'There are still those who hold quite strongly Lentz's past against him, believing he is completely disqualified from ministry and think he is playing semantics with his newest episode. And with as public of event that his leaving Hillsong was, there are still man eyes scrutinizing the podcast as well. "You could say what I did was disgraceful. Maybe at times, sure. But I'm not disgraced because we're forgiven," Lentz argues. "I have been able to feel God's grace more than ever, I understand the thought, but I just wanted to get it out there. That doesn't fit me. I don't identify as the disgraced former pastor. No, sir. No, ma'am."' - Charisma News
The primary person who says Lentz is disqualified, is God. Just read the key verse above. Leaders in God's church must be husbands to one wife. It does not say husbands of one wife unless they repent for awhile of their adultery and then come back. Look, this is often how disgraced former Charismatic leaders try to muddy the bible. Being disgraced, falling from grace, and being disqualified are not salvation issues. They are issues about their place in the church. They had the opportunity and they proved they were not qualified. There are no oopsies. There are no mulligans. There are no do-overs. That is all related to the JOB they had as a pastor or leader. God's grace has nothing to do with this. Grace has to do with our walk. It has to do with out relationship with God. So, we do not think Carl Lentz is playing semantics - we know he is. He knows he is. Maybe at times what he did was disgraceful? Which times Carl? How about every time you slept with your babysitter and then the two of you gaslit your wife, who suspected something was up? How about the other woman you had an affair with? What times during all of these years of infidelity while preaching do you think you are were not being disgraceful? You don't identify as a disgraced former pastor? Too bad sir because you do not get to make that call. God does and He says you most certainly are.
"The Bible, the inerrant Word of God, can summarize a person's journey of humility and reliance on God and His grace better than any other orator, and does so in 2 Corinthians 12:9: But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Paul knew firsthand the power of God's grace, leaning into it during his own times of weakness, and in doing so, becoming one of the greatest voices for the Lord in all of history." - Charisma News
Wow. What an utter butchering of God's word. It seems Lentz has not lost a heretical step. The verse in question relates to when Paul was taken up to third heaven, not when Lentz had his third affair on his wife. The Lord gave Paul a thorn in his flesh to keep him from being conceited for the surpassingly great visions He gave him while visiting the third heaven. This thorn compelled him to plead with the Lord to take it away to which God said, my grace is sufficient for you. Because of that, Paul viewed the weakness from the thorn, not his sin, to make him boast all the more in the Lord. Now, if you are wondering what a thorn being given to Paul to prevent his conceit from seeing surpassingly great visions when visiting the third heaven have to do with a disgraced former pastor and his lecherous treatment of his wife the answer would be absolutely nothing. The most serious sins of Pual's life was of course BEFORE he was saved. In typical Lentz fashion, he spews out a verse completely out of context and misapplies it to serve himself. So let us all be clear Carl, since you have no understanding of what you are saying. You are disgraced. You fell from grace. You are disqualified. Stop pretending you are a consultant for mega churches. Stop doing silly podcasts trying to portray yourself as the victim. Just go away. Work on your walk. Truly repent for the sake of your family and your eternal destination. Just go away.
Reverend Anthony Wade - June 7, 2024
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