The New Testament tells us of a number of reasons why Christians fall. I would like to take the remaining moments to run through them quickly and note the causes, and hopefully, learn something from them. Most spiritual falls in the Christian path can be traced to one or more of these seven things.
1) Lack of Exercise
Let’s turn first of all to 2 Peter 1:55And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; (2 Peter 1:5), “Beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance [self-control]; and to temperance [self-control] patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity [love]. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.”
It is not my intention to expound this passage verse by verse, but simply to summarize it by saying that it is an exhortation to go on in the path of faith. Peter mentions a number of things that we need to add to our faith, and then he says emphatically, “If ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” Now if that is true, then the opposite is true. If we don’t do those things, we will fall. It’s quite simple then; if we don’t go on, we’re going to go backward. The Christian’s state is never static. We are either going forward or backward—either up or down.
It’s a fact; those who fall in the path of faith are often the ones who didn’t make much forward progress in their souls in the first place. There was a little boy who fell out of bed in the middle of the night. His parents heard the thud and came rushing to his bedroom and asked what had happened. As he sat on the floor, he said in a groggy voice, “I stayed too close to the getting-in side.” You know, it’s the same problem that a lot of us Christians have. We get saved and we’re happy to know that we have been delivered from a lost eternity, but sad to say, many of us are quite content with that and don’t go on in our souls. If we stay too close to where we started in the Christian path morally, we could end up having a fall.
Peter reminds us that the Lord has made a full provision for us for the Christian path. He has “given” us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (vs. 3). And He has also “given” us many “great and precious promises” (vs. 4). One is to equip us and the other is to encourage us. Then, in verse 5, he tells us that we need to give something too. He says, “Giving all diligence, add to your faith ... ” And he lists a number of moral qualities that we should be exercised about having in our lives. The grand result is that if we “add” these things to our lives and make spiritual progress, we will “never fall.”
Rehoboam is an example of this point. It says, “And he did evil, because he prepared [applied] not his heart to seek the LORD” (2 Chron. 12:1414And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. (2 Chronicles 12:14)). This shows that you can’t just coast along in neutral in the things of God and expect that everything will be all right. It doesn’t work that way. If you don’t go on, you’ll go backward! Dear friends, are you applying yourself in the things of God? If you don’t, your feet could slip off the path.
2) Being Influenced By Unprincipled Men—Through Contact With Them
Turn over to the third chapter of this same epistle of 2 Peter, and verses 17-18, “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away [along] with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” This verse could be translated, “ ... being carried away by the error of unprincipled men.”
This is another reason why we fail. Peter warns us here of the danger of associating with “unprincipled” persons. Unprincipled men are people who don’t have any real exercise about the path of faith. They live with little or no regard for Scriptural principles. If the Word of God says such and such about a certain matter, they have no compunction about disregarding it if it suits them. I hardly need to tell you that there are “unprincipled men” all over in the Christian world. You don’t have to go very far to find them. For all I know, there may be some here in this audience today!
Peter warns against having contact with such persons because their ways will surely rub off on us, and we’ll “fall” from our own “stedfastness.” What he’s telling us here, is that our environment affects us. If it is a negative environment, it will have a negative effect on us. I know that there are Christians who think that they can hang around with unprincipled persons and not be affected by them. But this is being incredibly naïve. To think such is really to say that we are wiser than the Word of God. The Bible plainly teaches that “evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Cor. 15:3333Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (1 Corinthians 15:33)). It also says that bad companions can cause us to fall. In Proverbs, “Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall” (Prov. 4:14-1614Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 15Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. 16For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. (Proverbs 4:14‑16)). Therefore, as a rule, we must keep away from unprincipled men.
Such people will never be a help to you in your Christian life. And there is the very real danger of them dragging you down into the things that they are involved in. This principle is clearly laid down in Haggai 2:11-1311Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 12If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. 13Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. (Haggai 2:11‑13). Turn with me to that passage for a moment, for it illustrates what I am saying. “Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any food—shall it become holy? And the priests answered and said, No. And Haggai said, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, is it become unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.” (J. N. Darby Translation).
Haggai was sent of the Lord to test the priests as to certain principles of holiness. He asked them two questions. The first was, if one of them were carrying something that was holy and he came into contact with something that was common, would it make the common thing holy? The priests answered, “no.” And they were right. Then he asked them a second question: if one who was unclean touched one of the holy things of the Lord, would those holy things be made unclean by contacting what is unclean? Again, the priests were correct in saying that those holy things would be made “unclean.”
The lesson in the first question is, that which is holy cannot cleanse what is unclean by associating with it! The lesson in the second question is, that which is unclean will defile what is clean by association with it! These are two very important lessons.
Many a young person has thought that they could associate with people who are walking in paths of unrighteousness, and that their contact with them would have a positive influence on them and lift them out of their path. But it doesn’t work. The lesson in Haggai’s first question is that we cannot transmit our holiness to someone who is walking unrighteously by associating with him or her.
Furthermore, some think that even if they can’t be a positive help to such persons, they can still associate with them and not be affected personally. But again, this is not true. Haggai’s second question teaches us that we are only going to compromise our holiness and become defiled by such an association. Peter says we will “fall” from our own “stedfastness” and be dragged down into those paths of unrighteousness.
The conclusion of the two questions is this: people who are walking in a path of unrighteousness cannot be brought up out of that path by our association with them—the only thing that happens is that we are brought down to their level. It is a sobering thought. It means that we have to be careful where we walk and with whom we walk. This is why Paul said, “Walk circumspectly [carefully], not as fools, but as wise” (Eph. 5:1515See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, (Ephesians 5:15)). The truth is: association with evil defiles. There may be some here that don’t like to hear these things because they want to walk in company with people that are not going on with the Lord, but it doesn’t change the fact. Remember, we’re not wiser than the Word of God.
3) Self-confidence
Let’s turn over to 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 12 for another reason why Christians fall. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” In this passage the Apostle Paul is warning us of the danger of self-confidence. It’s something that every one of us needs to be on guard against. Our hearts are very deceptive, and we are usually not aware of any false confidence that we may have. The great danger is in overestimating our strength and underestimating the power of the world, the flesh, and the devil. How many a man there has been who has looked at some sin and thought, “I can handle myself.” But those who say, “Lord, you can count on me,” don’t count on the Lord! The spirit of Psalm 16:11<<Michtam of David.>> Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. (Psalm 16:1), which says, “Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust,” and Psalm 119:117117Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. (Psalm 119:117), which says, “Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe,” was not in them, and consequently, they fell into that very sin which they thought they could handle. However, if we have a conscious sense of our own weakness and cast ourselves on the Lord, we will be kept.
Proverbs 16:1818Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18) says: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” This shows that what is at the root of self-confidence is pride. Peter is the outstanding New Testament example. When the Lord announced that all the disciples would forsake Him, Peter could see how the others might do it, but he didn’t believe that he would. He said to the Lord, “Although all shall be offended, yet will not I” (Mark 14:2929But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. (Mark 14:29)). He thought that he was better than his brethren, and this self-deception led to his fall. It wasn’t long before he denied the Lord with oaths and curses.
Amaziah is the outstanding Old Testament example (2 Kings 14:7-127He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day. 8Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. 9And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. 10Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? 11But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah. 12And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents. (2 Kings 14:7‑12)). He was the king of Judah and he went out and won a significant battle against the Edomites, and so he thought he was doing pretty good. So, he sent to the king of Israel and wanted him to come out and fight. The king of Israel (Jehoash) sent back to him and said, “Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?” But he wouldn’t listen, so there was a battle, and Amaziah and Judah were beaten decisively. It was a humbling lesson to learn.
Psalm 5:1010Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee. (Psalm 5:10) indicates that people fall because they trust in “their own counsels” rather than in the Lord. I remember speaking to a Christian woman about being in a place of temptation and the dangers of it, and she said, “Oh, I would never do that, because I trust myself!” I couldn’t believe my ears when she said that. In the time of temptation, she was going to trust herself! The Bible says, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Prov. 28:2626He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. (Proverbs 28:26)).
Self-confidence is really a result of not practicing self-judgment in the presence of the Lord. Therefore, Paul says in our verse (1 Cor. 10:1212Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)), “Take heed.” This is a call to self-judgment. The remedy for self-confidence is self-judgment.
4) Having a Will to be Rich (Covetousness)
Let’s turn to 1 Timothy 6:6-106But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:6‑10) for another reason why Christians fall. “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” The Apostle Paul warns us of the dangers of covetousness because it could lead to a “fall” that ends in a person erring from the faith.
It seems that the whole world is clamoring after trying to be rich. The Lord said, “For after all these things do the Gentiles seek” (Matt. 6:3232(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (Matthew 6:32)). In North America, the opportunities to make money and improve your situation in life are great. But there is real danger in it. It could become an object in our lives without us even knowing it. We excuse it by saying, “Well, we have to provide for our ‘own house;’ we’re ‘worse than an infidel’ if we don’t” (1 Tim.5:8), so we go into making money with a passion. However, there is a danger of Christians getting caught up in it—even godly Christians! That’s why Paul exhorted Timothy to this end. He was a man who was “likeminded” with the Apostle Paul and a devoted servant of the Lord. While all sought their own things, he sought “the things which are Jesus Christ’s” (Phil. 2:20-2120For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. 21For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. (Philippians 2:20‑21)). Yet even he could be turned aside by the sin of covetousness, and thus, he needed this warning.
Paul didn’t tell Timothy that money was the root of all evil; he said that “the love of money is the root of all evil.” Having money is not evil, but loving it is! Now, loving money is a sin that even a poor man can commit. He may not have much money, but he may lust after it and spend all his time thinking about how to get it. We might wonder how loving money could be such a serious thing; but the Bible puts it in its proper perspective, saying, “Covetousness, which is idolatry ... ” (Col. 3:55Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5)). It is a serious evil indeed! It’s because idolatry captures the affections of the heart and displaces Christ. When Christ is displaced from His proper place in our hearts, then we get turned aside and fall into all kinds of sin. Paul says that through loving money a Christian can get trapped in “many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” I think that if we understood what idolatry does to the heart, we would see the seriousness of it. The Bible says, “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall” (Prov. 11:2828He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch. (Proverbs 11:28)).
I am grieved that so many dear Christians seem to be swallowed up in making a living and getting ahead. Their lives seem to be absorbed in the pursuit of providing for their family, and I see their spiritual progress suffering as a result. It is the “will” to be rich—the desire—that the Apostle is warning against. He tells Timothy to “flee” those things and to follow after spiritual things (1 Tim. 6:11-1211But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11‑12)). The Lord promised that if we do that, He will add to us everything that we will need in life materially. He said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:3333But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)). You can take that to the bank! It’s a promise from the Lord Himself.
God may give one of His own children riches, but if that is the case, he must be careful. Later, in 1 Timothy 6, the rich man is told to not trust in “uncertain riches” (vs. 17; Prov. 23:4-54Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. (Proverbs 23:4‑5)). The Psalmist agrees with this, saying, “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them” (Psa. 62:1010Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. (Psalm 62:10)). Instead, the rich man is to distribute his material things to others, and thus, lay up for himself a reward for the coming day, and “lay hold of what is really life” (vss. 18-19 – J. N. Darby Trans.). I think we all know this; it’s a test for us as to how tightly we hold onto things down here. It’s not what we hold, but how we hold it.
5) Legality
Now let’s turn to Galatians 5:2-42Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:2‑4). “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
Here we have yet another thing that can cause a believer to fall—mixing law with grace. These poor Galatian saints were really mixed up. Someone had sold them an erroneous bill of goods, and they bought it, lock, stock, and barrel. Judaizing teachers had infiltrated their ranks and taught them that they needed to add law to the grace that had been brought to them by the gospel. They thought that keeping the law would help them reach Christian perfection, but they had “fallen from grace.”
There are two ways in which a person might misuse the law. First, it might be used in an attempt to gain righteousness before God. But Paul shows in this epistle that it is impossible to be justified by law-keeping (Gal. 2:1616Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Galatians 2:16)). Secondly, a person may take up with law-keeping in an attempt to obtain personal holiness after he is saved. Paul shows that this is wrong too (Gal. 5:14-2614For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 15But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:14‑26)). It’s not likely that one of us would apply the law in the first way, but there is a possibility of setting up legal principles in our lives in an attempt to reach a standard of holiness. We may not do it by trying to keep the Old Testament Mosaic laws literally, but we might impose on ourselves certain self-made rules and regulations, and thus, put ourselves under law—our own law. Seeking to reach Christian perfection through setting rules and regulations for the flesh, rather than having Christ as the object and motivating factor in our lives, is legality.
Any time we mix legal principles with the liberty of Christianity, we are on shaky ground. A person who takes up with such things is usually one who has a desire to please the Lord, and he thinks that this will be a way of being more godly. So, we don’t want to fault the motives of any who have been tripped up on this line of things. They may mean well, but unfortunately, they are going about it in a wrong way. It usually happens by the person seeing certain godly Christians going on in an admirable way, and they want to be like them, so they copy their exercises in hopes of reaching their level of godliness. They see certain things that that person does or does not do, and they make that the model for their lives. However, there is a danger that the “wanna-be-godly” observer can fall into unknowingly. Somewhere along the line he can lose sight of the Lord without even realizing it, and the rules and regulations that he has made for himself become his focus. It is a very deceptive thing, but at the bottom of it, the Lord is displaced with legal principles and rules that the person sets up for himself. Without realizing it he becomes a follower of his rules and regulations rather than a follower of Christ. This is not Christianity.
Paul shows in this epistle that all such legality is really just giving place to the flesh. It may not appear that way on the surface, but there is a side to our flesh that likes to show itself as being holy and godly before others. The Pharisees were the clearest example. They had lost sight of the Lord but were clinging to their legal system. They would say to any who were not of them, “Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou” (Isa. 65:55Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. (Isaiah 65:5)). The flesh will even stoop to using the things of the Lord to put self above others. It could be called, “Spiritual one-upmanship.” It is the religious side of the flesh that we have to be on guard against. As I say, it is very deceiving; the person whose life is taken up with this sort of thing will insist that such is not the case.
Telltale Signs of Legality
Since legality is so deceptive, Paul shows the Galatians that there were certain telltale signs among them that ought to have opened their eyes and proven that it doesn’t work. They had not reached the super-spirituality that they were seeking. After asking them to consider where and from whom they got these things (vss. 7-12), Paul stated in the clearest terms the evidence that proved they had missed the mark. First, there was a restricting of the flow of love for one another (vss. 13-15). Instead of an increased manifestation of love, he reports, “Ye bite and devour one another.” Those who take up with legality in this way seem to have great difficulty in getting along with their brethren. It seems that they are always at odds with them over something. They usually write it off as a result of being faithful and godly. After all, heavenly-minded Christians and earthly-minded Christians will never see things the same. However, Scripture indicates that a truly godly person will know how to get along with his brethren who may be earthly-minded, yet without compromising principles. Demetrius is an example. He knew how to get along with “all men”—which would include Diotrephes! Yet it says that he had not compromised any of “the truth” (3 John 1212Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true. (3 John 12)).
Paul shows that such quarrelling and fighting among the Galatians were symptoms of the flesh, and he lists a number of ugly things that the flesh goes in for (vss. 18-21). In pointing this out, he showed them that if they kept up their pursuit of holiness through legality, then they could expect to see the manifestation of those things in their midst! This ought to have shocked the Galatians into realizing that they were on the wrong path. Paul then contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit, listing many graces that will be seen in those who walk in the Spirit with Christ as their object (vss. 16, 22-23). This is where true godliness is found.
At the end of the chapter Paul says, “Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” (vs. 26). He shows here, that at the root of most legality is the sinful desire for “vain glory”—the wanting to be seen by others as being super-spiritual and holy. Oftentimes, it will manifest itself in trying to outdo others in spirituality and separation—“spiritual one-upmanship.” But all it does is provoke envying and quarrelling among the Lord’s people, as the Galatians were experiencing. Gatherings that have difficulties with legality in their midst are usually troubled with a lot of infighting. In a nutshell, we can say that trying to reach godliness through legal principles doesn’t work.
6) Involving Ourselves in the Administration of the Assembly When We Are Not Mature
Let’s turn next to 1 Timothy 3:66Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:6): “Not a novice, lest being lifted up [inflated] with pride he fall into the condemnation [fault] of the devil.” This is another way in which one could fall. This danger, of course, is particularly geared toward brothers, for sisters shouldn’t be involved in the administrative affairs of the assembly.
The Apostle is speaking particularly of younger brothers, or new converts who may have ambitions to assert themselves in the assembly’s administrative affairs. A “novice” is a new convert. It could be a young Christian or an older person who has recently been saved. Both are novices. They are not experienced in the path of faith, having recently begun to walk in it. Paul warns that such should not be involved in the oversight of the local assembly. It can be a dangerous thing, for the devil will work in their hearts unawares to “inflate” them with pride that will lead to a fall.
The work of oversight in an assembly requires an understanding of the ways of God with men that is only acquired through the experience of walking in the path of faith for many years. In normal conditions, oversight is not a work for younger brothers. When it comes to administrative affairs of the assembly, Scripture indicates that the younger brethren (and sisters) are not to be involved. We are told in Acts 15:66And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. (Acts 15:6), “The apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.”
A pilot friend of ours told us that the most dangerous pilot is the 500-hour know-it-all. He said that he once was one. To be an accomplished pilot you need to have thousands of hours of flying. However, when a person gets around the proverbial 500-hour range of flight experience, oftentimes he waxes confident, thinking that he knows it all—and invariably, he is on dangerous ground with such an attitude. Similarly, in the assembly, there can be what we might call “adolescent elders.” They are younger brothers who think that they’re ready to handle the leadership of a local assembly, and they begin to assert themselves. Paul says that such a thing is dangerous. A younger one in a place of oversight can get “lifted up with pride” and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
We are warned, “Woe unto thee, O land, when thy king is a child” (Eccl. 10:1616Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! (Ecclesiastes 10:16)). A person who comes into administration before he has matured spiritually, even though he may be getting older in years, is still “a child” in a sense. Having a lack of understanding in Scriptural principles, such a person can be influenced to do things that could wreak havoc in the assembly. This is exactly what happened in Israel’s later years in the land (Isa. 3:44And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. (Isaiah 3:4)). All their kings were children who were easily influenced in wrong ways and principles, and ultimately, they led the nation to ruin.
Years ago, an older brother phoned me and complained of the circumstances in the assembly where he was from. He said that there were younger brothers—one barely into his twenties and another in his mid-twenties—who had all but taken over in the care meetings. They were doing most of the talking on the various issues that came up, telling the brethren that this and that should be done! I thought to myself, “Well, brother, whose fault is that?” (I didn’t say it to him, because I didn’t have the courage.) There had to be a condition in that assembly where these younger ones were free to lift themselves up in the administrative affairs. In my opinion, the older brethren were somewhat at fault, and of course, those younger ones were not without fault either. The older brethren are to instruct younger ones as to their proper place in the assembly, and to encourage them on in the administrative side of things as they grow and are ready for it. David did that with Solomon (1 Kings 2; 1 Chron. 22; 1 Chron. 29).
Even those who are getting toward middle age ought to be careful not to buck against their older brethren who have taken the lead in the assembly for many years and have addicted themselves to the care of the saints. God will not stand with them if they do. Even if we might think that those “who take the lead” (1 Thess. 5:1212And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; (1 Thessalonians 5:12); 1 Tim. 5:1717Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. (1 Timothy 5:17)) are in a fleshly state, we are not entitled to challenge them and try to take over. Even though David was anointed to be king in Israel, he would not lift up his hand against “the Lord’s anointed” (Saul), even though he was a fleshly man, and definitely in the wrong (1 Sam. 24:6, 10; 26:9-116And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. (1 Samuel 24:6)
10Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord's anointed. (1 Samuel 24:10)
9And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless? 10David said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish. 11The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go. (1 Samuel 26:9‑11)). David came forward in the things having to do with leading Israel as king, as the Lord led him in His own time. David never pushed himself into that place. These things are instructive for us. If the younger brethren follow that pattern, they will be kept from having a fall of this sort.
7) Following People Who are Known to be Divisive
Let’s turn to one last thing that the New Testament warns can lead to a Christian falling. Romans 16:17-1817Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. (Romans 16:17‑18). “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences [occasions of falling] contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple [unsuspecting].” Here, the Apostle Paul warns of the danger of following after someone who is divisive. He tells us to “avoid” them because such persons will eventually lead an open break from the fellowship of the assembly, and we could get taken away.
I suppose we could say that this was the mistake of Mephibosheth’s father, Jonathan. Saul had usurped the kingdom (1 Sam. 14:4747So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them. (1 Samuel 14:47)) and had led the people after himself and against David. Sad to say, Jonathan never separated himself from Saul, and he died supporting the cause of his father (2 Sam. 1:2323Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. (2 Samuel 1:23)). As a result, Jonathan’s family paid the price for following the wrong man.
Brethren, let’s be warned by these verses as they were not penned by the Spirit of God without reason. We have had divisions amongst us in recent years, and many have been taken away in their simplicity. It’s sad; it really is. What could have been done to prevent it? Well, if those who have been taken away had been more wary of being influenced by certain divisive persons and avoided them, perhaps they might have been spared. It’s their “good words and fair speeches” that deceive people. They may be able to explain their cause articulately, but the net result is that people get drawn away into divergent fellowships. Let’s remember that God hates division. The Lord prayed that it would not be so (John 17:1111And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. (John 17:11)). If we are going to keep His word and not deny His name (Rev. 3:88I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. (Revelation 3:8)), we don’t want to get caught up in a division amongst God’s people.
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Summary of Reasons Why We Fall
• Lack of exercise.
• Being influenced by unprincipled men.
• Self-confidence.
• Having a will to be rich.
• Legality.
• Involving ourselves in the administration of the assembly when we are not mature enough for it.
• Following divisive people.