Gospel-Centered Accountability (Jonathan Dodson)

This chapter was adapted from material in a forthcoming book by the author to be published by Crossway in 2012.

Put ten bucks in the jar to keep from sinning.

When I recall some of the popular discipleship disciplines I advocated in college, I shudder. Did I really think that they were biblical or even helpful?

When one of my disciples caved into a particular sin he was “being held accountable for,” he had to put ten bucks in the jar. Sounds awfully close to an indulgence doesn’t it? Yet, in our aim to promote “holiness,” ten bucks was the penalty for pandering to sin. We thought this approach to accountability was especially good for fighting sexual sin. If one of the guys I discipled had a particularly lustful week (viewing inappropriate TV, reading pornographic material, or masturbating), he had to “pay the price.”....