Being a Stumbling Block

Have you ever been walking along, and out of nowhere you trip over a hole in the ground and either fall flat on your face or just catch yourself right before hitting the ground? This is something I know we have all experienced at least once in our lifetime. It catches you off guard. And can leave you wounded and hurting. This can happen spiritually as well.

Christians can be tripped by events that happen in the world and fall from grace. Carnal humanity trips over the stone the builders rejected and make a choice either to die to self and serve Him out of love for all He has done, or reject Him, and curse Him like a Lego that you just stepped on. For instance, "How dare you get in my way and hurt my foot!" Thats all said in humor, but it is a very real thing that happens daily throughout our lifetimes. And with each "stumbling block" we come across in life it is crucial that we step back, evaluate, and analyze our standing. Are we walking by the Spirit, or are we walking according to the flesh? Are we choosing self, or are we serving and glorifying Him in all we say and do?

The Greek word used in the original letter to the Corinthians is proskomma. Translated, Proskomma is an obstacle that if run into will cause someone to stumble or fall. The usage in the New Testament is figurative in every circumstance: something one's soul may stumble over (causing one to sin). In Romans 9:32-33, the word is used of Jesus whose unexpected behavior so frustrated and offended the Jews that they never overcame their preconceptions about the nature of the Messiah, thus rejecting Him and bringing judgement upon themselves.

Being a stumbling block involves more than upsetting another and offending; it is a serious and deliberate offense that wounds and weakens another's conscience and ruins a relationship with Christ. Christian liberty must always be exercised in love with a view of strengthening others.

1 Corinthians 8:7-13

"However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating[a] in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged,[b] if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers[c] and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."

The conscience is like a judge in a court room. The judge doesn't make the laws, he interprets them and renders decisions based off facts of things done. The judgements of the conscience are relative and vary between individuals, depending on what they know. The conscience carries an impulse to obey the right, and it passes judgement on conformity or nonconformity to the right. The conscience is a very powerful force. Guilt feelings are just as devastating as actual guilt. Therefore, love and not knowledge must be the basic principle by which Christians live.

This doesn't mean we should compromise our morals and values to associate ourselves with the specific sins of individuals. As I've seen a lot on social media this month. I've seen posts that say, "If your religion makes you hate someone because of who they chose to love, then you should find a new religion." Wrong! If your actions are in direct defiance with God's established design for humanity, then maybe you should rethink your "choice" of who you allow yourself to "love."

Christians are to love the sinner enough to tell them the truth. They are not to agree with the sin they choose to commit, but to share the gospel with them and inform them that even though they chose wrongly, they can repent and be forgiven, and God will transform them into the people He created them to be through walking step by step with the Spirit. We are not called to patty cake them and placate them, by doing so we are agreeing with their sin and not only causing them to remain in a state of disgrace, but also misrepresenting our God. If they actually loved the person, they choose to be sexually immoral with, they would honor them enough to restrain all things forbidden by God. And share the truth with them instead.

This isn't just a harp on homosexual relationships but on those of people who date and incorporate fornication into their daily practices. Lying, cheating, thievery, murders, disobedience, lawlessness, licentious behavior, cursing instead of blessing. There are so many things in the flesh that can trip us up and cause us to fall from grace. Galatians 5:22-23 says that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Just because we are free to live in this world, does not give us license to practice the things that carnal humanity practices. Instead, we are to present them with Jesus, and let Him so trip up their steps that they can't help but conform to His commands, and His love.

Which stumbling block do you represent?

Be blessed by being a blessing.