It’s a question many of us have wondered: how can God use ministers who are living in sin? It seems as though everyday we see ministers of the gospel sharing about some type of controversy they’ve been a part of, including affairs, scams and other debacles. At the same time, it appears that God still uses these same men and women who have been living in outright sin to do good works. How can this be so?
Is it possible for ministers who have fallen into sin to truly be used for healing, deliverance and the spreading of the gospel?
In one of his latest livestreams, Vlad Savchuk answered this very question about how God continues to use those who have fallen wayside from His glory.
“The falling of a man of God is like the falling of an airplane from the sky,” Savchuk says. “It is heartbreaking. It’s devastating to everyone under their ministry, especially to the victims of the sins of that minister and the enemy uses that to undermine the faith of the believers.”
The first thing Savchuk notes is not all accusations are true. No matter what we are hearing about a certain minister, it is important to make sure that rumors and gossip alone do not dictate what we believe about someone. Instead, it is wise and prudent to have confirmation that the accusations are true.
It’s also key to note that a platform size does not guarantee that a minister is a faithful servant of the Lord.
“Miracles in a ministry don’t necessarily mean God is pleased with the minister,” Savchuk says. “A minister used by God may have gifts but lack fruit. They may possess power, but lack purity. They may exhibit charisma, but lack character.”
Savchuk also says the difference in inward and outward anointing plays a huge role in the influence of a minister.
“A minister can lose the inner anointing before his outer anointing expires,” Savchuk says. “There’s two anointings. There’s the Holy Spirit living in us, that inner anointing as the Bible says in 1 John 2:27 [and] 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 21 and 22. But then we see there’s also outer anointing for the service.”
Savchuk says this other anointing can be found in Acts 1:8, and “empowers your service to others.”
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As Savchuk points out, this means someone can momentarily continue to move in their gifts until exposure comes.
“When you grieve the Holy Spirit by lacking holiness, it diminishes that inner anointing,” Savchuk says. “Though you may temporarily, and for some time operate in the gifts in the power until of course you get exposed or until your private life caves in so much that even your public life can no longer support it. That’s why the Bible says that God’s gifts and callings are irrevocable.”
This means someone can move in a calling, operating in ministry while still completely grieving the Holy Spirit. However, this anointing will stop flowing at some point.
One way we can look at this is that God gives us grace and time to repent and return to Him so we can continue to be used by Him. Perhaps this is a call for not only ministers, but for all people to align their hearts with God’s will and purpose for their lives.
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Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator for Charisma Media.
Stephen Strang