We can all learn from Yancey’s confession

I grieved learning about Philip Yancey’s eight-year affair with a married woman. My initial feelings were anger and frustration that a great author and my teacher in so many ways had compromised his very effective ministry and witness due to a lengthy affair. Then I read the letter of confession and admission that he sent to Christianity Today. I was surprised by how quickly the feelings I had at first melted away. I encourage you to take the time to read it.

Yancey’s book, What’s So Amazing About Grace, was a needed teaching in my life. I can honestly say that nothing about his affair removes a single word of truth from that book, and maybe from any other book he has written or sermon he has preached.

Yancey isn’t accountable to us. He is accountable to God, and his letter of confession to Christianity Today reads like a thoughtful, Davidic confession. That’s what I want to talk about in this article today.

What can all of us learn from Yancey’s mistakes, and especially from his confession?

Are you sick of sexual sin?

Before I write another word, I want to say clearly and bluntly: I am married to a preacher who has never been anything but faithful to me and our marriage vows. Don’t spend any time reading between these lines and wondering about that. We have been married forty-five years and counting. I jokingly tell people (even previous pulpit committees who were looking to hire him) that I have always told Jim, “If you ever have an affair, the last thing you need to worry about is losing your ministry!” I just think it’s good to be blunt and honest about most things! “Vengeance is mine,” says the Lord, but it’s good to let your spouse know you are next in line.

I am blessed to be married to one of the straightest arrows you will ever know. That said, I have accused Jim a few times over the years of prioritizing his relationship with a church over his relationship with me. Almost every preacher’s wife who is reading this article is nodding her head and shouting “amen” right now. Truthfully, ministry wives (and husbands) are just as called to the ministry as their spouses. They give a great deal of themselves to the churches they serve, but in return, they receive many blessings.

One of the biggest problems we encountered in our pastoral ministry was the staff members who fell into the area of sexual sin. When a person in ministry falls, it impacts everyone and everything he has accomplished while on staff. Satan is a brilliant economist. When a Christian leader falls, many of those they have ministered to also fall. That’s why I wanted to write this article. 

Are people in ministry more prone to sexual sins? 

I am not a counselor or statistician, but we have dealt with this issue a lot more often than I would have thought. We have learned a few things along the way. I read a great article from a Pentecostal minister that is worth reading. We should pray for everyone in a position of public ministry. Each day, they arrive at work with a target on their backs. Ministers don’t need to wonder about that; they need to know that. Satan is after those in ministry and desperately wants them to fall. Almost everyone in ministry is gifted by God to do their work.

Here are my thoughts on the “why” those targets exist.

  • God often blesses a person’s ministry for the sake of others, even when he is unable to bless their own lives because of their sin. People line up to tell ministers how a sermon or church program was a blessing to them, making it easy for preachers to think, “Well, God is still using me, so it must not be that bad.”
  • Many in the church treat the person with respect, even if the person is not respectable.
  • Ministry can appeal to the broken who are seeking admiration and respect, thinking that God will “fix them” if only they attend seminary or serve a church.
  • The vast majority of a church staff are called, equipped, gifted, and compassionate people. The weak side of those gifts can sometimes lead to wrong choices. 

And ALL of those points above are true for every Christian, even a gifted man like Philip Yancey.

What should we learn from Yancey’s confession?

  1. Philip Yancey wrote: “To my great shame, I confess that for eight years I willfully engaged in a sinful affair with a married woman.” He was blunt and honest, boldly confessing to God and everyone about his sin. He did not make excuses or explain, hoping to find understanding for his sin. He understood it was sin and that he needed to be forgiven. The apostle John wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). I believe God has forgiven Philip, and that’s how I should feel.
  2. Philip Yancey’s wife said, “I, Janet Yancey, am speaking from a place of trauma and devastation that only people who have lived through betrayal can understand. Yet I made a sacred and binding marriage vow 55½ years ago, and I will not break that promise. I accept and understand that God through Jesus has paid for and forgiven the sins of the world, including Philip’s. God grant me the grace to forgive also, despite my unfathomable trauma. Please pray for us.” James, the half-brother of Christ, told his church, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16). Janet Yancey has asked us to pray for her. I feel called to pray for her right now. Will you?
  3. Philip Yancey also accepted the consequences of his sin. He said, “I am now focused on rebuilding trust and restoring my marriage of 55 years. Having disqualified myself from Christian ministry, I am therefore retiring from writing, speaking, and social media. Instead, I need to spend my remaining years living up to the words I have already written. I pray for God’s grace and forgiveness—as well as yours—and for healing in the lives of those I’ve wounded.” The apostle Paul told us, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

I was so glad that Philip Yancey confessed his sin to so many who have been blessed by his ministry – and confessed with the same honesty we see with King David in the Bible. Even great servants of God fail; they always have and always will. That target Satan has placed on Christians in leadership is dangerous. If you want a powerful witness, then you need to understand that you are accepting that target. 

A powerful ministry requires an effort to maintain a strong dependence on God and a strong effort to walk in humble desperation for the strength only his Holy Spirit provides. When tempted, we are to submit to God, run away from Satan’s ideas, and beg for God’s thoughts through prayer, Bible study, and an overwhelming desire to walk in his ways.

Yancey’s letter is a powerful lesson. How does God want us to apply his confession to our own lives? Pray for the Yanceys, the other family that was involved, and then allow the Spirit to turn your prayer inward. We all have things to confess with a pure heart, and choices to make that will move us toward God’s higher standards. 

Our prayers can prompt the Romans 8:28 of another minister’s fall and bring God glory as we work to help bring about his kingdom purpose. 

It makes good sense to wait with purpose

Books, blogs, articles, and sermons are popular when they discuss the second coming of Christ. Why do we take so much interest in something that Jesus said we would never know or be able to anticipate? Jesus said, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). He could come right now while you enjoy a second cup of coffee and read this blog post.

James had no way of knowing God’s people would still be waiting more than 2000 years later when he told his church, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:7–8).

The tulip bulbs I planted last winter are a beautiful reminder to me that, here in Texas, Spring has arrived. When I planted those bulbs, I had no way of knowing when they would bloom. When a farmer plants his crops, he doesn’t know the exact day to schedule the harvest. We can put bulbs and seeds in the ground, but it is up to God to bring the rains, control the winds, and produce the miracle from a tiny seed that turns into something amazing and able to feed our souls and bodies.

Our job is to wait on God’s timing, but we wait with purpose. Weeds need to be pulled and branches trimmed. There are places to step and places to avoid stepping. If God doesn’t send the rain, we must provide water from another source. We wait on God’s timing, but we have work to do while we wait.

We are called to wait with his good purpose

We don’t know when the Lord will return, but James tells us how to wait until that time. The Lord may return for every believer in the world this afternoon. The Lord will most certainly return for several believers today as they pass from this life to eternity. Jesus told the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). The word “today” meant “today” or immediately.

James taught his people to wait with the character of Jesus as we wait to see the face of Jesus. James wrote, “Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold the Judge is standing at the door” (James 5:9). I’ve often wondered how many words I would have kept to myself if I had thought of this verse first! James taught us to walk through this life as if Jesus were close by, listening to every word . . because he is.

James also reminded us about the patience of Job, a man who suffered the worst things this earthly life can subject a person to. He didn’t enjoy his suffering, but he held onto his steadfast faith, which promised a future life with God filled with joy and hope. Job understood that the Lord was compassionate and merciful (James 5:11). James taught his church that it is common sense to rely on the promises of our faith during the worst of times because our steadfast faith will keep us from grumbling about things. If we walk in faith, even the most difficult times can produce a godly witness that will be eternally blessed.

Our word can be our bond

James wrote, “Above all . . .do not swear, either by heaven or earth or by any other oath but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” It always felt like James 5:12 was out of place or an afterthought verse, but James, after the previous verses, says, “Above all.” James was likely referring to the oaths that were considered the verbal contracts of the day.

I like to think of James 5:12 as a summary of his entire letter. From the beginning, he has offered common-sense Christianity. James is a practical letter about how a Christian can live carefully and faithfully. In some ways, James 5:12 could be an umbrella of common sense for the entire letter. 

  • Chapter 1: There are trials in this life, and we ought not to be tossed about. Our steadfast faith in God should hold us firm, and our actions, especially during tough times, should show others that we don’t just know God’s word; we believe it.
  • Chapter 2: We should be careful to love everyone like God loves, without partiality, because we know we cannot judge anyone else’s character. Our job is to live with the character of Christ so that our faith is not just words we confess but something our daily actions prove we trust and believe.
  • Chapter 3: If we allow God to be Lord of our words, he can also be Lord of our actions. The tongue is a powerful rudder that tends also to steer our actions. If we receive the wisdom from above, we can then know and speak that wisdom to others. Our character can display the character of Christ if we will wisely live with that priority.
  • Chapter 4: We can live for the world and like the world. We can define success by the world’s standards. Or we can live our eternal lives daily as our highest priority.
  • Chapter 5: We can sacrifice our eternal treasure for the treasures of this world and claw our way to the top of earth’s ladder. Or, we can endure this life with steadfast faith in the hope of heaven. In humility, we can claw our way to the foot of the cross and choose to be more like Jesus.

And “above all” or overall, as James has taught in this amazing letter, we can make sure we are known as people who speak the truth of God all the time. Every lesson we teach and every action we take can be trusted because people know we are God’s children and we live truthful, faithful lives. Our “yes” and our “no” can be trusted.

What is your “prayer of faith”?

James closes his common-sense letter about faithful living by speaking about prayer (James 5:13–20). To summarize his words: In good times and bad, in sickness and health, in the sinful times and during your righteous days, confess, pray, and trust the power of your faith to carry you through every circumstance of this life.

When someone wanders from the truth, “bring him back.” Pray fervently for everyone because there is no greater use of our time than to “save a soul from death” because the salvation of even one person will cover a multitude of sins. 

The single most important reason to live a “Common-sense Christian” witness is that every person who God calls us to influence might be led to seek a saving faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

It’s the Lent season, a perfect time to carefully influence others with our faithful observance of all Easter means to our faith. Let’s be careful to live with humble gratitude for God’s Easter gift. Jesus died to pay for every sin. Jesus rose again as the living example of God’s power over death. 

Living wisely and carefully with James’ words in our hearts makes good practical sense. The sermon our life preaches may bring someone to church on Easter Sunday. How many sins could be erased if God’s people steadfastly lived as James taught?

“Above all,” let our words be true and our character Christ-like. Truth is a powerful witness, and its rewards are often eternal. May our common-sense Christianity be a sacrificial gift to Jesus this Easter. 

As we wait for his return, it makes good sense to wait with that purpose.