Mat 18:6
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to
stumble, it is better for him that a millstone be hung around his neck, and
that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mat 18:7
“Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks! For it is necessary that
stumbling-blocks come, but woe to that man by whom the stumbling-block comes!
Have you ever wondered just what
exactly YAHUSHUA is talking about? Stumbling Blocks…… Just what is this
meaning. Is it possible that we, at time, could be a stumbling block….. Let’s
see what stumbling blocks …according to scripture could be. We are going to Mat. 5:29
Mat 5:29 “And if your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and
throw it away from you. For it
is better for you that one
of your members perish, than for your entire body to be thrown into Gahanna.
Let’s look at it in the King James…..
Mat 5:29 But if your right eye offends you, take it out
and throw it from you, for it is profitable to you that one of your members
should perish and all your body not be thrown into Hell.
The word “offend” is the same word
“stumble”
Offend thee - The
noun from which the verb “offend,” in the original, is derived, commonly means
a stumbling-block, or a stone placed in the way, over which one might fall. It
also means a net, or a certain part of a net against which, if a bird strikes,
it springs the net, and is taken. It comes to signify, therefore, anything by
which we fall, or are ensnared; and applied to morals, means anything by which
we fall into sin, or by which we are ensnared. The English word “offend” means
now, commonly, to displease; to make angry; to affront. This is by no means the
sense of the word in Scripture. It means to cause to fall into sin. The eye
does this when it wantonly looks upon a woman to lust after her.
Mat 5:30
And if your right hand causes you to offend, cut it off and throw it from you,
for it is profitable to you that one of your members should perish and all your
body not be thrown into Hell.
Notice
that in both scriptures, it uses the right eye, and the right hand. The right hand is selected for the same
reason as the right eye, because it is one of the most important members of the
human body. The idea is, that the dearest earthly objects are to be sacrificed
rather than that we should commit sin; that the most rigid self-denial should
be practiced, and that the most absolute self-government should be maintained
at any sacrifice, rather than that we should suffer the mind to be polluted by
unholy thoughts and impure desires.
Rom 7:23 but I see another law in my members
having warred against the law of my mind, and taking me captive by the law of
sin being in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall
deliver me from this mortal body?
Lets go back a couple of scriptures…..
Rom 7:21 I find therefore that the Torah
agrees with my conscience, when I desire to do good, but evil is always near,
distracting me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the Torah of YAHWEH
according to the inward man;
We see
that this war is about us always…… it seems to be ever present!
Rom 6:13 Neither present your members as
instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to YAHWEH as one
living from the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to YAHWEH.
Rom 6:14 For your
sin shall not Master it over you, for you are not under the penalty of Law
breaking, but under grace.
So we see
that this is talked about a lot……. So just what is it that is in our body’s…
Col 3:5
Then put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication,
uncleanness, passion, evil lust, and covetousness, for these are idolatry;
This is all flesh….. so lets look
into it……
Rom 8:13
for if you live according to flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit
you put to death the practices of the body, you will live.
Let us also look into Rom 7:23
Rom 7:23
but I see another law in my members having warred against the law of my mind,
and taking me captive by the law of sin being in my members.
Rom 7:18
For I know that it does not fully dominate me, (that is in my flesh) but as far
as good is concerned, the choice is easy for me to make, but to do it is
difficult for me.
Here is an important item…… we see an
item that should make our ears prick up. It says that even if the flesh doesn’t
fully dominate us, the choice is easy to make, but….. is difficult to do!!!!!!
So what shall we do…….
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that you do not
enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is ready, but the flesh is weak.
Php 2:13 for it is YAHWEH who is working in
you both to will and to work for the sake of His good pleasure.
Php 2:14 Do all
things without murmuring and doubtful reasoning,
Php 2:15 that you may be blameless and
harmless, children of YAHWEH, without fault in the midst of a crooked
generation, even having been perverted, among whom you shine as luminaries in
the world,
Look at verse 14… I think we have an incite
into a cause and effect…..
Exo 16:2
And all the congregation of the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and
against Aaron in the wilderness.
murmured
against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness; in the
wilderness of Sin, where they were, and where no corn was to be had to make
bread of; and their murmuring was not only against Moses, as before when they
wanted water, but against Aaron also, who were jointly concerned in bringing
them out of Egypt. It is a
common case, when things do not go so well as to be wished for in church
or state, for people to murmur against their governors, ecclesiastic or civil,
and lay all the blame to them.
Even in spite of this, ……….. think now about this……..
Eph 2:10
for we are His workmanship, created in Messiah Yahushua unto good works, which
YAHWEH before prepared that we should walk in them.
However let’s look into our flesh
again…..
Rom 6:13 Neither present your members as
instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to YAHWEH as one
living from the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to
YAHWEH.
Mar 7:21 For from
within, out of the heart of men, pass out the evil thoughts, adulteries,
fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 thefts,
greedy desires, iniquities, deceit, lustful desires, a wicked eye, blasphemy,
pride, recklessness.
Mar 7:23 All
these evil things pass out from within and defile the man.
2Pe 2:14 having eyes full of adultery, and
never ceasing from sin; seducing unsettled souls; having a heart being filled
with covetousness; they are cursed children;
2Pe 2:15 who have
forsaken the straight path, and have gone astray, following the way of Balaam
the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness,
2Pe 2:16 but who
was rebuked for his own transgression, the dumb donkey speaking in a man's
voice held back the folly of the prophet.
2Pe 2:17 These
are springs without water, clouds being driven by a storm, for whom the
blackness of darkness has been kept forever.
2Pe 2:18 For,
while they speak astonishing words of vanity, they seduce, with obscene lusts
of the flesh, them who have almost abandoned these, that walk in error,
2Pe 2:19 while
promising to them freedom, though themselves being slaves of corruption; for a
man is overcome, by whatever it is that enslaves him.
2Pe 2:20 For if,
when they have escaped the pollutions of the world by the knowledge of our
Master and Redeemer, Yahushua the Messiah, they become again entangled in the
very same things and are overcome by them, their latter end is worse with them
than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21 For it
was better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having
recognized it to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
2Pe 2:22 But the
word of the true proverb has happened to them: "The dog returns to his own
vomit; (Prov. 26:11 )
also, the sow that was washed, to wallowing in the mud."
So what
is it we need to do… what is it that we need to see…. How is it we need to
live…
Jas 1:14 But each one is tempted by his own
lusts, he covets and is seduced by them. Jas 1:15 Then having conceived
lust brings forth sin. And sin being fully formed brings forth death.
Jas 1:16 Do not
go astray, my beloved brothers,
Jas 1:17 every
act of good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the
Father of Heavenly lights, with whom is no change or shifting shadow.
Jas 1:18 It is He
who begot us from His own will, by the Word of truth, that we should be the
first-fruits of His creatures.
Eph 4:22
Lay aside all your former practices and put off the old man, having been
degenerated with deceitful lusts,
Rom 6:6 for we know this, that our old self
was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, so that we no
longer serve sin.
Col 3:8 But now,
you also, put off all these things: wrath, anger, malice, evil-speaking, filthy
conversation out of your mouth.
Col 3:9 Do not lie to one another, having
put off the old man with his practices,
Col 3:10 and put
on the new life which is renewed in knowledge after the pattern in which it was
originally created,
Rom 6:17 But thanks be to YAHWEH that you
were slaves of sin, but you obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine to which
you were delivered.
Rom 6:18 And
having been set free from sin, you were enslaved to righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak
as a man on account of the weakness of your flesh. For as you yielded your
members as slaves to uncleanness and to iniquity, so now yield your members as
slaves to righteousness unto sanctification.
Rom 6:20 For when
you were slaves of sin, you were free as to righteousness.
Rom 6:21
Therefore what fruit did you have then in the things over which you are now
ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
Rom 6:22 But now
having been set free from sin, and having been enslaved to YAHWEH, you have
your fruit unto sanctification, and the end everlasting life.
Rom 6:23 For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of YAHWEH is everlasting life in Yahushua,
Messiah our Master.
Joh 3:36 He who believes in the Son has life
that is eternal, and he who does not obey the Son will not see life, rather the
wrath of YAHWEH will rise up against him.
