My flatmate is doing a Christian Ethic course, and last night we talked a little about retrieval ethics: for example, given that we agree that divorce is wrong, a man who has divorced his wife, and remarried (either as a Christian, or non-Christian), but has in God's mercy been drawn back into relationship with God, how now do we relate?, How do we view the 'second marriage'? What role can they have in the church? Could He now be ordained? What about the teenage couple who give birth to a child? A teenager who has an abortion?
How do we pastor them now? To me its a case of loving the person, acknowledging perhaps that they each and every day live with the consequences of their sin. God shows mercy, we should do the same, gently restoring them with love; encouraging them to grow in Godliness, each and every day.. All the while acknowledge there but for the grace of God, go I.
Would you ordained them as ministers? It depends on the individual, from 1 Timothy, and Titus, we read that elders to a degree are to be blameless. But at the same time, leadership is also about responding to failures, being able to acknowledge your errors, and moving on, about growing not reaching, about progression not perfection.
Hmm, anyone else have thoughts here...
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