Lessons on Leaving Legacies from the Christian Leaders Who’ve Gone before Us
2025 has been quite an eventful year for the church, as multiple influential Christian leaders have passed away. In the past month alone, men such as Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; pastor and teacher John MacArthur of Grace Community Church; televangelist Jimmy Swaggart; and Christian music pioneer Chuck Girard.
Christians who know about these men realize the impact they have made in their lives, whether it's in family ministry, expository preaching, worship, or evangelism. Although they have since passed away, believers who were shaped by their ministries consider this to be the end of an era. This is no surprise, as we know that generations come and go. But the good news is that God can and will continue to raise up individuals and impact their generation to the glory of God. In the meantime, we can look back at these leaders and learn from their lives.
That being said, let us consider the following question: What can we learn from Christian legacies, including both their strengths and their struggles, and how can Christian leaders' legacies inspire us to live lives that point to Christ and leave behind faith that lasts?
Ordinary Men, Extraordinary God
Although these men were prominent figures in their generation, we must be reminded that they are just ordinary men. It is easy to write them off as supersaints, but they are humans just like you and me. At one point in their lives, they lived without God until He saved them and subsequently called them to their respective fields. Those whom God raised up in the Bible, as well as church history, were all just human beings. We ascribe all glory to God, who uses broken vessels like us, because that's all of us. And if God can save these men, He can save us as well.
The Lord gifted each one to impact their generation, whether it's through preaching, music, or so forth. This, however, does not come without a price, and that is surrender to Him. The New Testament book of James issues the following warning: "Not all should become teachers, for they will face stricter judgment" (James 3:1). There is a judgment that is far greater awaiting those in His church who are leaders. It doesn't matter if they are well-known in this lifetime, for the Lord knows who truly belongs to Him. It is no wonder Christ issues this warning against false teachers who attempt to use their profession as their reason for salvation, yet they do not have a relationship with Him.
As part of His Sermon on the Mount, Christ says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' (Matthew 7:21–23).
If this passage does not convict you, then I don't know what will. It doesn't matter that you profess to know Him and do many things for Him; He says, "I never knew you." It goes to show that your profession was completely false. You can have a major platform, but that doesn't mean that you can't fall. Take Swaggart, for instance, who fell into sin involving prostitutes in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Although he continued in ministry until the end of his life, those moments show how much leaders are accountable for their actions before God and a watching world. Overall, it is a reminder that we are frail human beings who cannot do anything apart from the Lord; otherwise, we will fall.
In the book of Daniel, a Bible verse says, "The people that do know their God shall do great exploits," demonstrating how an extraordinary God uses ordinary people. The impact men such as Dobson, MacArthur, and Girard had in their lifetimes is a testimony to their great exploits through God. God desires to use anyone willing to serve Him with their life. All He asks is for a willing heart.
Imitate Christ
Another thing to consider in the legacy of godly leaders is the importance of imitating Christ. The apostle Paul tells the church at Corinth, "imitate me, as I also imitate Christ." As leaders, it is essential to point others to the Savior by imitating Him. Our goal as Christians is to grow in Christlikeness throughout our entire lives. It was never meant to be about us because we were not made for ourselves. The Bible says, "All things were created through Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16-17). Additionally, we are united with Christ when we are born again.
Paul writes to Galatia, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
The apostle recognizes that this is no longer his life, for he is now in Christ, and so is everyone who has been truly born again. Therefore, we must consider leaders who have emulated Christ in their lives because that encourages us in our walk with God. We are to know God, but we must also make Him God through our lives. Let our lives be to the glory of God, who is forever worthy of all praise. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Mike Powell
Originally published August 29, 2025.
