Thank you both for weighing in more!
I totally agree. The problem comes, though, when the people who are protecting an abuser do not recognize that they are doing so. For whatever reason, they tend to see themselves as protecting a victim. So, what I was really trying to get at/reflecting on was what is the larger thing they are protecting?
Both Ravi and this pastor (and many others who have been found out recently) were occupiers of an authoritative role. And oftentimes, that role plays a huge part in a larger narrative that we tell ourselves about life, death, judgement and what lies beyond. And sometimes – maybe even oftentimes – it is forgotten (for whatever reason) that these role occupiers (dare I say, our models or heroes) are also humans. So when the human and the role are blurred together in the story, what happens to the larger narrative when the human in the role proves himself/herself, well, human…namely abusive, manipulative humans…the literal anti-Christ to use Christian terms? For some, the whole ‘world’ could fall apart…so, naturally, they protect. They – either consciously or unconsciously – remain blind because the truth would be too unbearable.
So, @Carson, as you’ve pointed out, the difference between toxic grace and true grace is the object to which it is presented. And one can’t differentiate between the two graces (as @kiko mentioned) because one can’t first differentiate between the objects – victim-abuser, hero-nemesis.
I also totally agree, and I wonder if problematic applications Romans 13 also have something to do with it?
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Or the parable of the fruit in Luke 6…
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.