Duuuude I myself could give Paul and king David a run for their money off my sins alone lol. I’m not gonna answer for Ravi. I’m gonna answer for me. But that doesn’t negate to us humans Ravi’s words and work.
Well said.
God knows Ravi and all of us better than any human. Let God judge Ravi because he is no longer with us.
Ravi would much rather prefer being judged by us right now
I'm also a sinful man....in need of His mercy !
From the very first time I heard about the news, I was more or less apathetic and my viewpoint of Ravi did not change one bit.
Every single person has the capacity for any form of evil.
Anyone that reads the bible or even understands the teachings of Jordan Peterson knows this.
What's to process? "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one". Pretty much sums it up. Stay in God's word.
You wrong WE ARE RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE EYES OF GOD Jesus tooked ALL OUR SINS ON THE CRUCE!
When the adulterous woman was brought to Jesus by so called righteous people to stone this woman to death
But Jesus said to the very people who brought her, who ever is without sin throw the first stone.
No one dared to throw the stone at her because they were sinful as well.
So judge not or you will be judged in the measure you judge.
SO SET YOUR HEART RIGHT BEFORE THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY JESUS CHRIST.
FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF THE KNOWLEDGE.
FEAR HIM WHO CAN DESTROY BOTH BODY AND SOUL.
GOD IS NOT ONLY LOVE BUT HE IS ALSO GOD OF ANGER AND WRATH. TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR HIS LOVE,GRACE,COMPASSION,FORGIVENESS,
SEEK GOD AND MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH HIM
I don't remember Robbie Zachariah openly apologizing at all for any of the allegations...........King David did (Psalm 51)
Bottom line, David spelling to send Zacharias was a practicing participant!
Hasn't anyone listened to the family's side of the story? Or we're just going to ignore it altogether?
Exactly, his wife rifled through everything, the 200 pictures were not nude pictures.. Ravi is not here to defend himself, a lot of statements made by miller company lawyers are ambiguous and misleading.. Ravi's phone was always available to the family as he wasn't tech savvy. I find it hard to believe that Ravi lived (so consistently without ever being caught ) a double life.. I believe he is in heaven. We shall see.. because Ravi's accusations happened after his death their us no way we can judge!
@@amyatkinson7277 there were previous accusations and investigations before Ravi's death. He had multiple phones and refused to hand all of them over.
@@amyatkinson7277 indeed!
Honestly? It doesn't matter. Why? Because my focus isn't on a pastor who fail from grace (nothing new anyways)
We just have to pray that people have a heart for His truth and run away from sin, just like Joseph did. We all fall short of glory. Lift each other up in love and if a pastor is doing something wrong, rebuke them for it before it can lead to Ravi's choice.
Open rebuke is greater than secret love.
It matters to victims. Don't wait until you become one. You'd regret what you said if someone says that to you
@@smcs there are no such thing as victims, only volunteers. We are more than conquerors if we actually abide by Him and His word.
@@Vnm-sh1jv No one volunteers to be hurt by someone. And yes we are more than conquerors through Christ. But these things do affect people and for some cause pain. It didn’t you...great! But Please don’t be inconsiderate and insensitive for those hurt by this.
@@db2888 yeah, that's true. Sorry. I'm working on that right now.
Overall, some great insights, very helpful to me especially around untethered sympathy. I confess I have used that myself, many times in my mind. Lord, forgive me.
I heard sorrow for Ravi's family in the aftermath, but how about for the many victims that were emotionally, spiritually and sexually abused? They need our prayers, they are still living with this and their faith was deeply harmed or may never want to approach Jesus again. God have mercy on each one of them!
Not excusing Ravi's sin but we all fall short. JESUS is our spiritual leader not any man. Pray for Ravi's family.
Here's my take: Ravi was a creep who hid it very well. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing. His family, friends, staff AND the "VICTIMS" KNEW and were complicit in aiding and abetting his sins. God can and will use even evil people to draw people yo Him. Don't put your trust in mankind, Only trust God.
Thanks so much for this p John!
I'm also a pastor and listening to this really sharpened the need to be careful and alert to what is truly in my heart. The examples of Judas and Demas really struck home with me
Let us encourage each other and pray for our pastors and leaders. The devil usually strike our leaders first.
Lead by Paul David Tripp is a great book for this
When I first heard about the scandal, I took it as some people wanting to slam a dead man not around to defend himself. However, his own ministry team investigated the allegations and evidence was found to affirm them.
My heart broke. I learned so much from Ravi and despite his secret sin life, that doesn’t erase the truth of the Gospel. I remember him sharing a story about a colleague visiting India. He saw a woman alone bathing in the lake. His conscience told him to not look and keep moving on. However, he didn’t.
The man soon took off his clothes and swam out to the woman and when he got close enough he was horrified to see that the woman had leprosy. He thought, “Wow, what a hideous, ugly woman.” But then he looked inward and realized that it was his heart that was hideous and ugly.
I wonder if Ravi ever thought that story was ironic or did he keep telling himself that he’s justified to do what is wrong? I hope in his final moments he truly repented :’(
Did anyone actually have the physical proof that pastor Ravi had committed the sin? I question the motive for accusing someone who can’t defend himself & added shame/ wounds to his family. I trust God’s justice & pray soon let the truth be revealed.
im sorry this makes me sick. the evidence is ridiculously overwhelming but you choose to defend a sex pest. he is a sexual offender and one woman described it as rape. think about the wounds the HUNDREDS of women who suffered because of him. shame on you
@@aodhanobrien545 I believe the woman who had described it as rape had monetary gain at interest
@@WakeRunSleep surely this comment is a joke right? and how would you even know that she made that up for money? seems like you have just made that up to suit your narrative and demonise a sex abuse victim...
@@aodhanobrien545 Lori Anne Thompson said initially in her accusation she wanted no money but later asked for a large sum of money as she had a history of doing prior to Ravi.
@@WakeRunSleep okay. its called compensation and happens in sooo many cases, especially sexual assault. That does not mean at all that she made it up for money and to suggest so is actually shocking
Sounds like an attempt to justify Ravi thru David...
Was Ravi a man "after God's own heart" I DOUBT IT.
Ofcourse this is Shocking,, but only question why this all issues are coming up now ... why all these victims didn't speak when he was alive. Ultimately GOD is supreme Judge .