Attending several church events week in and out won’t keep you from sin. The enemy seeks to keep us busy with external appearances, but he knows most of it is might be just a cover up.
Singing in the choir won’t keep you from sin; many sonorous singers wrestle with demons they don’t talk about. They sing about God in public but listen to ‘other’ songs in private.
Praying at deafening decibels won’t keep you from sin; you can be filled with God’s Spirit one minute but overwhelmed with lustful desires the next minute.
Reading the Bible from cover to cover won’t keep you from sin if we don’t allow God’s word take root. We can memorise and quote all the verses but still be up all night chatting with the wrong people about the wrong things.
Listening to so many podcasts or sermons from the world’s experts won’t keep us from sin, all of that information could be in one ear and out the other, we may keep up with our streaks but the enemy knows we’ll still end up doing what we want to do.
Preaching several sermons about holiness and sanctification won’t keep you from sin; you can study so hard, cross-referencing commentaries and concordances to prepare for a preaching presentation, but still end up at the backdoor of a brothel.
Hosting so many outreaches won’t keep you from sin. You can have all the strategies to win souls written on one app on your phone, but still swipe to inappropriate adult content you’ve subscribed to on another app.
Leading, mentoring, and coaching others won’t keep you from sin. You can encourage and challenge others to become the best version of themselves, but still lack the power to make the right decisions for yourself.
Having a godly spouse or being raised in a godly home won’t keep you from sin; we can be and do what people expect us to do but still rely on pins, pills and potions to make it through each day.
Engaging in a lot of charitable work won’t keep you from sin. You can appear to be genuinely interested in caring for people and their many problems but still live a double life without never being caught.
Hanging out with others who act piously won’t keep you from sin; you can act and behave like a Christian in public but still be knee-deep in ungodliness and immorality in secret.
Speaking Christianese won’t keep you from sin. You may impress so many people with your oratory and eloquence, but God knows the depravity of your heart and all the secrets no one knows about.
Possessing the supernatural ability to heal the sick and raise the dead won’t keep you from sin; you can possess these rare spiritual gifts but still continue to enjoy emotional affairs with members of your congregation.
Speaking in tongues won’t keep you from sin; you might speak both the tongues of men and of angels, but still physically and emotionally abuse your spouse.
Having a large following on social media won’t keep you from sin; projecting a false image, airbrushed and filtered, won’t keep you from engaging in questionable practices behind closed doors.
Wearing a necklace with a crucifix, a clerical collar, or a kippah won’t keep you from sin; all the regalia is bereft of the power to pull us back from bringing shame and disgrace to the name of Christ.
Living in a monastery or nunnery won’t keep you from sin; you can deny yourself all the pleasures and comforts this world offers but still be unable to tame your unbridled sexual fantasies.
Working as an executive assistant to the Pope or being engaged in full-time ministry won’t keep you from sin, you can keep up with the rituals and routines when the spotlight is on you but still get under the sheets with a bloke or lass who isn’t your spouse.
Returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land won’t keep you from sin; you can tick off this task on your bucket list but still resist submitting to the absolute control of God’s Spirit.
So, what will keep me from sin, if none of these will? Only abiding daily at the foot of the cross. Something happens to our plans, priorities, perspectives and the paths we choose, the longer we linger at the cross.
When was the last time I was at the cross? When was the last time I looked again at the dying Lamb? When did I last see His nail-scarred hands and feet? When was the last time I saw blood and water flowing from His sides? How long has it been since I heard the Saviour say, ‘I gave my life for you’? When was the last time I heard Him take his final breath? When was the last time I experienced all the sights and sounds at the cross? When did I last think about the sacrifice that saved me? When was the last time I contemplated on the blood that washed me clean? When was the last time I lingered at the foot of the cross?
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2.20.
Have I really been crucified with Christ?