The allegation of sexual immorality against Mike Bickle is now on Facebook for all the world to see. Once again, the church has decided to air our dirty laundry in front of the world for transparency. Scandals of sexual immorality have been a part of church life since the beginning of the Church because we are all in a daily struggle over the evil that is always present within us.
When I first heard this news, I thought here we go again. I don’t want to make light of the circumstance or situation that anyone finds themselves in, but you would think that Satan would be a little more creative. But why change strategies if what you do works so well? All it takes is one accusation, and everything revolves around the accusations being true without any evidence.
I’ve never understood how both parties can be willing participants in an act of sin, one called a victim and the other called the perpetrator. If some are not willing participants, legal action should be taken. There is no doubt that we should be concerned over the sin of sexual immorality among the leaders of the Church. However, over the last few decades, how these situations are handled has also made me deeply concerned. Our perspective of responding to sexual scandals has become worldly and opposite to the message we preach.
First, as a follower of Christ, I don’t think the proper thing to do is try these cases in the courtroom of Facebook. Facebook appropriately used can be good. Facebook, for the most part, has become a platform of gossip. Unsubstantiated rumors, innuendos, and flat-out lies fill most Facebook pages. The reputations of many people have been ruined over what someone decided to share on Facebook without even a tiny detail of truth in it. I need to preface that I don’t know Mike Bickle, and I have no idea whether he is guilty, and that is the point. Until a proper investigation can be made as to what happened, then it should not be plastered for all to see. The leadership of a church that would allow accusations to make their decisions without knowing what happened shows no leadership. If they know more than they can say, they shouldn’t say until they can release the knowledge they have. But if leadership is held to a higher standard, then a higher standard should be used before someone is pronounced guilty. If Mike Bickle is guilty of the allegations, he must confess his sin to the only one who forgives sin: Jesus Christ. If public repentance is required, then I would also say that those willing participants should confess their sin as publicly as they expect Mike Bickle to. But Facebook is not the fountain of all truth.
Second, we seem to have adopted the same view as the world, like the “ME TO” movement, regarding dismissing the charges against the accuser, even though they contributed to the offense. Have we lost sight of the origin of accusation? Satan is called the accuser of the brethren. When we bring accusations against a brother, we are operating on the authority of Satan himself. To expose someone’s sin in the right way with the right motive is to confront them with their sin with the hope of repentance and restoration, not to bring them to ruin and damnation. The woman who was caught in adultery that the Pharisees wanted to stone didn’t seem to be bothered by the man she was with. Would not both be guilty and worthy of punishment?
The church leadership has already condemned Mike Bickle. If these things turn out to be true, then there will be a cloud of suspicion and doubt around Mike Bickle that will dismiss anything he has to offer. The reason is that God forgives and forgets. Unfortunately, people never do. Remember that true love covers sin it does not expose it for the world to see.
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