A Legacy Lost: The Tragedy of a Fallen Leader

I was shocked three weeks ago to find out about the moral failure and disqualification of Steven Lawson from ministry due to an adulterous relationship with a younger woman.  In many ways, I am still shocked. I attended Lawson’s Bible study in Dallas when I served at a church in the metroplex, which met at Herb’s Coffee Shop off Greenville Avenue. After the Bible study, Steve and I would talk about preaching and Jonathan Edwards. Steve was always kind to me, and I looked up to him as one of the stalwarts and baton carriers in the reformed evangelical movement. Earlier this year, I did a short interview about his preaching with David Wheaton of The Christian Worldview (listen at the 48-minute mark).  And I have written about his preaching at Unashamed Truth.

The Gravity of the Fall

The reason why Trinity Bible’s statement hit so many so hard is because Lawson’s impact was so significant. Having preached in over twenty countries and written more than thirty books, Lawson’s ministry has impacted thousands. His sermons and social media clips have been seen by myriads of Christians across the globe. In subsequent days, after I heard the news, I had trouble sleeping. At times, I was sad at the moral collapse of this man’s life and ministry, while at other times, I was angry at the hypocrisy of it all. As I have grappled with this, I have realized that we must see this situation for what it is. This truly is an unprecedented fall of one of the most prolific preachers in the world today. We must not understate its significance. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 10:1:

Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

In the case of Lawson, his entire Christian witness and public ministry have been virtually destroyed by this reproach of disqualifying sin. My favorite Lawson titles of his thirty books have been Foundations of Grace, Pillars of Grace, and The Passionate Preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones. But now, these books have a moral asterisk next to their titles. I doubt I will ever use them again. A “little folly” has outweighed “wisdom and honor.” A “fly in the ointment” has ruined the fragrant “perfume” of divine glory.

Moreover, Lawson had been entrusted by two of the leading figures of the reformed evangelical movement, R. C. Sproul and John MacArthur, with leadership in the institutions they both led. Lawson was a board member and teaching fellow of R. C. Sproul’s Ligonier Ministries. Lawson also served as the dean of the Doctor of Ministry program at The Master’s Seminary, founded by John MacArthur. Sproul did not live to see this dramatic dropping of the baton (he was taken to glory in December 2017), but MacArthur did. I was told that he had to find out about Lawson’s moral disqualification in a hospital room post-surgery. I cannot imagine the frustration and sadness he must have felt at the news of Lawson’s sin and disqualification.

When entrusted with great responsibility in Christ’s church, much is required in terms of a teacher’s life and doctrine (1 Tim 4:16). Therefore, the fallout of Lawson’s sin is truly monumental. Trinity Bible Church, where Lawson served as “preaching pastor,” now has to explain to children and students why their preaching pastor is no longer teaching them God’s Word. This can be very disheartening to young believers who look to a preacher as their example to follow (1 Cor 11:1).

Paul famously told the Romans that “the wage of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). This sin of Lawson’s feels like a death. In many ways, it is. The death of a legacy. The death of a ministry. The death of an example. Sin always leads to death. And its consequences are always more significant than we realize. In this case, the consequences are truly historical and far-reaching for his family and much of the reformed, evangelical world.

A Grave Concern

In addition to the tragic nature of these things, perhaps of even greater concern is Lawson's lack of public confession and repentance. Lawson's silence is deafening for a man who spent thousands of hours in front of the video camera. How we respond to our sin reflects the genuineness of our faith. As Christians, we are called to confession (1 John 1:9) and personal repentance (Acts 11:18; 17:30). Nobody preached this more fervently than Steven Lawson. For that reason, Lawson owes the thousands of men, women, and boys and girls who followed his teaching and ministry an apology. They need to see that the great preacher of repentance is now walking in repentance. No, we do not need to know the specific details of his sin. But we need to hear that he repudiates his sin and seeks to walk in the light in accountability at Trinity Bible Church. I have been praying that he comes forward soon with humility, transparency, and a clear statement of repentance. Until he does this, I fear for his soul. The Bible warns against those who teach against adultery yet “commit adultery” (Rom 2:21, 22). Jesus warned about those who did “mighty works” for the kingdom but failed to “do the will of His Father in Heaven” (Matt 7:21, 22). I am not pronouncing an anathema on Lawson. But I am concerned that if he does not respond with public confession and repentance, the very fate of his soul is in jeopardy. Indeed, we know that teachers of God’s Word face a “stricter judgment” (Jas 3:1).

Grace and the Arc of Glory

Could God possibly work good out of all this? Resolutely, yes. The long arc of history is always for the good of His saints and the praise of His own glory (Rom 8:28; 11:36). Even in and through this, Christ is purifying His church, advancing His kingdom, and bringing glory to His name.

First, for Lawson, it is far better to expose your sin and have the possibility of confession, repentance, and forgiveness than for the sin to remain hidden until the judgment. It is infinitely better for sin to be revealed than for it to remain concealed—even though it rarely feels that way in the moment. No ministry success can compare to our fellowship with the risen Christ. To know Him is far better than even to preach Him (Phil 3:10). Indeed, our Lord said, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). A million sermons is not worth trading for a day without Christ’s fellowship. And if we face the facts, it appears Lawson walked outside that fellowship for a long time. But now is a merciful opportunity for that fellowship to be restored. Lord willing, Lawson’s restored fellowship will be an excellent refreshment for his own soul, unlike any ministry he has ever served.

Second, for the church, Lawson’s fall serves as a stark warning signal that we must be sober-minded and vigilant against the schemes of the devil (1 Pet 5:8). We must put our armor on every day (Eph 6:10-20). We must “make no provision for the flesh” but rather “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 13:14). Martyn Lloyd-Jones used to remind his hearers that at the heart of every sin issue is a heart that had grown cold to Christ. Warm hearts do not desire to depart far from their Master. The best antidote to sin is to live as a “living sacrifice” unto Christ (Rom 12:1). Yet, we must not trust even our sanctified selves. Accountability measures should be kept in place so that even when our flesh is weak, there is no opportunity for its lusts to be gratified. We can fault Billy Graham for many things (and I have at times), but one thing you cannot fault him for is the measures that he, Cliff Barrows, and George Beverly Shea took to remain faithful. Simple habits like not being in a room or vehicle alone with a woman who is not your wife are not prudish or old fashioned but the essence of wisdom. It would be wise for us to take similar measures. We must discipline ourselves lest we too become disqualified (1 Cor 9:24). I think Lawson’s fall will serve as a reminder to thousands for the years to come of the danger of disqualification.

Finally, this is a reminder that Christianity does not depend on any one man for its advance. Paul reminded the Corinthians of this in 1 Corinthians 3. Some were of Cephas, others Apollos, and others of Paul (1 Cor 3:3, 4). Paul reminded them that these men are but “servants.” The glory for the gospel’s advance belongs to God, who gives the growth (1 Cor 3:6). So we must be careful not to lift up any one man to a place that borders on the precipice of idolatry. Not Paul. Not Augustine. Not Calvin. Not Edwards. Not Whitefield. Not Spurgeon. Not Lloyd-Jones. Christianity has never depended on a mere man. The best of men are men at best. Christianity has always depended on Christ working in the church in the power of the Holy Spirit. So, as the church, we must be careful about the elevation of men and women. People are but servants. “Stewards of the mysteries of God.” Yes, we can honor our teachers (Heb 13:6), but we must never idolize them. It is to Christ, and Christ alone, to whom we owe all of our worship and allegiance. To Him be the glory.