Abide was blessed to have Rev. Mark Jones of the Presbyterian Church of America speak at a 2023 Retreat at Cedar Springs Christian Retreat Center in Sumas, Washington. The theme of the retreat was “Hope for Backsliders”. The following information is a summary of the questions and answers. For all the videos from the weekend, click here for the full playlist on YouTube, including the five sessions, along with the question and answer session.
Q: Can you comment on your choice of footwear? Is this a Canadian thing? Do you have more formal sandals for Lord’s Day?
A: My boys have these Yeezy slides, and for Christmas, my wife—the woman God gave to be with me—bought them. I put these on, and honestly, I haven’t taken them off. They are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. Last I checked, Kanye’s American, so he’s to blame. I like them so much that for my birthday, I got a new pair of blue ones. I’m double-stocked. They’re very comfortable, and to be perfectly honest, they help with my lower back pain from preaching so much. Yeezys—Kanye saved my life. If someone stumbles tomorrow because I have these on, I’ll wear the shoes that cause my back pain. So yes, I do have other shoes.
Q: Are you endorsing Kanye West’s music catalog by wearing Yeezy slides?
A: No, I’m not endorsing Kanye’s full music catalog. I like the “God Is” album. He did, however, steal my book title, God Is, and used it for one of his songs, which I’m okay with. Copyright infringement aside, the slides are amazing. But you need to go real or go home—don’t buy the fake ones; I tried that, and they’re awful.
Q: Where does hearty approval of the boasting of others’ sin fall in the stages of sin? Or does it?
A: Hearty approval—so someone who approves of someone else’s sin—the sin is boasting, and when they’re boasting, and you join in with them, maybe laughing along or saying, “Oh, that’s great,” or something. I don’t have a percentage scale where I can weigh it, but I would say that’s probably a pretty bad sign. When you approve of certain conduct that goes against God’s law, it is a sin. How grievous it is would depend upon what you’re approving. For example, if someone approves of someone getting an abortion, there’s a sin there. You’re approving of the death of someone, and it’s a sin. How heinous and grievous it is, I don’t have a really good answer, but I would say it is a very bad sin to approve of that which is obviously wicked.
If you’re joining in with the bad stage of boasting, you’ve skipped a whole bunch quickly and landed right there, which shows that you probably wouldn’t be averse to the other stages yourself. If you’re already willing to go there, you may find yourself hitting those stages if it were a personal matter. Approving of someone else’s sin may reflect your own susceptibility to the same sin. For example, a man could approve of a woman having an abortion, but he can’t himself have one. He’s only limited by biology.
Q: Does temptation precede every sin?
A: Well, every sin—you can have a sin that seems to be very quick. For example, you just sort of say something inappropriate in a group of people, and everyone’s like, “Whoa, brother or sister, what was that?” There was no formal temptation, where there’s wrestling involved. We often think of temptation as wrestling with something, but in this larger sense, I would say no. People can commit involuntary verbal sins very quickly, and they’re still responsible for those.
When we typically think of temptation, we imagine something arising from within the heart, where there’s a type of struggle—or lack thereof—that goes on. But there are times when I’ve said things where there was no temptation; I’ve just said it and then thought, “Wow, yikes. Don’t say that again.” So, no, I don’t think temptation necessarily precedes every sin. This is kind of scary, of course. But there’s a passage where the Lord says, “Whenever we’re tempted, He’ll provide a way out.” Someone might say that gives grounds for saying there’s never an excuse to sin, and on one hand, that’s true. However, the typical understanding of temptation—of wrestling with a struggle—doesn’t always apply to quick, involuntary sins. For example, anyone who’s experienced road rage knows that there’s no time for temptation. It’s just, “The light’s green—go, you idiot!” And then, “Oh, sorry, kids. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Q: How should Christians respond to LGBTQ friends and acquaintances while loving them but not supporting their decisions?
A: These are good questions. First, let me say that every situation is unique. There’s the abstract—the principle of the question—and then there’s the particular—your specific relationship. For example, let’s say I have a friend named Steve, who I’ve known since childhood, and he comes out. Then I have another friend, Bob, who I met recently. The way I might deal with Steve and Bob will differ because of the nature of our relationship. With Steve, who I’ve known for years, I may need to show patience and maintain a friendship. With Bob, where there’s less trust or depth, as soon as he finds out what I believe—even if I express it gently and wisely—he may cut off the relationship.
Every situation demands reflection and Christian prudence. Avoid cookie-cutter answers like, “Just say this and that.” Some relationships can’t or shouldn’t be ended. For example, it might be a sibling relationship, or there may be little trust to begin with. As Christians, we should apply biblical principles—love, patience, faithfulness—while acknowledging that we might make mistakes in how we approach the relationship. Ultimately, it’s about being faithful to God while loving others unconditionally. Relationships may temporarily break down, but we can pray for restoration and hope they trust us again.
Q: What does repentance look like? Can a whole group of people repent? How does a leader repent both privately and publicly? What accountability should accompany repentance?
A: Repentance means turning from sin and endeavoring after new obedience. You should be able to isolate the sin and say, “I’m turning from that sin.” For a group of people, corporate repentance is possible when the sin is shared. For example, I’ve prayed in pastoral prayers, repenting as a gathered people for not praying for our leaders as we should or for not being faithful witnesses in how we speak and live. Everyone present should be able to join in the repentance and say, “Amen.” However, repentance should not be so particular that it excludes most of the congregation. For example, if I prayed, “Lord, we repent for that bank robbery yesterday,” and most people are thinking, “What? I wasn’t involved in that,” then it’s not appropriate for corporate repentance.
National calls for repentance in the Old Testament, such as in Daniel 9 or Ezra 9, often addressed sins that could be collectively identified with, even if not everyone was personally guilty. Leaders, when they sin publicly, should repent publicly to show accountability. Privately, they should repent before God. Accountability in repentance involves genuine acknowledgment of sin, steps to avoid repeating it, and evidence of new obedience. Repentance is incomplete without a clear turning away from sin.
For more information about upcoming retreats, visit Abide.
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