Internalizing the Falwell Fall

By David Ettinger

Salacious Account
It was a salacious account, and I haven’t much to say about it other than to opine as to how Christians should react to it.

Jerry Falwell Jr. resigned his post as president of the Christian college Liberty University because of a sex scandal involving his wife Becki. Both admitted to Mrs. Falwell having an ongoing sexual affair with a pool boy named Giancarlo Granda. Other lewd accusations associated with this narrative are best left unsaid.

Rather than add my 2 cents to the manifold streams of commentary resulting from this story, I choose to take a personal approach.

Two Verses
Whenever I read about the fall of a Christian leader, two verses come to mind. The first is 2 Samuel 12:14: “However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme …” The second verse is 1 Corinthians 10:12: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”

All Christians would do well to consider these passages.

1 Samuel 12:14
David had sinned in the ugliest of ways with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). He lusted after the married woman, summoned her to his bed, slept with her, and she became pregnant. To conceal that he was the father, he ordered Uriah – Bathsheba’s husband – back to Jerusalem from the country of Ammon, with whom Israel was at war.

David filled Uriah’s belly with wine, making him drunk, then commanded he return to his home and sleep with his wife, thus making it appear he was the father. Uriah, however, refused as he could not in good conscious sleep with his wife while his fellow troops were engaged in battle. David countered by sending Uriah back and ordering General Joab to put him in a position where he was sure to be killed. It worked.

Later, the prophet Nathan confronted David on behalf of the Lord and condemned him for what he had done. He ended the censure by saying: “However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme …”

How had David done this? News of his sin would reach the pagans, causing them – the Lord’s enemies – to speak ill of, and mock, the Lord.

The lesson is clear: When Christians sin, especially publicly, we extend to unbelievers an open invitation to scorn and ridicule both God and His people. This is what is happening as unbelievers are having a field day deriding God, Christians, and Christianity.

This is what sin in the Christian does, even if done secretly. Every time I sin, I feel as if I have mocked and disdained God; that I have spit at His feet and repudiated the salvation He so lovingly and graciously granted to me.

1 Corinthians 10:12
In verses 1-11, the apostle Paul reviewed the sins of the ancient Israelites, who though basking in God’s bounty, were put to death because of their blatant sin. Paul tells the Corinthians – and all Christians since – that “these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved” (v. 6).

But Paul knew the ways of believers, how they no doubt thought, “We are not like the sinful Israelites. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. We will never sin in such a way!” To such misguided thinking, Paul rebukes: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (v. 12).

And this is my foremost thought regarding the Falwell story, namely, that this could easily be me. I know what is within me and what I am capable of. In fact, in my 34 years as a Christian, I have crossed a few lines I should never have approached, and things could easily have deteriorated had I not immediately repented and turned back.

That was when I was in my mid-30s, but even at age 62 I am not on safe ground. No Christian is ever on safe ground when it comes to sin as every one of us can fall into it if we give ourselves over to it. The fight against sin is an ongoing battle, and we must seek God’s strength at all times.

So yes, be disgusted by the Falwell account, but also personalize it and take heed: Not one of us is standing so securely that we cannot fall.

Tagged: Fallen Christians, Living for God, Obeying God, Personal Account, Sin, The Falwells, The Sin of David

Posted in: Ancient Israel, Bible personalities, Bible study, Bible teaching, Christian Behavior, Christian Ethics, Christianity, Commentary, Culture, Current Events, Editorial/Blog, Men of the Bible, Moral Corruption, New Testament, Obeying God, Old Testament, Personal testimony, Practical, Repentance, Salvation in Christ, Sin