To him who is able to keep you from stumbling…
We begin the last sentence of Jude’s letter with this phrase about stumbling.
We live in a world of paved walkways. That may not sound significant, but it is. Two thousand years ago there may have been a few paved walkways, but they were very few. Most of the paths people walked on were on bare earth.
Like a trail through the woods, earth paths contain surprises. A stray rock here, an uneven place there, and every now and then a big root winding its way across the path. These things cause a person to stumble if they are not careful. During the day when it is light it is easy to see and the roads are safer, but at twilight and night it becomes dangerous to walk.
Another difference these days is that we tend to wear better shoes. In the days of Jesus, an open sandal was more common. Have you ever smashed your bare toe into a doorpost or a chair? That is the kind of pain you might feel wearing sandals and meeting up with a rock or a root on the trail.
Why is this important?
While we have been able to smooth our paths with concrete and asphalt in this day and age, nothing has changed that would protect us from stumbling in life. We still make bad decisions. We are afraid of what we can’t see or know. We hurt ourselves in ways that are far more painful than a stubbed toe. This kind of pain can last a lifetime.
So even though we spend millions of dollars building smooth paths to walk on, we haven’t insulated ourselves from stumbling where it counts: life.
God doesn’t want us to stumble. If we follow his law (love God, love others), seek wisdom, and walk in God’s light we do not have to stumble. (See Psalm 116: 8, 119: 165; Proverbs 3: 21-23; 1 John 2: 10) Of course we are not perfect (James 3: 2) but God can work even our imperfections to His glory (Romans 8: 28).
Application: Keep your eye on God. He is able to keep you from stumbling.
Food for Thought: How is the stumbling mentioned in Jude related to the stumbling Paul talks about in Romans 9: 32? Paul writes, ”Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.”
John 3:16, Salvation thru Faith not works. Our pride in our abilities, our we can do it attitude. Romans 3:20-30, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; Romans 4:1-7, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Faith in Christ is the only way to salvation. To know and ignore this truth, consider ourselves clean and righteous, acceptable to God because “ I ” have met His standard on my own, is to stumble over Christ, making His sacrifice worthless and my works valuable.
We do this before we are saved, and we stumble daily as we go through the process of growing in Christ. Temptations of this world and the old person inside each of us will fight to rule, but the power of God rules. Trust Him and Live in Him,
Deuteronomy 20:4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Thank you, Ron!! Well said.
Pride is wanting to be good enough on our own.
Humility is allowing that we are not good enough and that we need a Savior. So simple yet so easy to fall into the trap of pride.
Thank you Ron, well said.
Jesus is the stumbling stone. Isaiah 8: 14: He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare. Jesus quoted this passage in Matthew 21: 42 – 44: Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
We stumble over Jesus because of our pride and sin. We take offense at Jesus and want to be righteous on our own instead of depending on Him. If we do not repent we fall and are crushed by the stone. However, if we trust in Jesus He, the stumbling stone, becomes the cornerstone of our lives.
Isaiah 28: 16: So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it [or Him]
will never be stricken with panic
1 Peter 2: 6 – 8a: For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in Him
will never be put to shame.”
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
and, “A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
Rich,
Thank you for sharing those passages! They paint a beautiful picture of our Lord’s relationship to His creation. I also appreciate the types of rock that you mention: The Stumbling Stone, the Rock that Crushes, and the Cornerstone. All three describe the same thing only put to different uses. The other use that comes to mind is an Altar. (See Joshua 8:30-31)
Not sure what God wants for us in either hardship or stumbling.
Whether a Difficult hiking trip at Hood, poor behavior with a friend or lapses in personal responsibility each stumble for me was a blessing.
Realizing we all stumble helps to understand what like on earth means.
Feather,
I see Ron has already commented, but I wanted to add that it takes a humble heart to find a blessing in stumbling. You, my friend, have that kind of heart. I think as we walk closer in the light of our Lord, we stumble less. It is those who ignore the lessons of stumbling who fall the hardest.
Great job Feather, We are in a growth process on earth, hardships and stumbling are part of the process. There will be no stumbling in heaven.
👍🏻