The Slide into Sin

I remember Dr. Bill McRae, OBC president in the '80's and a Dallas Theological Seminary grad, speaking about holiness in chapel. Given his Dallas pedigree it was quite shocking when he said, "I don't think people fall into sin. It's more of a slide", and then he went onto talking about backsliding. He used Lot as the example. We find Lot in a cave having fled Sodom and Gomorrah having sex with his daughters (although he was unaware). They lived in fear, a far cry from the scene just a few chapters earlier. In Genesis 13 Abram and Lot have conflict, and to save the day Abram offers Lot the choice of land, and he chooses the best for himself and his people. This choice would eventually lead to the necessity of rescue by uncle Abram, both from the kings of the nations (Gen.14) and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen.19). You see, Lot never fell into sin. He wasn't standing on a hillside with Abram and then laying naked in a dark cave having impregnated his 2 daughters. His behaviour provided a slippery slope for him to slide to that point.

Where was the community around Lot? Didn't they see the behaviours to tip them off? Did they see it, but were afraid to confront it? I'm struck in recent days by the infidelity that has caused officers to fall into sin, but I'm left to wonder where the slide began, and where was the community to call them into accountability. I know you automatically go to "sexual sin" when you hear infidelity, and that is the case for some, but infidelity refers to an "unfaithfulness to a moral obligation". There's financial infidelity, social infidelity, and yes, marital infidelity. It must be discouraging for our leaders who have to sit around committee tables to deal with infidelity issues relating to leaders. I'm not naive to think it doesn't happen, but it is still discouraging nonetheless. So what do we do?

1. Be accountable to others - we cannot live our Christian lives in a vacuum, but must live it out in the context of community and trust, with all of our warts, keeping it real.
2. Be faithful in the little things - I think this blows people away at alarming rates, and I think that's why the Bible addresses it so often.
3. Check motives and attitudes - Be sure they're not driven by selfish desire, arrogance or ill-will, but with the attitude of Christ...see Phillipians 2
4. Be willing to call a sister or brother on stuff
5. Stop sinning and live holy lives
6. Pray for and encourage our leaders who have to deal with this stuff - It gets messy, and they can use the boost

I know this isn't exhaustive, and it really sounds simple, but in these small areas the devil gets his foot in the door...See Ephesians 4...It's interesting that holy living is set in the context of the unity of believers.

At the end of the day I am left to wonder if there was anything I could have done. I think the bigger challenge is to make sure I don't let stuff slide for my friends, brothers and sisters, and colleagues to help keep them from sliding.