Working With An Outright Bad Religious Leader

“Amen.. But just a quick question. So these leaders who are sent, say I’ve probably worked with them, seen their characters, and the same people give you the message. Should you ignore everything and take it positively?” … “I tend to think sometimes we become extremely negative to God’s servants after seeing their true character” – From one of our loyal subscribers.

When we shared an article titled “Some human beings are not human beings” Some Human Beings are Not Human Beings? it elicited a number of questions about leadership. That passage suggested that when leaders act on behalf of God, it is God we are dealing with, not the person himself or herself. Therefore we should be careful lest in disobeying them we disobey God. The question that arose hence is, what about religious leaders who are outrightly wicked, do they still represent God? Should we obey them?

Matthew 18:15
Dealing With Sin in the Church
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.

Should we obey an outright bad religious leader whose true characteristics have been manifested? This is the question we wish to respond to in today’s reading. When someone is wrong or offends you, Jesus taught that you should go to him or her and tell them about their wrongdoing. Jesus did not teach us that we disobey the wrong person. Jesus taught that we politely confront the wrongdoing with an aim to restore them back to faith and our relationship with them.

1 Corinthians 10:12
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

Galatians 6:1
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

Any action of protest without helping the wrongdoer recover is political and not Christian. Any action of disobedience and publicity of the wrong is self-righteousness which is diametrically opposed to biblical faith. It is disgusting to discover that a person preaches water and drinks wine, but that doesn’t justify use of worldly political means to address the wrongdoing. Exposing them on media or avoiding them or disobeying them will make you look good but at the peril of your soul. You may start thinking you are better than everyone else. You may start acting like you have the sole assignment of corrector of heretics. We need to be careful and stick to the biblical method and aim of winning back a person in the wrong.

John 8:7
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

To set a trap in order to catch someone in the wrong and then surprise them with an accusation may be good for a secular legal process but the intentions are diabolical. The intentions do not have the interests of the wicked person as Jesus required us to do. When you catch them and punish them, you are most likely to lose the person and put others in fear, but win none! This setting of a trap and catching the woman in the act of adultery was dismissed by Jesus. After the hypocritical crowd of self-righteous people left without stoning the lady, Jesus privately did what we should do – He restored her faith and relationship with God and others.

Our attitude towards a wicked person, even a leader must be that of restoration and not embarrassment or destruction of their status. Any other method and means don’t come from God. The question that we will answer next is, does such a wicked leader still speak for God and serve Him?

Genesis 20:7
Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”

Abraham lied to Abimelech that Sara was his sister. Abimelech took Sara and went with her to his tent. God appeared ready to kill Abimelech for taking Abraham’s wife. Abimelech pleads innocence. God tells him to go back to the lying Abraham. That liar according to God is a prophet and if he prays for you, you will live.

Abraham’s character was clearly revealed in this story. This is not the first time Abraham lied about Sara, Genesis 12:12-13. The character of Abraham is that he is a liar. Would you work with a religious leader who is outrightly a liar? A religious leader who lied to you. Would you go to them for prayers? What if God told you that the pastor who lied to you is the only one who can pray for you to avert a crisis? Wouldn’t you feel like correcting God? Wouldn’t you feel like lecturing God on discipline, integrity, and bad examples?

God sends the offended ruler, Abimelech, back to the offender, Abraham to receive a prayer of salvation. God told Abimelech to work with an outright bad religious leader. This is what we call God’s mercy and God’s grace!

1 Samuel 24:5-6
(5) Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. (6) He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.”

1 Samuel 26:9
But David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?

1 Samuel 26:10
As surely as the LORD lives,” he said, “the LORD himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.

1 Samuel 26:11
But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head, and let’s go.”

Saul wanted to kill David. David had many opportunities to kill Saul but he didn’t. David argued that God had anointed Saul and only God could kill him. When God appoints a person, He can’t go wrong!

Matthew 23:2-3
(2) “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. (3) So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

They may be bad leaders. They may be outright wicked, but they hold sacred positions. The position is sacred but the one occupying is wicked. Obey the person because of the office they occupy! Jesus said, obey them carefully, so that in obedience you don’t participate in their wrong doing. Obedience is not an excuse to participate in injustice and unfair actions!

Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Do whatever it is to live at peace with such a terrible religious leader or any leader. God promises to revenge all their wicked decisions. As much as it depends on you, create a peaceful working environment. That may mean strategic avoidance of meeting and confrontation. That may mean silence where talking would be offensive. That may mean ignoring provocation. Live at peace, God will deal with His wicked servant!

Romans 11:29
for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.

The call of God on any life is personal. Once God calls you, you remain His, even when you refuse to serve Him, you are still His. God does not revoke His call and gifts. Those who hire you may fire you, but God’s anointing remains. Obey religious leaders when they do not ask us to disobey God. We obey in the Lord and not just anyhow, Ephesians 6:1. We obey even bad religious leaders, but we do not join them in their wrongdoing. May God make our calling and election sure, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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