“First, for Lawson, it is far better to expose your sin and have the possibility of confession, repentance, and forgiveness than for the sin to remain hidden until the judgment. It is infinitely better for sin to be revealed than for it to remain concealed—even though it rarely feels that way in the moment. No ministry success can compare to our fellowship with the risen Christ. To know Him is far better than even to preach Him (Phil 3:10)”
(Grant Castleberry – Unashamed Truth) I was shocked three weeks ago to find out about the moral failure and disqualification of Steven Lawson from ministry due to an adulterous relationship with a younger woman. In many ways, I am still shocked. I attended Lawson’s Bible study in Dallas when I served at a church in the metroplex, which met at Herb’s Coffee Shop off Greenville Avenue. After the Bible study, Steve and I would talk about preaching and Jonathan Edwards. Steve was always kind to me, and I looked up to him as one of the stalwarts and baton carriers in the reformed evangelical movement. Earlier this year, I did a short interview about his preaching with David Wheaton of The Christian Worldview (listen at the 48-minute mark). And I have written about his preaching at Unashamed Truth.
The Gravity of the Fall
The reason why Trinity Bible’s statement hit so many so hard is because Lawson’s impact was so significant. Having preached in over twenty countries and written more than thirty books, Lawson’s ministry has impacted thousands. His sermons and social media clips have been seen by myriads of Christians across the globe. In subsequent days, after I heard the news, I had trouble sleeping. At times, I was sad at the moral collapse of this man’s life and ministry, while at other times, I was angry at the hypocrisy of it all. As I have grappled with this, I have realized that we must see this situation for what it is. This truly is an unprecedented fall of one of the most prolific preachers in the world today. We must not understate its significance. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 10:1:
Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
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