1. A call to let this event remind us that we are all sinners. We are to take stock in our moral weaknesses and say, “But for the grace of God there go I.”
2. Instruction to take our eyes off people and set them on Christ instead.
3. Extensive consideration of the practical ways we can avoid falling into sin.

As to this common response of point number two instructing us to take our eyes off people and put them on Christ instead; it sounds good,but I am concerned it puts us in danger of giving up on our primary mission. We are called to be an example of the saving life of Jesus Christ.

There is a celebrity mindset in Christianity today. The power of godly, Spirit anointed ideas does not drive the messages we consume in this Christian era. Instead, we go for the messenger who has the largest church or created the largest following. Mega churches, mega authors, mega personalities are at the fore. There are any number of Christian classics that would never have come into our hands if past generations of Christians chose the writings they favored based upon the popularity of the author. In fact, the greatest works of Christian devotion have largely been written by those who had little or no appeal to their age. So, it is good to be warned against hero worship and celebrity Christianity. And it is good that we be called to turn our eyes upon the Lord Jesus and listen to His voice above all others.

Here though is the problem, once you underscore the inevitability of sin the next step is to say, “look to Jesus and not to me.” This attitude relieves us of the responsibility that God has given to His redeemed people.

In Philippians 3 Paul tells us that his life focus was on the prize of knowing Christ and being conformed into His likeness. Then Paul says, “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern (Philippians 3:17). To Timothy, Paul commanded, “be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity (1 Timothy 4:12).” That is God’s word to us as well. Again, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3 of the believer in Christ that we are letters written by God, and known of men, for all to read. Maybe you have heard it said, “you are all of Jesus that some people will ever see.” It is a popular phrase. Here is another that I have heard many times, “preach the gospel everywhere you go and when necessary use words.” Put your life and actions as an example before your mouth. And now when a well-known leader proves false the advice seems to have changed to, “ignore what you see here. Move along and just look to Jesus.”

No. The great tragedy of this sin is that it has blasphemed the name of our wonderful Savior. And our response before this catastrophic fraud ought to be to seek God to bring us into the reality of the saving life of His Son so that we might live in the power of the Holy Spirit as encouraging examples of Divine Life poured into us and out to others. With this as our aim we should take up the prayer for Christlikeness offered in the book of Puritan prayers and devotion, The Valley of Vision. "May my words and works allure others to the highest walks of faith and love! May loiterers be quickened to greater diligence by my example! May worldlings be won to delight in acquaintance with thee! May the timid and irresolute be warned of coming doom by my zeal for Jesus! Cause me to be a mirror of thy grace, to show others the joy of thy service... Help me to walk as Jesus walked, my only Saviour and perfect model, his mind my inward guest, his meekness my covering garb."