Every Secret Thing, Whether Good or Evil
Was Ravi Zacharias even a believer?
May, 2021
Being an editor often means choosing which topics to explore or set aside. Then again, some subjects force their way into the conversation; these must be addressed whether one wants to or not. Hence, the title of this month's editorial, taken from the last words of Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes 12:14), and the tie-in to this month's spotlight verse.
The recent fall of Ravi Zacharias fits this "unavoidable" category. Speculation about the stunning revelations that came out after his death led to many awkward, uncomfortable discussions. Some of those included how to handle his writings or archived speeches. Others, especially recently, have emphasized an even more brutal question:
Was Ravi Zacharias truly a saved believer?
A year ago, the idea of typing that sentence would have been incomprehensible. Zacharias was one of the most influential figures in my spiritual life. Yet, as the Christian community struggles to deal with the fallout, it's an increasingly common debate. Some ask out of concern. Some ask out of confusion. Others are driven by a misguided hope that defining Zacharias as a non-believer resolves some of the dire concerns which his disgrace brought to light. For multiplied reasons, I'm exhausted with the subject, but not so naïve to think it will go away soon.
With that in mind, questions like, "was so-and-so really saved?" are widespread. They surge after someone's death, but can also pop up when there's a scandal or sin. This doesn't just apply to men like Zacharias, but to any person.
A fair, honest answer starts with admitting we can never perfectly know another person's spiritual state (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Corinthians 2:11). We can only make reasonable judgments based on what they say and do (Matthew 7:20; James 2:14–17). Those judgments must be tempered with humility, accepting that our perspective is not infallible (John 7:24; Proverbs 18:17). The best we can do is to weigh the balance of their life, their claims, and their actions, and see how much confidence that gives us.
In some cases, the conclusion seems obvious and there's no good reason to doubt. Christopher Hitchens constantly insulted and ridiculed God before his death. Billy Graham claimed faith in Christ and was never associated with any serious incidents suggesting he was lying. On the surface, it's reasonable to say, "we have no reason to think Hitchens was saved." Likewise, we're justified in saying, "we have no reason to think Graham was not saved."
In the most theoretical sense, it's possible Christopher Hitchens sincerely converted on his deathbed; perhaps Billy Graham was a masterful liar. But those are extraordinarily unlikely, given all we know. It's worth remembering, however, that the unknown is a much greater portion than the known. We simply don't have access to everything that ever happened behind closed doors, or inside a heart. In the end, God alone knows exactly where each person was, spiritually. We need to not only acknowledge that, but to actively remind ourselves of it (1 Corinthians 4:5).
What's trickier is when there's good reason to doubt a person's sincerity. Scripture never claims, "real Christians never sin," or "true believers cannot commit serious sins" (1 John 1:8; 5:16–17). But the Bible does tell us those who persistently, consistently violate God's will show evidence of rebellion, not salvation (John 14:15; 1 John 5:18). Scripture also tells us merely claiming to be a Christian, even when accompanied by great things, does not automatically mean a person has saving faith (Matthew 7:21–23). That cuts both ways: the newly-exposed sinner might have actually been more faithful than a figure who whose sins we will never know on this side of eternity. The seemingly-perfect example may have been less sincere than the one who admitted their struggles in public.
In those cases, as well, humility is key. We have even less cause to be certain, so we should be careful. That a professing believer's life was marked with sin does not instantly prove they were a false convert. Finding skeletons in the closet is certainly sad, hurtful, and heartbreaking. It absolutely adds doubt to our assessment of their eternal destiny. It's fair—if tragic—to say we are "less sure," after such discoveries, as we were before sins were uncovered.
Ravi's case is especially painful. His actions seem to have included significant time and intent. Isolated incidents, a single affair, the moderating influence of good accountability, or remorse when confronted would all have made it easier to see his error as anomalous, like that of David (2 Samuel 11). That these things happened over a long time, frequently, without oversight, and without apparent remorse is horrifying. Does that mean, for sure, he was lost? Not at all. Could it mean that? Yes, sadly, it might.
In short, there is no way to be sure what all this represents about the eternal validity of Ravi's faith. A graceful approach would be to say he was most likely saved, and sincere in his faith, but also a deeply flawed and tragic figure. Sadly, at least for now, his sin has all but overshadowed the earthly impact of his ministry.
-- Editor
