Are the unrighteous allowed to preach?

[Guest Butero]

If you are talking about habitual sins rather than someone who is just weak in some areas and stumbles from time to time, I agree with you that they shouldn't be in the ministry.  I wasn't sure exactly what you meant, so I appreciate you clarifying things. 

[Hall7]

If you are talking about habitual sins rather than someone who is just weak in some areas and stumbles from time to time, I agree with you that they shouldn't be in the ministry.  I wasn't sure exactly what you meant, so I appreciate you clarifying things.

Thank you, that's the words I was looking for "Habitual sins".

[The_Patriot21]

I always seem to pick the wrong titles for my threads. I know that none of us are perfectly righteous, and if we think we are then we have a case of over righteousness which is a very bad thing in God's eyes. So the question is how righteous should we be before we go out into the world to try to spread the Word of God? Should someone who has bad habbits such as smoking, drinking or fornicating try to bring people to the Lord or should they be cleansed of these sins before trying to help people? I mean say that we try to save someone by trying to teach them the gospel, and we hide our flaws in front of them, then they catch us at a bar smoking a cigarette talking to a woman, what will they think of what we have preached to them then? See what I mean. I'm not judging preachers or anyone I'm just trying to find out if its best to be quiet and try to renew our own spirit before we try to help others.

 

I know what you said, but the reality of it is, all sin is sin. It doesnt matter if its a small white lite-or someone who smokes constantly, guess what, its still sin, God doesn't differentiate. I mean to me maybe if the guy is a lying cheat whos stealing from the church and sleeping with all the young ladies, ya maybe you might have a problem, but if his worst crime is he smokes or occasionally lets out a four letter word, I think I may overlook that.

[Hall7]

I always seem to pick the wrong titles for my threads. I know that none of us are perfectly righteous, and if we think we are then we have a case of over righteousness which is a very bad thing in God's eyes. So the question is how righteous should we be before we go out into the world to try to spread the Word of God? Should someone who has bad habbits such as smoking, drinking or fornicating try to bring people to the Lord or should they be cleansed of these sins before trying to help people? I mean say that we try to save someone by trying to teach them the gospel, and we hide our flaws in front of them, then they catch us at a bar smoking a cigarette talking to a woman, what will they think of what we have preached to them then? See what I mean. I'm not judging preachers or anyone I'm just trying to find out if its best to be quiet and try to renew our own spirit before we try to help others.

 I know what you said, but the reality of it is, all sin is sin. It doesnt matter if its a small white lite-or someone who smokes constantly, guess what, its still sin, God doesn't differentiate. I mean to me maybe if the guy is a lying cheat whos stealing from the church and sleeping with all the young ladies, ya maybe you might have a problem, but if his worst crime is he smokes or occasionally lets out a four letter word, I think I may overlook that.

Yes sin is sin, but there are greater sin than others. Do you consider fornication an equal sin as drunkenness? Should someone who drinks to get drunk a couple of times a week feel comfortable to preach the gospel, should someone who fornicates a couple of times a week feel comfortable to preach the gospel? Do you think God oversees these sins because they are preaching His Word and is proud of what they are doing? We all are sinners but some sins turn us into hypocrites, and that is one of the things that is destroying the example of Christianity.

[The_Patriot21]

to God, there is no difference-the difference lies in consequences down here. One would think though, that if they are caught in something like fornification or drunkedness-they would not feel comfortable, nor should they-as in reality, when it comes to fornication and drunkedness-this question has already been answered, check out 1 timothy 3. As for smoking, well thats not exactly covered in the Bible. . .

[Hall7]

I don't think it's a matter of "which" habitual sin, the danger is that when we are caught in a habitual sin such as drunkeness, fornication etc, we often try to justify our own sin and way of living to others, almost as though we don't realize that we are sinning due to justifying ourselves so much. And in doing so we will tell others that the same habitual sin they are caught into is no big deal and therefore make them justify their sin as well.

[Hall7]

to God, there is no difference-the difference lies in consequences down here. One would think though, that if they are caught in something like fornification or drunkedness-they would not feel comfortable, nor should they-as in reality, when it comes to fornication and drunkedness-this question has already been answered, check out 1 timothy 3. As for smoking, well thats not exactly covered in the Bible. . .

Yes Ayinjade mentioned 1 Timothy 3 which is a great explanation to part of the question I had. I don't see smoking as a dangerous sin such as fornication and drunkeness, I see it more as self destruction and it can't harm anyone else spiritually, but it does change our image to others. I agree with you that the difference lies in the consequenses down here.

[OneLight]

We are given instructions to follow before we decide to enter into any ministry.  They are found in 2 Peter 1:5-11
 

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

[Guest Butero]

If I understand you right Hall, you are not so much making a distinction between one sin being worse than another, as much as you are speaking of people that are doing their own thing with no regard for how God views it.  In other words, they sin without guilt.  They don't slip and fall into fornication during a time of weakness.  They practice fornication all the time.  They don't slip and get drunk as a result of trying to deal with a sudden tragedy.  They get drunk every Saturday night while out with friends.  It is a lifestyle of sin.  To me, people like that shouldn't be in the ministry, and really need to be at the alter making sure they are really saved. 

[Hall7]

Amen Onelight -

Thank you all for your answers, my question has been answered by 1 Timothy 3 given by AyinJade, and 2 Peter 1:5-11 given by Onelight, but most of all it was given by God through us.

@ Butero - That is what I was trying to explain, thank you for clarifying and helping me with my question.