“Don’t Be A Stumbling Block”

But he turned and said to Peter,

"Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." (Matthew 16:23)

What Jesus said must have shocked Peter. He said, “Get behind Me, Satan!” --- But why does Jesus say, “Get behind Me, Satan!” Or, why do you think Jesus called Peter Satan? Jesus called Peter "Satan" because Peter was trying to hinder what Jesus came to do. Because of this, Jesus refers to Peter as Satan, the stumbling block (Matthew 16:23).  

Life is full of stumbling blocks, and they come in varying forms! But, just exactly what is a "stumbling block?" --- A "stumbling block is a cause of stumbling, and the cause could be something or someone that trips us up and gets us off the path. It is not a sin in itself, but something that leads us to sin. Biblically, its anything that lead a Christian brother or sister astray, into sin, or cause that person to fall away from the truth. Although we don’t want to be the stumbling block, and we don’t want them in our life, it’s a given that at sometime in our life, we will come upon many stumbling blocks. However, it's bad enough to stumble over a stumbling block, but it's a worse thing to be the stumbling block over which others stumble. 

However, Jesus warns us that stumbling blocks occur all the time. Woe to the world for stumbling blocks! For it is necessary that stumbling blocks come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes (Matthew 18:7). Truth is, everyone of us can and will cause others to stumble. We might know that we cause someone to stumble, and we might not. But as Christians, we ought not to be a stumbling block to our brother or sister in Christ, to ourselves in our walk of faith with God, and to the world, those around us who are looking on, seeing our conduct and manner of life - we could be a stumbling block to them trusting Christ. In Matthew 18:8-9 Jesus tells us what to do in order to not become a stumbling block,

"If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be cast into the eternal fire." Matthew 18:8-9.

CONCLUSION 

Stumbling blocks are inevitable, however, we can and we must avoid being the cause of stumbling to our brother, our self, and to the world. Our attitudes, words, and/or our actions ought not to be stumbling blocks to our brother, our self, or to the world. John also encourages us in 1 John 2:10  by saying, "anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble." We as Christians are personally responsible for our Christian influence. We are either a STEPPING STONE that are leading others to Christ or a STUMBLING BLOCK that are leading people away from Christ. Matthew 18:6-9 mentions that we should in no way be a STUMBLING BLOCK to anyone. Let us be STEPPING STONES! By trusting in God, by following Jesus, we can be stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks. Ask yourself, would Jesus say to you as He said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan?" Let us not be used by Satan by doing nothing, by living for ourself, or by being a stumbling blocks to others.

"These things I have spoken to you, that you may be kept from stumbling (John 16:1).

Conviction yes....Condemnation no!

Are you a Christian struggling with condemnation? Well I have some good news for you! Romans, the eighth chapter begins with one of the greatest promises in all the Bible. "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." --- If you have ever struggled with guilt and condemnation as I have, the above verse is for you as much as it is for me. This verse should be a great comfort and assurance to all of us who have experienced the pain of guilt and condemnation after we have sinned. 

 
Now please understand that by that statement Jesus is condoning sin because if there's one thing we know is NOT the will of God, it is sin --- and no matter how much we believe and try to obey, we sin. But we also shouldn't see it as and excuse to cover over our sins and not take ownership or responsibility for the things we have done. But, as Christians, there are two feelings we can experience after we’ve sinned: conviction and condemnation. But, there is a BIG difference between condemnation and conviction. Conviction is from God. Condemnation, on the other hand comes from Satan. Conviction is something God brings to lead us to repentance and change, and condemnation is something Satan uses to deceive, discourage and destroy us. As a Christian, I have struggled with condemnation, guilt and shame in my life...and though we are commanded not to sin, it is not uncommon for us to feel guilty after we've sinned. From my own experiences, I was harder on myself than anyone else ever could be, and Satan would inspire feelings of condemnation and guilt by whispering something like, “You aren’t good enough! You're a mess! You're a failure! You are hopeless! You’ll never change!” ... But, I have learned from a great deal of personal experience that God is not a condemning God! Ever. AND, one question we must learn to ask is: If God does not condemn us, as promised in Verse 1, why do we condemn ourselves or let others condemn us? God’s Word proclaims.....

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” Romans 8:1-2 NLT

As we see here, we all need to refuse to condemn ourselves because God says to every believer,---“there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”  BUT, first, we as believers have to believe that what God says is true. If God says “there is now no condemnation,” then there is no condemnation. The work of the Holy Spirit is not to condemn us; but to convict us of sin. Conviction comes to a believer whose heart IS RIGHT, and has done wrong. They quickly turn and repent. Condemnation comes when a heart is NOT RIGHT. So if we are being drawn closer to God, we are feeling the conviction of the Holy Spirit. John 16:8 tells us,

“And when he (Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.”

Conclusion
As Christians we will sin, BUT, a real Christian doesn't want to sin! We may stumble, fall, trip, make a thousand mistakes, sin and we do, get off the path, go astray, have a thousand problems, but for the believer in Christ Jesus, there is NO CONDEMNATION because God has said it is so. “For those who are in Christ Jesus, now, today, not tomorrow, not next week, not next year, but NOW, there is no condemnation.” John 8:11 also says: "Neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." Let us remember, condemnation shows us the problem, but conviction shows us the answer!!! God's purpose for conviction is to draw us TOWARD Himself. On the contrary, Satan tries to condemn us in order to lure us AWAY FROM God.

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18)