Saying No to Sin: Know God, Know Yourself, Be Known by Others

Every few months, it seems, we hear of another well-known Christian—pastor, writer, musician—who either falls morally or walks away from the faith. It’s tragic, but not altogether surprising. The New Testament repeatedly warns that spiritual collapse is real and possible.

Paul exhorts the Ephesian elders, “Pay careful attention to yourselves” (Acts 20:28). He urges Timothy, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching” (1 Tim. 4:16). He cautions all of us, “Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). Spiritual failure is not just a risk for the famous—it’s a real danger for us all.

So how do we guard against it?

Know Yourself

The person I should be most suspicious of is… myself. My heart is deceptive. My eyes are easily blinded. My feet are prone to wander. I must know where I’m vulnerable—not just where I’m weak, but also where I feel strongest and most confident.

This is where guardrails come in. Engineers install them on roads with sharp turns or steep cliffs—not because they expect crashes, but to keep crashes from turning fatal. In the same way, we need healthy boundaries: digital habits that protect us, rhythms of rest, spiritual disciplines, and safeguards against temptation.

Church application: 

Every believer needs to identify potential danger zones. Where are you tempted to cut corners, to isolate, to hide? Where are you tempted to justify sin or compare yourself to others? Set up guardrails. Ask a friend to check in. Keep short accounts with God and others.

Know God

One of the most dangerous realities for church leaders—and churchgoers—is being around God’s Word without truly being with God. We can read Scripture, sing songs, and serve others without ever opening our hearts to God. We become experts in religion but strangers to the Redeemer.

Paul says in Philippians 3:10 that his greatest ambition is “that I may know Him.” Not simply work for Christ, but walk with Him. The more we know God—His character, His holiness, His nearness—the more alert we become to sin and the more desperate we become for grace.

A.W. Tozer put it this way: “The closer you are to God, the more intolerable sin becomes.” When we regularly pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” we begin to notice the stop signs and spiritual warning lights God places in our path.

Church application:

Knowing God isn’t just for pastors—it’s for parents changing diapers, students cramming for exams, and retirees living quietly in prayerful faithfulness. Are you walking closely with God? Do you open His Word to listen, or only to learn? Ask God to give you a tender heart, a sensitive conscience, and a clear view of His holiness.

Be Known by Others

Sin grows in the dark. It flourishes in secrecy. One of Satan’s most effective tools is isolation—getting us to hide, pretend, and withdraw. But God has designed the church as a family—a place of honest encouragement, grace-filled correction, and mutual care.

Hebrews 3:13 calls us to “exhort one another every day… that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” That’s not just a call for pastors or small group leaders—it’s a call for all believers. We need others, and others need us.

Paul’s command to the Ephesian elders to “pay careful attention to yourselves” is plural. It’s a community charge: each elder is to help watch over the others. And by extension, each Christian has a role in guarding and guiding fellow believers.

Church application:

You don’t have to share everything with everyone. But you do need a few people who know your real struggles and have permission to ask hard questions. Be the kind of person who invites accountability—and offers it graciously to others. Love people enough to have awkward conversations before they become devastating ones.

Conclusion: 

We need spiritual guardrails that keep us from the edge.

We need spiritual stop signs that remind us of danger ahead.

We need spiritual off-ramps—fellow believers who throw up roadblocks when we’re headed toward disaster.

Knowing yourself helps you build the guardrails.

Knowing God helps you see the stop signs.

Being known helps ensure others can point you to the off-ramps—and throw the rumble strips when necessary.

Let’s not drive this road alone.