Welcome!
Today: Stumbling block for many; stepping stone for us
Passage: 1 Peter 2
8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”[d] They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. (1 Peter 2, NIV 84) – emphasis added
Jesus Christ is a person whom different people see in different ways
Jesus was a “stumbling stone” for many of his time; but he was a “stepping stone” for some, who could step up from their depravity to their destiny in God
It was only because of Jesus that we could step up into all that God has provided for us; from darkness to light, from death to life. When I say “stepping stone”, I don’t mean Jesus is just a stepping stone and nothing more than that. But Jesus went that low, so that He could take us that high, all the way to the father
While Christians mostly look at Jesus as savior of the humanity, there are some who look at Jesus as a revolutionist and so on. I remember hearing about a communist leader who spoke of Jesus as a great revolutionary. Some Christians didn’t appreciate it.
When we Christians don’t preach Jesus right, and not enough, others will pick up and speak what they know about Jesus. I think we need to first educate “our own” before complaining about others who speak of Jesus in a way we don’t appreciate. The fact is that the most nails are put on Jesus by those who call themselves “God’s own”, than by anybody else!
If we interview some of our preachers about their understanding of Jesus, we may get “enough shock” for the rest of our life. Like the blind men who went to see the elephant, each will have a different story to tell, about Jesus
When Jesus came to His own about 2000 years ago, He knew what He was going to get. We read, ”They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for” (1 Peter 2:8, NIV 84). The question of pre-destination comes here: “If some people were destined to reject Jesus, then how can we blame them for rejecting Jesus?”
The fact is that God has not destined anyone to perish. He wants all people to be saved (1 Tim 2:4). However, God knows that all people are not going to accept God (Ps 14), since God has given them free will and because satan is at work. God foreknew who was going to accept Jesus and who won’t! (Rom 1:18-32)
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Rom 8, NIV 84)-emphasis added
If you are/were ill-treated by anybody, remember: sometimes God allows it, so that He can bless you. But all bad treatment is not the same. In some cases, especially when someone is abused/ threatened, they need to act right and wise!
In many countries, women as well as children are treated bad, by men. That should not be found among those who trust God
The church becomes ineffective when we don’t know Jesus right. When we don’t know Jesus right, we don’t live right and we don’t preach right
Have a blessed day!
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being my cap stone in my life. I was about to stumble and fall without you, but you were at the right place at the right time for me. Help me do all that I do, through you so that I will not fail in any. Amen
“When you see Jesus right, you change; He doesn’t”