Other "Thinking Drafts" and writing by Keith Drury -- http://www.indwes.edu/tuesday .

There are probably some sins you can get away with and stay in the ministry. Adultery isn't one of them. In spite of America's moral decline, people still expect marital fidelity of their pastors and presidents. Commit adultery and you are usually out of the ministry -- at least for a time.

But we all know that ministers are susceptible to sexual temptation. Some say more so. So, how can we protect ourselves from the sudden death resulting from ministerial adultery?

Over 30 years I've collected the advice of Minister-Old-timers on sexual temptation. These old war horses might sound a bit old fashioned, and they are so gender-specific in their advice, they are easy to ignore. However, given recent events, it wouldn't hurt us to revisit some of their seemingly antiquated advice and reconsider their counsel.

1. Beware of emotional attachments.

Improper relationships often begin with a common interest until a couple simply falls for each other. The couple eventually starts meeting deep emotional needs until they are swept off their feet. Old-timers taught us to be careful of intimate friendships between the sexes. Most of us chuckled at their old fashioned view of all relationships being sexual. Was there some truth to this advice?

2. Watch out if you get successful.

I don't know if they were right or not, but the Old-timers used to say the more successful you got the more likely you'd be tempted sexually. They believed that your success made you a more attractive candidate for other women and the Devil. They taught us to watch out when we were getting people saved, taking in lots of members, doing powerful preaching, having great revivals, and our churches were growing explosively -- they warned how we might figure we could get away with a little sin on the side considering how we were surrounded by such success. Were they right about any of this?

3. Don't spend time alone with the opposite sex.

Their rule was simple: Never be alone with the opposite sex. That is, don't spend time with the opposite sex in a restaurant, in the church building, in your un-windowed office, in their apartment, or a hotel room. Some didn't trust the women. Most didn't trust themselves. Is this rule an outdated antique of the past?

4. Beware of touching and hugging

The Preachers-of-the-past thought a minister shouldn't be touching the opposite sex, even with a seemingly innocent and spiritual encouraging hug. They even went so far as to insist than the workers who did laying-on-of-hands at the altar be of the same sex. Such advice seems up tight and out of touch today. Is it?

5. Listen to your wife's advice.

The Old-timers (mostly men) believed that women have a sort of sixth sense about other women. These [male] preachers advised listening to your wife's specific cautions about other woman. Is this still true? Or have things changed?

6. Get control of your thoughts.

The elderly ministers who taught my generation did not trivialize impure thoughts as innocent and normal sexual fantasies but called them lust. They expected us to gain cleansing from God of even these inner and secret thoughts. Did they expect too much? Is such deliverance still possible?

7. Sinners always get caught.

The Old timers aren't shocked when a minister gets caught in adultery or indiscretion. They warned us years ago that we couldn't get away with it. They reminded us that sinners have always wrongly believed they could get away with sin. Adam and Eve believed it. They got caught. Cain thought he'd gotten away with murder. Cain got caught. Rebekah and Jacob thought they had deceived everyone. They got caught. Joseph's brothers thought their sales agreement with the Midianites was secret. They got caught. Moses thought he had buried his sin in the sand. Moses got caught. Achan thought the evidence was well hidden under the floor of his tent. Achan got caught. Saul thought Samuel would never discover a few animals kept back. Saul got caught. David figured a little kingly sin in privacy would never come to light. David got caught. Ananias and Sapphira thought they'd devised the perfect plot. They too got caught. It is simple: sinners get caught. Our generation will not be the first in history to commit adultery and avoid detection. That's what the Old timers said. Were they right about this?

So, how do YOU protect yourself from sexual sin? What are your rules? If you taught 21 year old men and women headed for the ministry (as I do), what advice would you give them?

So what do you think?

To contribute to the thinking on this issue e-mail your response to Tuesday@indwes.edu