My two previous posts this week have talked about how we face a struggle with our humanness, what the New Testament calls “the flesh.” I’m convinced that that struggle never goes away.

That said, I also know that none of that excuses us. We aren’t supposed to sin. We are supposed to live righteous lives.

What we need to see, in my opinion, is that sanctification (the process of becoming more holy) comes about through God’s power working in us. It’s not about me changing me; it’s about me letting God transform me.

That’s one reason the New Testament writers didn’t use the term self-control all that much. The Greeks were fairly fond of the term; their philosophers used it a lot. By comparison, the word is fairly rare in the New Testament. I think that’s because we aren’t looking to have our flesh control our flesh. We aren’t seeking to control ourselves. We are seeking the Spirit’s control.

I cringe when I hear someone say, “I could never be tempted in that way.” That sort of attitude leads to trouble. It always makes me think of Peter insisting Jesus, “All the others may fall away, but I will never abandon you.”

We need to see temptation and run to our Refuge, seek our Helper, lean on our God. We must never think that we can overcome by our personal holiness, our willpower, or our determination. We need God. We need God’s power. We must follow God’s Spirit.

We can live holy lives. We don’t have to resign ourselves to sin. But we do have to seek God’s help.

I wrote on Monday about the reality of temptation in our lives. We are human. We are open to temptation and capable of sin.

That included the apostle Paul. That includes me. That includes your minister.

The sexual abuse scandal involving the Southern Baptist Church has shocked many. The numbers are disturbing. The mishandling of these episodes is troublesome.

But the fact that it happened shouldn’t surprise us.

That in no way excuses the guilty! When we follow the flesh instead of the Spirit, we are choosing death over life. We are guilty. Those in positions of responsibility will be judged even more harshly when they take advantage of those positions. Those who prey on children will face God’s judgment. Please hear me say that in no uncertain terms. God is merciful and may forgive, but guilt was incurred.

Some blame the purity movement. Some blame complementarianism. Some go the other way and blame a permissive society. Those from highly conservative cultures would point to our mixing of men and women in the same settings.

I blame the fact that we don’t take sin seriously. We over-estimate our ability to resist it. And we place ministers on a pedestal, expecting of them what we don’t expect of others. “Don’t use that kind of language! The preacher is here.”

Ministers need to recognize their humanity and their frailty. Any statement of “I’d never fall into that kind of temptation” shows a minister to be unprepared for the struggle with the flesh.

Members need to recognize that ministers are capable of sin, just as every member is. Don’t let them put themselves into unwise positions. Watch for signs that your minister is allowing the flesh to lead in relationships with others. Expect no more (and no less) of them than you would anyone else in the congregation.

Personally, I value the so-called Billy Graham rule. More and more, the wisdom of such guidelines can be seen. I encourage us to err on the side of caution. We are human. We are in the flesh. We are subject to sin.

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:18–19)

Some people read these words by Paul and can’t understand how he could say such things about himself. They find alternative ways to interpret these verses, either seeing them as a description of Paul’s life before conversion or see him speaking of the reality of non-Christians.

I personally have trouble understanding the people who can’t see a Christian saying these things. Yes, they sound extreme, unless you keep reading down into Chapter 8. In context, I think they reflect the reality that we all have to live with: even as new creations, we still have the old creation with us. Our flesh (to use the biblical term) with its propensity to sin will be with us until we are remade into our post-resurrection selves.

Maybe some people have reached a level of sanctification that I’ve found unattainable. Or maybe they have such an exalted view of the biblical writers that they imagine them as having achieved such holiness. Whatever the case, I know that I still must “discipline my body and keep it under control.” (1 Corinthians 9:27) I find that “the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:17)

There is an old phrase, attributed to different sources, that says, “There but for the grace of God go I.” The idea is that only God’s grace stands between me and the sin (and consequences of sin) that overcome others. I need that attitude. I need to remember that I am capable of great sin and am only capable of holiness through the working of God’s Spirit.

When I see a fellow Christian in sin, I need to remember Paul’s words:

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)

I must be careful, so that I don’t fall into the same temptation. Because the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. I must continually rely on God’s strength, or I too can fall.

Maybe you’ve grown beyond that. If so, I envy for you. As for me, sin is always willing to pay me a visit. I need God’s power to choose to resist it.

Photo courtesy Goh Rhy Yan on Unsplash.com