What would you say to Mark Sanford?

…. If you had the opportunity to witness to him?

Would you say, “Ah, he’s just a carnal Christian, I don’t need to witness to him” , or something like, “He is just a backslider, that is no reason to question his salvation”.

The article on Wikipedia related to Sanford states that the affair lasted over a year and his wife knew for around 5 months. Sanford was caught “in the act” so to speak, and in his press conference, he admitted that he was wrong for cheating on his wife.

This raises some interesting questions, many the same as I raised about Ted Haggard awhile back. Sanford was caught red handed in the act of cheating on his wife- do you think the affair would have continued if no one knew? Sanford also said that he knew it was wrong to cheat on his wife, yet he continued to do it. Why would someone willfully do something over and over if they believe that action to be wrong?

Mark Sanford

The affair was also definitely premeditated. What does that say about you if you plan out your sin, and have no problem with executing it? Sanford was definitely sorry about the affair, but was he sorry he sinned against his God and his wife, or just sorry he got caught? It sounds like he was sorry AFTER it came out in the media. That is not Christian repentance.

I am not Mark Sanford’s judge, and I cannot say where he will go when he dies, but I can tell you what the Bible says about situations like this. The scriptures tell us that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Prov 23:7). It also tells us that you will know a person by their fruit  (Matthew 7:16). What I CAN say is that something is wrong. I am concerned. Christians should depart from sin, not plan it out and run to it.

I can also tell you that true repentance is reflected in our war with sin, our hatred of it. Christians still stumble, but thats the point, they STUMBLE, and what it looks like Sanford was doing was diving.

Would you even question Mark Sanford’s confession of faith? What would you say if you had the change to talk face to face with him?

–Danny