8 TRENDS HAPPENING IN THE CHURCH AS SIN IS BEING UNCOVERED.
WRITTEN BY NATHAN GRIFFITH
In light of all the sin that’s come to the surface in Church leaders the last couple years, I want to share 8 specific trends or movements I see happening in the body of Christ right now. I personally see 3 very clear Jesus movements and I see 5 very clear demonic trends happening at the same time. I by no means claim to see the whole picture in its entirety. And there’s many other things happening that I won’t get into in this particular article.
But I do want to say: God is doing a holy work in His people, and Satan is looking to capitalize where there’s confusion and pain. It’s important that we recognize both the Lord’s doing and the devil’s hand in things so we don’t unknowingly fall into the traps laid before us. I hope you’ll take a moment and read this entire article with me as I seek to bring some clarity.
3 God Movements:
*All 3 of these movements are God’s doing. We mustn’t blame the devil for what I’m about to share.
This is Jesus preparing His Church to advance His Kingdom on the earth*
1.God is EXPOSING real hidden sin and bringing compromise to the surface that has NEVER been dealt with BEFORE.
This has been extremely difficult and painful for all of us as so many beloved leaders and family members have recently fallen from grace. This has shattered our false understanding of the integrity we thought leaders and loved ones have lived in throughout their lives. It’s been unbelievably sad and hard to make sense of in some cases. But let me assure you, my friends - As hard as it is to witness and navigate through, it is the mercy of God to bring this unrepented sin to the surface in this life. Far better to be confronted now, rather than before the Lord on judgement day. God wants His blood to be applied to our sins. He wants His Church to be purified. His exposure and our repentance are both key pieces to the equation. His kindness and commitment to His Church is what drives Him to expose.
We mustn’t forget: the Lord has been IMMENSELY patient for His children to voluntarily come into the light. In some cases, God has waited DECADES for this to happen. Unfortunately, a lack of courage, fear of consequences, little to no fear of the Lord etc. has kept men and women hidden in the dark. God is now taking it into His own hands and righting the ship. As painful as it is, His judgement in this is His kindness.
2. God is EXPOSING real sin and bringing compromise BACK to the surface that was not previously dealt with RIGHTLY.
Jesus takes sin very seriously. There are biblical ways to address grievous sins in leaders and in individuals. Unfortunately we’re finding out some situations from the past haven’t been adequately addressed. OR the seriousness of the sin wasn’t fully understood when originally dealt with. This too is the Mercy and Kindness of the Lord to bring things back up and address them rightly.
3. God is CHASTENING, PURIFYING, and RESTORING His sons and daughters for their own good and for His good pleasure.
This chastening and purifying is unto sanctification (becoming more like Jesus) and it’s unto their full restoration (Hebrews 12:6-13). Their restoration is not primarily about being brought back into ministry in the same capacity as before (although this is God’s plan for some individuals and this will offend many when it happens), but this discipline and restoration is primarily about the character God wants to develop in His sons and daughters. He will have the purified Bride that He desires and that the Scriptures prophesy about. This is where the Church is headed and God is committed to seeing us all to the end. The Author and Finisher of our Faith is Faithful to bring what He started in us to completion. Hallelujah.
5 Demonic Trends:
*These next 5 trends are not Holy Spirit empowered movements.
These trends are demonic and when participated in, pushing forward the Kingdom of Darkness*
ONE.
A disregard for true repentance and restoration that was previously done well and according to the scripture
In these cases, real sins that have previously been repented of and dealt with rightly are being brought back up again and wrongfully being used to cancel and disqualify individuals from ministry. This spits in the face of God’s heart for redemption and restoration. It’s also a complete disregard for the Biblical, scandalous grace of God. If you yourself have gotten tangled up in this sin, it’s important that there’s repentance.
TWO.
False allegations of sin against leaders are being accepted and promoted to the masses without proper investigation
This one is perhaps the most frustrating to me. In these specific cases, accusations are being completely fabricated. The problem is, because of many instances where similar accusations against individuals have been found to be true, it’s very easy to accept every and all accusations that we hear. The enemy knows this and has exploited much of the body of Christ in this vulnerable hour. But make no mistake: some accusations being circulated are absolutely and unequivocally false in every way.
Because of this, it’s important that we be slow in jumping to conclusions and quick to believe the best about people until situations are investigated and confirmed. This does not mean we don’t take the stories of men and women coming forward seriously. True victims need to be heard, cared for, and advocated for if they are coming to you. But in order for accusations to be taken public, biblically there must be multiple witness or multiple accusations. And for most of us not dealing with the situations first hand, but seeing stuff on the internet, we mustn’t accept everything we read, see, or hear so quickly.
THREE.
The Spread of Gossip
Uninformed, casual observants are engaging in heavy amounts of gossip, resulting in a massive spread of either completely false, mostly false, or at best, partially true information. Think of it like an international game of telephone. The story gets wilder and the accusations get crazier the more it spreads. Resulting in horrifying, untrue, and yet widely accepted narratives about people. This gossip is sinful and grievous to the Lord and it needs to be repented of.
FOUR.
False Justice
All across the body of Christ, we’re seeing the cancellation of individuals and ministries in the name of “JUSTICE.” But this “justice” movement is not from God. The Mercy and the Grace of God are being disregarded and not applied in these instances. This is a “false justice” movement aligned with the standards of the world and void of the heart of God. Jesus is not in the business of exposure unto destruction. It’s the thief’s business to destroy. God exposes to purify and restore. Any “justice” movement with biblical language, but with the motive to destroy is not aligned with Jesus.
FIVE.
History is being rewritten, reinterpreted, and remembered wrongly
This trend is pretty difficult to articulate. It’s also one of the hardest to recognize. But I’m watching so many who I’ve previously seen publicly testify to God’s handiwork in their lives, go back years later and change the stories. Their wounds and offense have caused them to consciously and/or subconsciously discount the activity of the Lord in their lives. Or even discount the real, positive impact a church leader has had on their life because it’s later been revealed that said leader didn’t have as much integrity as they originally thought. It’s okay to grieve when sin comes to the surface in leaders that were over us. But it’s the work of the enemy to discount all the biblical and positive impact they truly had on us. When we do this, we’re actually rejecting the Lord’s handiwork in our lives. We’re saying, “God, I don’t like the method you used to sanctify me and teach me. Therefore, I reject this part of my story.” Don’t get caught in this demonic scheme. It’s often very subtle when this happens, but it is grievous to the Lord. God often uses broken people and “unworthy” vessels to accomplish His will and minister to His people. If we’re offended at that, then we’re offended at His leadership more than anything.
To Conclude:
I am aware there is far more the Lord is doing in the Church than what’s mentioned in this article. There is much more the enemy is putting his hands to as well. The purpose of this writing isn’t to be all encompassing, but to shine to the light on a few specific things the Lord has highlighted to me over the last year or so.
I pray that we would hold fast to Jesus during this season of intense exposure and purification. And I pray the Lord would guard us and keep us from the evil one and his demonic schemes. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all in the days ahead.
