This is not “a fine line” to walk….don’t be deceived, and don’t be manipulated. By staying home, you will communicate that you mean what you say, and you say what you mean. That may not please your gay loved one, but it will please God. In the end, that is what matters.

The American Family Radio Ministry recently announced that it has dropped pastor Alistair Begg’s popular Truth for Life program from its daily broadcast schedule. The decision followed the recent circulation of some remarks from a September interview in which Begg said he had counseled a grandmother to attend her grandson’s wedding to “a transgender person.” As long as she made her personal disapproval of the union known, Begg impressed strongly on her that attending the wedding (with a gift in hand) was the loving thing to do. Otherwise, he warned that her absence would “reinforce” her grandson’s perception that conservatives are “judgmental” and “critical.” He concludes this story by encouraging all Christians to make the same decision, for the sake of “building bridges” to the “hearts and minds” of our nonbelieving loved ones.
Begg says he’s aware that “people may not like” this answer, and indeed, these remarks caused a stir when they were brought to light. I speak for many when I say Begg is a personal hero, a faithful minister of the Word with sermons ranking among my all-time favorites. That ministry has included strong messages like this series on the sin of homosexuality. Sadly, while there was some hope he would reconsider and recant after the interview began widely circulating, the AFRM reports that he refused to do so.
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When Isaiah was rocked and shaken by his complete unworthiness, he finally broke down and repented. Full surrender is the only way to recapture the power of the Spirit. Like Isaiah, we’ve been bought with a price, and we must surrender to our King’s will.

A desire to truly experience God runs deep within our veins. However, for most Christians, experiencing God is either elusive and frightening or impossible and improbable. But to the thirsty pilgrim, God’s presence is a wellspring of life. Do we fight for it, or let it fade away? Do we contend for a deeper walk with God, or complain about our life? Do we pursue God like never before, or postpone intimacy?
Psalm 85:6 is the prayer that unlocks the power: “Oh God, we are desperate for more of you. Will you revive us again so that we can rejoice and experience your power and presence in our lives” (paraphrase).
Filling an Empty Vessel
In Ephesians 5:8, Paul tells us to “be filled with the Spirit.” The filling of the Spirit is God’s work, but we must submit by emptying our vessel. There can be many subsequent fillings of the Spirit (cf. Acts 4:8 and Acts 13:9). However, you can’t fill something that is already full — full of self. We must repent of pride and renounce arrogance.
Isaiah 6 offers an incredible glimpse into this dynamic power and the possibility of truly experiencing God.
Isaiah describes the day that his wonderful experience took place. It was in the year that King Uzziah died. He would never forget that day, and you too will never forget the day when God radically fills you with His Spirit, or when you return to Him and experience the joy of your salvation again. It’s a true spiritual explosion.
Holy Ground Shakes
Isaiah said that he “saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple” (6:1). What a wonderful picture of His majesty and His power. The size of the train on a robe would often match the authority of the king. God’s train filled the entire temple. What an awesome sight to behold! No better words could have been chosen — God Almighty rules and reigns.
Isaiah also saw amazing six-winged creatures known as seraphim. Their cry should be our cry as well when we truly experience God: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”
It’s not by chance that moral purity encompasses the rhythm of their soul. Of all the attributes of God, holiness is mentioned more frequently than the others. Even the posts of the door of the temple responded to the cry of holiness. So powerful was the declaration that the entire entrance was shaken by the voices who cried, “Holy, holy, holy.” Let those words sink in!
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One of the most obvious perversions of this ecclesiastical overreach was the “administration of virtual communion” by some sessions! In their rejection of first principles, they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and issued declarations that bordered on idolatry. They tried to convince their flock that “virtual worship” was a viable substitute for corporate worship, and many have drunk the “Kool-Aid.”

Recently, Peter Van Doodewaard wrote COVID-19 Reflection on The Aquila Report, which I highly recommend to everyone before reading this article. It serves as a springboard for my thoughts here. Van Doodewaard concluded his article by saying: “We touched holy things, and this requires humble reflection. Maybe your next leadership meeting ought to include time for prayerful reflection on actions taken, followed by some honest communication with your congregation. May God help us in this work of reflection, give us true repentance where needed, and by this renew our commitment to the public worship of His holy name” (emphasis added).
These words convey a deep conviction that I have about the necessary response of church leaders (as a Presbyterian minister, I will refer to elder(s) and session(s) as the leaders of a congregation) who participated in the actions noted by Van Doodewaard (see his article). I agree with Van Doodewaard that church leaders, especially sessions of Presbyterian congregations, need to evaluate their actions and respond biblically in light of the truth that has been manifested.
Furthermore, I agree with Van Doodewaard that “true repentance” needs to be manifested by the leadership through public confession, “honest communication.”
I am convinced, especially with the truth that has been confirmed by the overwhelming weight of epidemiological research and data, that church leaders acted sinfully by shutting down weekly public corporate worship services. They usurped an authority that did not, does not, and will never come under their or the state’s jurisdiction. The worship of God is governed by the Lord Almighty Himself, and His Word alone has authority over the frequency and orderliness of corporate worship. Any session who prevented willing members from the opportunity to worship corporately on the Lord’s Day ruled and acted on matters that are way “above their pay grade.” They stood on holy ground without removing their sandals. They enforced actions that caused “little ones” to sin by preventing them to come into the house of the Lord to offer worship that is due His name. They abused their God-ordained authority by prohibiting corporate worship rather than promoting it.
One of the most obvious perversions of this ecclesiastical overreach was the “administration of virtual communion” by some sessions! In their rejection of first principles, they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and issued declarations that bordered on idolatry. They tried to convince their flock that “virtual worship” was a viable substitute for corporate worship, and many have drunk the “Kool-Aid.” Consequently, the church is still hemorrhaging from this soul-draining charade. It is no wonder that 20%-30% of former worshippers have not returned to weekly worship gatherings. Israel’s history should have taught us that idolatry will lead worshippers to pursue lesser gods.
Regardless of the uncertainties and fears that surrounded COVID-19, the unequivocal teaching of Scripture (“Remember/observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Ex 20:8; Dt 5:12; cf. Heb 10:25) should never have been overruled by circumstantial reasoning (“love your neighbor” or “submit to the governing authorities”) based on less relevant Scriptures. We must allow the more clear and more applicable passages of Scripture to be our guide over the less clear and less applicable passages of Scripture.
I suspect that most sessions are willing to admit that they would have acted differently in 2020 (for some churches as late as 2022) knowing what they know now about the “pandemic.” But if their retraction is only based on the reality of the undisputable data that has been gathered and reported, then they are still not humbling themselves under the revelation of God’s Word. I believe, as implied by Van Doodewaard, that the repentance of the session should not merely be based on the “science” alone but based fundamentally on the eternal truth of God’s Word.
Scientific research and data analysis will change in the days to come, but the truth of God’s Word endures forever. It is applicable to any and every age of human history. Therefore, elders must not only learn the many valuable lessons on how to respond in the future from this “test” but fundamentally they must repent of the sins that took them down some dark paths. Circumstances may change but our fleshly temptation will be not to trust in the Lord with all our hearts but lean on our own understanding (or the experts) and be wise in our own eyes rather than to be fools for Christ’s sake.
The need for ongoing repentance is vital not only for all believers but especially for elders who are called to shepherd God’s flock. Since the grace of repentance is a work of the Holy Spirit, we must not presume upon it. Rather, in humble reliance upon the Holy Spirit, we must pursue repentance in proportion to the light of truth that has been revealed to us. More light demands clearer and deeper repentance.
In the case of COVID-19, the truth is manifest to anyone who is willing to see and acknowledge it for what it was. Therefore, elders must be humble enough to confess how they have transgressed the law of God. In fact, the unique ecclesiastical authority that Christ has appointed to elders corresponds to a greater responsibility to demonstrate and model their willingness to confess sin, especially public sins that directly impacted the flock. “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” (Luke 12:48) The session’s heavy-handed lockdown of corporate worship needs to be the starting point for genuine repentance and confession.
Is public confession really necessary with regard to COVID-19 even when the session’s intentions were noble or for the congregation’s well-being? The Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q. 14) defines sin as “any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.” As the WSC rightly summarizes the teaching of Scripture, sin is not limited to those actions or thoughts that are purely malicious in nature. All sin is judged against the holy nature of God who cannot even look upon evil, regardless of the motives. The Bible categorizes sin as anything that falls short of the glory of God. Preventing willing congregants to gather for corporate worship did not conform to God’s commandments and transgressed what God requires regarding worship. Even if the session’s motives were pure, the action in and of itself was sinful, contrary to the Word of God. By their authoritative actions, the session denied and prevented God’s people from gathering for corporate worship as prescribed in Scripture. Sessions abused their appointed authority from God to restrict what God requires. They took upon themselves a prerogative that does not belong to them. They touched holy things that were forbidden for them to touch.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon those elders and sessions who participated in the COVID-19 overreach “not to content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man’s duty to endeavor to repent of his particular sins, particularly” (Westminster Confession of Faith 15.5). Particular sins require particular repentance so that the gravity of each sin is confronted and mortified before God. Denying God His rightful worship entails a litany of sins (see Westminster Larger Catechism concerning the Ten Commandments).
The grace of repentance bears fruit in a believer’s life as the Holy Spirit produces “grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience” (WSC Q. 87). The Holy Spirit graciously works repentance in a sinner’s heart to reveal the reality and heinousness of sin before a holy God and turns him in a way that conforms to God’s righteousness. Such a work of grace is necessary to restore sinners to God and to enjoy Him as they ought. It is also instrumental as a deterrent for faithful followers of Christ so that they will not easily succumb to the same sin. Elders need to examine the Scriptures carefully (additionally for Presbyterians their constitutional documents that they took an oath to uphold) and bear their souls before the Lord so that they might repent of their specific sins.
Moreover, the grace of repentance should manifest itself in the public confession of sin. Public sins require public confessions. For elders who have repented of their sins related to their oversight during COVID-19, these sins should be confessed to their congregation. Moving forward as though nothing deleterious happened during COVID-19 in the church will only normalize the sins that were committed. Such normalization has tragically infected many former churchgoers. The suspension of corporate public worship should be an extremely rare exception and only for a limited period of time. We must be wiser and more biblically discerning in the future and not be swept away by the urgency of the moment.
Confession is not only beneficial for the one who has repented and acknowledged his sins before God (1 Jn 1:9) but in the case of public sins, it facilitates reconciliation and restores trust between the parties affected by the sins. Many church members were negatively affected by the actions of the session as it related to COVID-19. Even though much of life in the world and in the church has returned to “normal,” many in the flock have been wounded, and some have even been driven away from the flock. Unfortunately, sheep were scattered by the shepherds and left to the wolves to fend for themselves. There are lost sheep who still need to be sought and returned to the fold.
Those who have returned to corporate worship would be blessed and encouraged to see their elders exemplify gospel repentance and confession. Elders need to lead the congregation in modeling this grace. Confession glorifies the forgiving grace of the gospel. It magnifies the sanctifying power of the gospel that should be active in the hearts of the elders. If these elders have not publicly confessed to their flock how they mismanaged the household of God, they are denying that their actions were harmful and sinful. They need to demonstrate their willingness to be accountable for their failures in leadership and for promoting foreign worship. Their humble confession would provide the congregation the glorious opportunity to extend forgiveness to them and experience the reconciling grace of the gospel. Displaying such gospel humility will go a long way in engendering trust between the session and the members and nurturing the relationship that the Lord has entrusted to the session.
We have witnessed over the past three years a rapid decline in the spiritual and moral state of our nation. The rejection of biblical truths has increased visibly and forcefully. Biblical realities of right and wrong have been discarded and replaced with demonic lies. Perversion to God’s creation ordinances is promoted by the state and even some “churches.” It is hard to deny that a Romans 1-like judgment of God is being revealed from heaven against our nation. It appears that God has given our nation over to her sins and there does not appear to be any slowing down of our moral and spiritual freefall. Barring a miraculous intervention of God’s mercy, our nation appears to be running headlong into the spiritual darkness that has already consumed much of Europe and Canada.
Is there a spiritual link between the current cultural decline and the response of the church to COVID-19? Is it merely coincidental that the spiritual decay of our nation has dramatically accelerated since 2020? I believe that the church is harboring an Achan in her camp. The decisions that many church leaders made were a direct affront to our covenant Lord. The church publicly bowed to various idols denying the Lord as her sovereign. The Lord’s judgment begins at the household of God and apart from repentance and confession, the American church will go the way of Israel into exile.
The time is now for church leaders to heed Jesus’ warning, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Rev 2:5) As the salt and light of the world, the church has a direct impact on our culture, either for good or for ill. She can be faithful in worshiping and serving God so as to be a blessing to the world or neglect her unique calling and be mocked by the world.
In rejecting her call to prioritize the public worship of God, the church is being thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. By putting the public worship of God under a basket, the church has allowed the darkness to take a foothold in our culture. Rather than glory, dishonor has been given to our Father because of the shame that the church has brought upon His name.
During an unprecedented season in our nation when so many people needed the truth and hope of the gospel lived out, the church vanished. She fell in line with the spirit of the age and forfeited her high privilege to proclaim boldly and unashamedly the power of the gospel.
Are we beyond the point of no return? Are we witnessing the first wave of another exile? That remains to be determined, but what is undeniable is the need for church leaders to repent and confess to their congregations the sins committed against God and God’s people during COVID-19. If the church has any hope of having her lampstand restored to her, she must begin by returning to her First Love.
Thankfully, God’s mercy and grace are greater than our sins, and He delights to magnify the glory of the gospel in His people’s lives. May the shepherds of God’s flock lead the way in humble repentance and confession so that public worship may be the light that our dark world so desperately needs.
Seth Yi is a Minister in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and is the Pastor of Newberry ARP in Newberry.
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