Philip Yancey’s confession brought me deep sorrow, but also reminds me of God’s unending grace

By Joseph D’Souza, Op-Ed Contributor Saturday, January 10, 2026

Philip and Janet Yancey have been dear friends to many of us in India for decades. We invited Philip to speak at conferences across the country, and his messages — rooted in honest wrestling with pain, doubt, and the astonishing reality of grace — touched countless lives. His books, which we helped distribute widely, became lifelines for pastors, students, and ordinary believers seeking to understand a God who meets us in our brokenness. That is why the news of his confession has brought such deep sorrow to so many hearts, including mine.

Philip has openly acknowledged an eight-year extramarital affair and has chosen to retire permanently from writing, speaking, and public ministry. He has described his actions as having “disqualified” him from Christian leadership, and he and Janet are now walking a painful path of counseling, accountability, and the slow work of rebuilding their 55-year marriage. Janet’s own statement speaks of unfathomable trauma yet clings to the marriage vow she made before God, asking only for prayer toward forgiveness and healing.

My heart aches — for Philip, for Janet, for their families, and for all who have been blessed by his ministry over the years. This is not a moment for judgment, but for compassion. We believe in a God whose grace is greater than our worst failures, a God who forgives completely through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Philip is forgiven. Janet has extended forgiveness. And those of us who trust in God’s mercy rejoice that neither of them has been discarded by the Lord they have served.

Yet forgiveness does not erase consequences. Eight years of willful disobedience have left deep wounds, and Philip’s human legacy now carries a shadow that was not there before. He has not, in the eyes of many, “finished well.” That reality grieves me — not because I stand in judgment, but because I know how fiercely Philip himself longed to finish well, and how earnestly he wrote about the danger of drifting from grace.

This painful chapter reminds us of one of the hardest truths Christians must face: even after receiving God’s free, unearned grace, we remain vulnerable to sin. Paul himself lived with this tension. He preached the Gospel with power, yet feared that after preaching to others he might become disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27). He disciplined his body and kept it under control, not to earn salvation, but because he knew the dreadful pull of the flesh. To continue deliberately in sin while claiming the cover of grace is to cheapen the priceless gift Christ purchased for us at such cost.

Thank God that most of the apostles, including Paul and Peter, did finish well. Thank God that David, after his grievous sins of adultery and murder, repented deeply and experienced God’s mercy, even while bearing lifelong consequences. Like David, Philip and Janet now have the opportunity to know the depth of God’s compassion in a new and profound way. They are not abandoned. They are held.

I fully support Philip’s decision to step away from any form of public ministry. Leadership carries a sacred trust, and when that trust is broken over many years, withdrawal is an act of integrity. I am less certain about his choice to never write again. If anyone could one day bear witness to the harrowing reality of living distant from God — and then being drawn back by relentless mercy — it is Philip. Perhaps, in time and with great humility, he might offer a sequel to his earlier reflections on grace, sharing not as a celebrated author, but as a fellow pilgrim who has tasted both the bitterness of wandering and the sweetness of restoration.

One question lingers in my mind: Did Philip and Janet have a close, transparent Christian community around them during these years? In our modern celebrity Christian culture, gifted leaders are often isolated on pedestals, far from the small, faithful communities where life is shared openly — strengths and weaknesses alike. In a genuine community, major deviations are harder to hide, and loving accountability can intervene before years of hidden pain accumulate.

For those of us in ministry, especially those of us past fifty, this is a sobering reminder: there is no automatic guarantee we will finish well. Human hearts are complex. Minds never stop working. Temptations evolve. Only daily dependence on Christ, lived out in honest relationships, offers real protection.

My prayer today is simple: May Philip and Janet experience the full measure of God’s amazing grace in this season of restoration. May they know they are loved — not for their achievements, but because they are children of a merciful Father. And may the Lord use even this heartbreak to draw many closer to the one who specializes in redeeming broken stories.