Removing Stumbling Blocks

What’s been going on?

Praise God. Hey! I’ve been well I hope you’ve been good too. You know Just doing this and that.


What has the Lord been showing you lately?

Praise God. I’m glad you asked. You have some time right?

All the time in the world!

Awesome! Lately, I have been having these moments of sadness because I continue to sin. I hate sinning because I am constantly aware that I’ve lost sight of God. Who can lose sight of something so precious? What is anything apart from God? What has caught my gaze to such an extent that I ignore something the Lord has told me to do? The sin could be simple as wanting to go on Facebook rather than read scripture. It can be doing extra homework rather than singing to the Lord or mapping out the day tomorrow in my head worrying as I drift to sleep instead of being amazed at the glories of God.

Why do you do that?

Praise God. You mean why do we do that?

I don’t do that!

You bear no feelings of falling short? You uphold no sight that you are weak. There is no chastisement or sadness in you for lack of service to the one who sustains you. Indeed you are a lost soul.

Ok, maybe I feel that way at times. What do you do? What should I do?

Praise God. I started thinking about The love of God and my gratefulness towards such splendor. The Lord drew me to himself (John 6:44), and I can remember being in love with His person more than anything else. “In love." I use this phrase almost never given its roots in Greco-Roman myths and the strange beliefs that it encompasses. Love is a good enough word “in” doesn’t need to be added to it.

What’s wrong with saying “I’m in love?”

People usually associate “in love” while referring to a partner they have a romantic interest in. It’s usually accompanied with “I’ve fallen in love with you” and/or “Love wants what it wants.” In the words of Voddie Baucham, “Anything that you can fall into you can climb out of.” Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XkZq4KuoCI

It’s not the word love that needs changing but the people who use it. They need to be in Love (God). God is over everything whether one accepts Him or not.

Oh I see what you did there that’s smart!

Praise God. You know a person has a narrow definition of love when they need to say there “in love.” God’s love is perfectly demonstrated on the cross through His Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Jesus Christ is the most beautiful expression of love not funny feeling because your partner meets your every human need. Ultimately to love your partner correctly one must be rooted and grounded in the Lord.

How are you using being "in love?”

I am captivated by the person of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. I find His demeanor lovely and character fascinating. I find remarkable that I get to be a part of that. I am in Him, and He is in me. I am literally in love. You are literally in love!

Wow, I never thought about it that way before. 

God allows people to draw so intimately to Him. I Imagine hell will be the exact opposite of the cross where man is far removed from all grace and mercy, and nothing is left but pure unrefined hatred, evil, and wickedness.

This is very true. We will continue to sin until we die. Do you believe you can stop sinning?

No, but I believe I can resist the stumbling blocks.

What do you mean?

I know I’ve taken a lot of your time already. Should I continue?

Yes, continue I want to hear this. 

I am aware that we who are saved cannot stop sinning until our glorified bodies. What bothers me is the sense of blindness. My thoughts are brewing with reasonable answers to why I chose to disobey rather than to obey, so I stop and rebuke them. I have this enhanced perception of my unfaithfulness to God and this understanding of my absolute foolishness. Sin is like poison being poured down your throat, It’s so very destructive.

I loathe the quiet moments where sin has come forth and prances itself around me trying to gain my affections. I would be lying if I said I resisted all the time. Sometimes it wins, and it begins.

What begins?

The shattering of my soul begins. The pain is unbearable to me but oh His precious eyes looking upon the children who did not resist temptation. His hands and feet still bare your name oh backslidden one.

You’re just trying to make people feel bad.

Praise God. God and I share a great closeness. I am keen to His feelings and thoughts. Without the Lord, in every way, I am in disarray.

Ok, but you still have not answered my questions.

I was leading up to that.

It's time to get to the point. Is there a way I can be sinless? How does one get rid of the stumbling blocks? What are you doing about the stumbling blocks in your walk with Christ? The way you write makes me have more questions.

Praise God. Lol ok. I’ll answer all your questions.

The Lord dwells within those who are saved guiding us in all the ways that are righteous (Romans 8:26-2). Even though we have a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17), our flesh is driven to sin.

Galatians 5:17-21 (NIV): for the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

As born again believers we are urged not to walk in the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Jesus as our penal substitution made it possible for people to walk in holiness rather than the flesh as worldly people are in bondage to do. Knowing that our spirit and flesh war against each other there are things we can do to prevail against the flesh from sucking us into gross sin.

We must recognize the stumbling blocks. Stumbling blocks are people, places, and things that cause you to deter away from God. Stumbling blocks can cause you to sin, but sometimes it can cause you to stumble only (almost sin).

For example, Jake use to be an alcoholic. Jake accepted Jesus and is filled with the Holy Spirit. Jake decides to take a walk and passes a liquor store. He goes in the liquor store. Jake almost bought some alcohol but decides to leave the store instead. The store caused Jake to stumble a little, but he did not sin.

 Do you mean we should not allow any compromises in our life?

Yes! Exactly. Compromise nothing.

 If your name is Jake, I’m sorry lol. 

Another example: Jake is married, and he is caught fornicating. You might think he has fallen into sin, but instead, he slid there. Jake just didn’t commit adultery he allowed small compromises that led him to that point.

When Jake was courting his wife, he wouldn’t dare look at another woman. He thought she was the most beautiful. A year passes, and Jake looks at a woman lustfully at his job for about two weeks (compromise 1). Jake talks to this woman when he is supposed to be working (compromise 2). Jake hugs her goodbye longer then he should (compromise 3). He allows her to come in and out of his office whenever she wants (compromise 4). Jake and this woman are laughing and they stare at each other and embrace in a long kiss and sex follows suit (adultery).

Be aware of small sins, they are the most dangerous ones like germs associated with a deadly disease.

Wow. What then should I do?

Pray and renew your mind in the word every day. Let no day pass without reading the bible. It’s a book designed to reveal the intentions of the heart, remind you of the impossibility of saving yourself and drawing you unto repentance.

 

Romans 12:12 (NIV): Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

If you do go a day without reading the word of God, then you have already compromised. In war and other action movies, the first thing your opponent does when they capture you is to disarm your weapons. Some of you reading my post may see areas in your life where Satan has disarmed you. Satan gives you thoughts so you can feel comfortable not reading scripture. He might say, “I’m busy right now” or “I never hear God anyway.” Perhaps “I’m too tired.”

I don’t know what to say?

Say nothing just repent. Following Christ is a beautiful thing and it can be hard. Romans 7:14-25 talks about the hardship Paul faces dealing with the mind to do Gods will and the diligence of his flesh to obey evil. Take courage beloved brothers and sisters in Christ because you are no longer under bondage. 

How can I walk in the Spirit more?

I’m going to tell you what I do. People may think you’re a Jesus freak but when temptations come there the ones spiraling out of control when you are whole and sane.

Don’t sin purposefully. If you do repent but don't allow small compromises.

Example: You never drank before and have no interest to but don’t even buy alcohol or allow anyone to keep it in your house.

Obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Set aside time to spend with the Lord every day.

Even though you know, you're not going to get drunk, or dance to secular music don’t even go to a club or a house with that kind of music blasting. Limit all possibilities where the enemy could try to steal, kill, or destroy something of yours.

If prompted by the Holy Spirit fast.

The more you feed The Spirit, the more your able to walk in it. The more you feed the flesh it will be harder for you to dwell with the Spirit. No matter what you do, it will always be easy to live in the flesh, so you must be on your guard taking every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your thought life is the command center dictating the choices you make in life.

How do I feed my Spirit?

You feed your spirit through prayer and study of the word of God. Your soul longs for communion with God the same way your body wants for food.

I know a lot about the bible. Sooo...

Praise God. Everything about this world is cleverly designed to keep your mind off of Christ and to disprove His existence. Every image, song, cloth item and so on is 99% antichrist. You need to be in the word everyday feeding your spirit because there are many things to feed the flesh.

It’s ok to spend time with God every day simply because you love Him.

You know this is very encouraging! I’m going to get myself to heaven.

Praise God. I’m glad God has used me to encourage you. It is an honor to serve you in the Lord. Heaven is important although ultimately the goal is to know and be with Him. Frankly, if God were in a box, I’d rather be there then heaven.

This is all we must do?

Oh, No. Lol, There is still a lot more to be told. We haven’t even scratched the surface. We need to talk about serving God, and how it works, we are not under the law, different doctrines, the importance of obedience, how to hear the Lord...

The list goes on and on.

Eventually, we will get there. 

We will talk about more soon. 

The Lord is Good all the time

And all the time the Lord is Good.