City Harvest Church Trial: Sin, Consequences and Forgiveness

Source AFP News
Today we heard the sad news that 6 church leaders of City Harvest Church, a mega church in Singapore has been found guilty of misappropriating  $24 million in church funds. Over the very lengthy trial, there were many reports about how this was being covered up to prevent detection. And more unfortunately, we witnessed Christian leaders unrepentant of their wrongdoing, setting a very poor example to the congregation.

"For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:22b-23a ESV

There's something about equality in front of God. To God, even if we are a church minister, or the pope, or the richest man alive, or the poorest' fellow, or the prime minister or the queen, we are all equal in front of him. In fact we are all equally sinful.

To God, sin is sin, be it something obvious and apparent to all, or be it something you hide, be it something heinous and destructive, or "just a white lie", they are all sin. Our perfect God doesn't grade sin, in fact because God is perfect, what seems like the tiniest sin is already unacceptable.


"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" Hebrews 9:27 ESV

So what if we sin? There are serious and dire consequences to sin. Man will all die and then face judgement by the one perfect God. Unfortunately, as we imperfect in the eyes of God, we are condemned. The condemnation isn't to some jail, it is to eternal death. Eternal death being a place where God and anything good is NOT. There aren't friends or family. There isn't love. It's a place of hate, pain and suffering. Eternal suffering.

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God" 1 Peter 3:18a

The fortunate thing is that God has provided us to a solution to avoid eternal suffering. God sent Jesus to the world. Jesus is God. God is perfect. God led a perfect life and died a totally unjust death. This was payment for our sin. Jesus resurrected from the dead and will return as the judge.

The thing we have to is to repent from our sins, and believe by trusting in Jesus' death and resurrection as payment for our sin and living as God being Lord over your life.

Very often, sin not only hurts the individual committing it, it affects a community. Yes, there are always consequences to sin, that no amount of repentance will change. For example, if someone gets pregnant from adultery, having to bring up the baby is a total unchangeable consequence.

For City Harvest Church, I pray that the church leaders found guilty will turn back and be truly repentant of their sins.  I pray that the church community will heal from the hurt and lies. I pray that the church community will grow and be a stronger church where people are willing to help each other by encouraging each other when dealing with their sins.

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