I have to say I do not agree with much of what has been said of Governor Sanford of South Carolina by many in the Conservative movement. Glenn Beck this morning said:
We got plenty of dirtbags. We got plenty of people we can't trust. May I just beg the audience to please tell me that character does matter, please?
Yes, Glenn, character does matter...but what you and many others seem to be forgetting is that we are all dirtbags!
Remember...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one..." (Romans 3: 9-10)
To suggest that we as conservatives must demand righteousness misses the most important part of our human nature, that we are convicted in the Law and cannot by our own means ever be righteous and right with God. It is for this reason Jesus came to be the sin offering for us. This does not mean that we no longer sin...we are human and sin always--it is our nature!
Paul said the following when describing the human condition: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do....I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." (Romans 7: 15, 18-19)
Yes, if one lives in the Spirit, one dies to his flesh...and it is only through the Spirit and by God's grace that we can live in righteousness...but I do not believe that this precludes us from falling again into sin--we are at war with one who will sorely tempt us and if we have not submitted fully to God, if we struggle to hold our own faith with our own will, we fall yet again because our will is human--weak, frail, unreliable, and sinful.
Does character count? ABSOLUTELY! Do we need people in office that have unquestionable character? NO! All of us have character flaws through our sinful state--every man's character is questionable. It is the admission of this and the steps one takes to deal with these flaws that should count for the most.
Finally, I was extremely moved by Jenny Sanford's statement. In it I found a quiet and contemplative faith and the seeds to Governor Sanford's redemption:
I would like to start by saying I love my husband and I believe I have put forth every effort possible to be the best wife I can be during our almost twenty years of marriage. As well, for the last fifteen years my husband has been fully engaged in public service to the citizens and taxpayers of this state and I have faithfully supported him in those efforts to the best of my ability. I have been and remain proud of his accomplishments and his service to this state.
I personally believe that the greatest legacy I will leave behind in this world is not the job I held on Wall Street, or the campaigns I managed for Mark, or the work I have done as First Lady or even the philanthropic activities in which I have been routinely engaged. Instead, the greatest legacy I will leave in this world is the character of the children I, or we, leave behind. It is for that reason that I deeply regret the recent actions of my husband Mark, and their potential damage to our children.
I believe wholeheartedly in the sanctity, dignity and importance of the institution of marriage. I believe that has been consistently reflected in my actions. When I found out about my husband's infidelity I worked immediately to first seek reconciliation through forgiveness, and then to work diligently to repair our marriage. We reached a point where I felt it was important to look my sons in the eyes and maintain my dignity, self-respect, and my basic sense of right and wrong. I therefore asked my husband to leave two weeks ago.
This trial separation was agreed to with the goal of ultimately strengthening our marriage. During this short separation it was agreed that Mark would not contact us. I kept this separation quiet out of respect of his public office and reputation, and in hopes of keeping our children from just this type of public exposure. Because of this separation, I did not know where he was in the past week.
I believe enduring love is primarily a commitment and an act of will, and for a marriage to be successful, that commitment must be reciprocal. I believe Mark has earned a chance to resurrect our marriage.
Psalm 127 states that sons are a gift from the Lord and children a reward from Him. I will continue to pour my energy into raising our sons to be honorable young men. I remain willing to forgive Mark completely for his indiscretions and to welcome him back, in time, if he continues to work toward reconciliation with a true spirit of humility and repentance.
This is a very painful time for us and I would humbly request now that members of the media respect the privacy of my boys and me as we struggle together to continue on with our lives and as I seek the wisdom of Solomon, the strength and patience of Job and the grace of God in helping to heal my family.
For my part, I am praying for the Sanfords.
