Choosing To Stay in a Church for Wrong Reasons

I recently spoke with dear colleagues who have chosen to remain under an unfaithful church leadership.

They shared that they stay because they trust their leaders yet in the same breath acknowledged that these same leaders have lied to them and erred in biblical leadership multiple times.

That tension alone should sober us.

I deeply understand relational bonds. I understand emotional attachment, history, shared memories, and spiritual affection. These are real and powerful.

But Scripture never teaches that emotional connection is the standard for spiritual authority. Truth and integrity are.

Biblical leadership is not a gray matter.

Scripture sets a clear unwavering standard. A bishop then must be above reproach. Moreover he must be well thought of by outsiders. Not double tongued.

A leader who knowingly lies and remains unrepentant is not merely flawed. He is biblically disqualified until repentance and restoration are evident.

Brothers and sisters, choosing where your soul is formed and where your faith is nurtured must never be based on emotional comfort, loyalty to personalities or fear of loss. It must be rooted in truth, integrity and faithfulness to Christ.

Do not allow fringe issues such as relationships, familiarity, convenience or sentimentality to eclipse the main issue which is this:

Is Christ being honored through truth, holiness, and integrity in leadership.

Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth.

Staying under compromised leadership trains the conscience to tolerate what God calls us to confront. Over time that tolerance always dulls spiritual discernment.

The church belongs to Christ not to leaders, not to friendships, not to emotional histories. And Christ is never served by lies, compromise or the fear of man.

May the Lord give us the courage to choose faithfulness over familiarity, truth over comfort and Christ over all.