Sins You Say You Will Never Do — A Dangerous List
I certainly never thought I would end up doing the very thing I said I would never do—have sex outside of marriage. But then it happened and my whole world collapsed under the consequences of my sin. One night, I had sex with my boyfriend and what was once a sin I would “obviously” never commit became my greatest regret.
I was bewildered. Where did it all go wrong?
I was in my mid-20s and serving in a leadership capacity at a very large church in the Midwest. I loved God, was passionate about building the church and serving people, and was adamant that there were certain sins I would never do.
We all have them: I will never steal. Or commit adultery. Or become dependent on alcohol. The list could go on.
What I found on the other end of my sin and healing was an untouchable mentality, and I feared I wasn’t the only one. If you are honest with yourself in this moment, you will realize you too have a list of sins you say you will never do.
The danger with having an untouchable mentality is that it leaves you vulnerable to temptation and the very sins you say you would never do. When temptation comes knocking at the door in an area that seems untouchable, you are not properly set up to overcome it. You have placed the untouchables in a cabinet somewhere in the back of your mind, and therefore, you are vulnerable.
The truth is, ignoring something doesn’t give you more freedom; it, in fact, keeps you in bondage. A bondage to false hope and self-reliance. A bondage that keeps you hidden in the shadows instead of free in the light. This isn’t the way you want to live, and in all honesty, you don’t have to.
No story highlights the danger of this myth better than Peter’s account of denying Jesus. After the Last Supper, just hours before His arrest, Jesus told the disciples that they would scatter in the face of opposition. Peter was the first to boldly proclaim he would not fall away; he would not scatter. Even when Jesus told Peter he would deny Him three times before the rooster crows twice, Peter proclaimed, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” (ESV)
Denying Jesus was on Peter’s list of “I would never.” He was so sure he would never abandon Jesus that he didn’t even make room for the possibility that it could happen. Yet, the moment Jesus was arrested Peter did run, and in those final hours, he kept his distance from his Savior. Furthermore, Peter went on to deny Jesus three times.
In shattering the myth of untouchable sins, you must realize that in order to flourish in life, you must be willing to admit weakness. Pride would have you say that you have it covered, but surrender leaves room for God’s strength to show up and claim victory over the temptation.
Will you leave room for Him?
You will be better equipped to stand against temptation if you proactively prepare yourself and allow God’s strength to sustain you in those moments. You are not exempt from committing a sin simply because you say you won’t go there, which is why you need Him and need to be ready.
The good news is we serve a gracious and loving God of not just second chances, but of infinite chances. So, just as Peter experienced reconciliation with Jesus after the resurrection, you can experience grace and redemption on the other side of sin. He is a rescuer of hearts, and He finds you, no matter where you might be.
Copyright © 2018 Brittany Rust, an article for CBN and compliment to her book, Untouchable: Unraveling the Myth That You're Too Faithful to Fall.
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