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10 Things That Happen When a Pastor Commits Adultery

“By this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.” (II Samuel 12:14) We can hear the enemies cackling, “Oooh, he was so righteous! But look what he’s doing. He’s worse than us!”

The sin David committed injured him permanently. “Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house … .” (II Samuel 12:10) While David thought his misdeeds were done in private, God meted out the punishment publicly.

“Indeed, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.” (II Samuel 12:12)

We keep getting surprised by our sin. We are surprised that we get by with it as long as we do, surprised when we get caught, surprised that people were as hurt as they were and surprised that God took our sin as a personal insult. We are surprised that the price we pay for our sin is not the slight thing we had envisioned for spiritual misdemeanors, but massive and far-reaching, as though God considers our transgressions as felonies deserving the harshest treatment.

When a pastor commits adultery, he does the most stupid thing of his life. No bad thing he ever does will have as far-reaching consequences as this.

He will live with the effects of this foolishness the rest of his earthly days.

Everything about it is sad.

There must be a hundred bad things that happen when a minister falls into sexual sin. God alone knows what they are.

When a pastor commits adultery, these 10 things happen:

1. His ministry is gone.

Until he has undergone a period of counseling with his wife and receives the endorsement of friends with influence, his influence will be slim to none.

2. His humiliation is severe.

When a pastor commits adultery, the shame is a heavy burden to bear.