Do you ever fear you might fail God? That you might behave so faithlessly that you bring shame to yourself, your family, and your ministry? 

Consider one of the most well-known leaders of the Christian (and Jewish) faith – Aaron the high priest. 

The owner of an impressive pedigree, Aaron was an unlikely candidate for spiritual and moral failure.

He was:
a Hebrew born into slavery in Egypt. 
the son of Jochebed and Amram and brother to Moses. 
the primary spokesperson for God (and Moses) as God prepared to deliver his people from slavery in Egypt. 

He’d been Moses’ COO, the media specialists for the greatest escape of all time, and the voice that spoke God’s words to Pharaoh. He’d heard God speak, bridged the gap between Moses and the Israelites, and stood beside his little brother on the scary walk to Pharaoh’s throne room. 

He’d held the rod that became a serpent, seen the death angel pass over the Hebrew camp, and stepped onto the dry riverbed of the Red Sea. He’d eaten food that came from God’s hand, drank bitter water turned sweet, and witnessed the glory cloud of God descend upon the mountain. Most miraculous of all, he, his sons, and 70 elders had seen God – and lived. 

Yet while Moses and God transcribed the Law onto stone tablets on top of Mt. Sinai, Aaron descended into idolatrous worship at its base. Sucked into doubt, fear, and disbelief, he caved to the pressure of the crowd and turned his back on everything he believed. 

How can a man who has known God so intimately fail so profoundly? And how do we – frail humans who won’t see God face to face until heaven – have any hope of standing firm until the end?

I don’t normally ponder these dark, sobering thoughts. But Aaron’s failure, right there on the pages of Scripture, paired with recent accounts of godly men turning their backs on God brought me here. It comforts me to know the great apostle Paul feared the same things. 

In 1 Corinthians 9:27, he confessed to being afraid, after having preached to others, that he would be “disqualified.” Set aside. Hamstrung in his spiritual race to finish well. 

But Paul’s fear didn’t paralyze him, and our fears don’t have to, either. Instead, it fortified his determination. And it led him to take concrete steps to guard against moral and spiritual failure. 

“I beat my body and make it my slave,” he declares. My desires won’t rule me. With God’s help, I’ll rule them. 

He, too, remembered all the reasons Aaron and the children of Israel had to stand firm in God. “They walked through the sea on dry land. Followed the cloud in the desert. Ate manna from heaven and water from a rock.” 

But just experiencing God’s power isn’t enough, he says. We must intentionally guard ourselves against loving the things of this world more than the God of the heavens. Against sexual immorality. Against our tendency to test God’s patience and grumble about what we don’t have instead of expressing gratitude for what we do (1 Cor. 10:1-10). 

Take heed, he warns, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (v. 10:12). 
And then he tosses the rescue ring of hope: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (v. 10:13). 

Christ in us IS greater than the greatest temptation. We don’t have to fall victim to Satan’s schemes and the Siren’s song of the world and the flesh. We have a race to run. A prize to claim. A Savior to honor. And a declaration to hear – “Well done, good and faithful servant.” May it ring in our ears for all eternity. Every time we say no to sin, we say yes to Jesus.
Every time we erect boundaries to protect our purity, we say no to sin and yes to Jesus. 
Every time we change the channel, close the account, or delete the email, we say no to sin and yes to Jesus. 

Every time we give ourselves to God’s kingdom instead of our own, we say no to sin and yes to Jesus.

We’re not doomed to fail because other mighty men and women have failed. We are positioned to succeed because God promises a way of escape for every temptation we face. 

And He will give us the courage to take it. 

If we want to guard ourselves from being disqualified, we should: 

1. Never think we’re above moral or spiritual failure. It could happen to anyone. This is why we must remain vigilant. 

2. Check our hearts regularly. What do we love? Where will our current path lead us? Where do we spend the majority of our time, energy, and thoughts? 

3. Erect boundaries around everything we hold dear: our spiritual lives (are we spending time with God every day?), our physical lives (are our habits healthy and holy?), and our relationships (if God was an unseen guest in this relationship (and He is), would he be pleased with what he saw?) 

4. When temptation comes, look for the escape. Then take it. Like Joseph did. And Daniel. And Paul. These men are inspiring examples of people dedicated to “Well done” living. 

And if you blow it like Aaron did? Confess. Repent. Forsake. 

While the consequences of spiritual and moral failure are great, God’s forgiveness is greater. First John 1:9 points to the way back: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 

We are never out of God’s reach of forgiveness and restoration. When Aaron followed the people in sin instead of taking a stand for righteousness, he brought great harm to many. But when he and the people humbled themselves, grieved over their sin, and wept in prayer, Moses interceded for them, and the God of mercy and grace gave them all a second chance. 

He renewed his covenant with the nation, promising to go ahead of them into the Promised Land and deliver them from their enemies. The Israelites recommitted themselves to the Lord, with Aaron, their high priest, leading the way. 

Today, ministers or Christian leaders who fall can’t and shouldn’t immediately be allowed back into leadership simply because they’ve confessed and repented. This isn’t the point of this post. The point is that we can never out-sin God’s grace and his willingness to forgive.

When one of his children sincerely repents, he will always forgive us. We may have to live with the consequences of our sin for a lifetime, but we can forgive ourselves and move forward, knowing God has forgiven us. 

How about you? Do you fear failing the Lord? Which protective suggestions mentioned above can you put into place to guard yourself? Or maybe you feel like you’re not likely to fall? That temptation is something other people struggle with? Has Aaron’s example caused you to reconsider this? 

Or perhaps you’ve already failed. You assume there’s no hope that God would ever want to use you again in his service? Does 1 John 1:9 give you hope that perhaps there’s a way back after all? 
Wherever you find yourself today, talk to God about it. Take the necessary steps to move forward, and watch what he will do.