Three Young Men Who Had a Fall: Reasons Why We Fail
Stanley Bruce Anstey
Table of Contents
Three Young Men Who Had a Fall: Introduction
Walla Walla, WA – June 23, 2007
I would like to speak of three young men this afternoon; their names are Eutychus, Ahaziah, and Mephibosheth. These three young persons had something in common—each one had a serious fall! God has recorded their falls in His Word that we might be taught something from them. I’d like to look at each of these, with the Lord’s help, to get the practical instruction that He intends for us.
It is not my intention to find fault with these young men but to gain what God would have for us in recording their falls in His Word. I take this up as much for my soul as I do for yours, because we are all capable of slipping and falling. We have just sung, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it” (L.F. #5 app.). I hope that we all have a deep sense of the danger that is within our own breasts—that we’re prone to wander away from the Lord—and that we would cast ourselves upon Him to be kept. If we keep close to the Lord, we will not fall. “The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him” (Deut. 33:12). But sad to say, we don’t always keep close to Him. Like Peter who followed the Lord “afar off,” we can drift away from the Lord, and that’s when we get into trouble.
Out in front of a little church building in Rockford, Illinois, a woman accused the so-called Pastor of that church group of holding the doctrine of backsliding. He replied, “Lady, we not only hold it—we practice it!” You know, those in that little church group are not the only ones who practice backsliding. The saints gathered to the Lord’s name, sad to say, practice it too. Brethren, the truth is we are all prone to wander and fall. It’s not that we can lose our salvation, as that woman thought those Christians in Rockford were teaching, but that we can backslide and have a terrible spiritual fall in our lives. I say it again; the only safe place for us is near the Lord.
I don’t have to tell you that we have an enemy (the devil) who wants us to fall. He is doing all he can to bring it about. It reminds me of an incident that one of brother Whitaker’s employees witnessed in the Ukraine. On the family farm they had chickens, and one day they heard a terrible racket and looked out to see that a fox had come into the yard. The rooster was up in a tree making a terrible noise and the chickens were out of sight. They watched to see what the fox would do because he had no chance of getting the rooster out of the safety of the tree. That wily fox circled the tree and noticed that the rooster watched his every step and never took his eye off of him. Each time he went around the rooster went around too. The fox did this a couple of dozen times until the rooster was so dizzy that he lost his footing and fell down to the ground! Dear friends, that’s what the devil is trying to do in your life.
Eutychus
Let’s turn first of all to Acts 20:7-12. “Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached [discoursed] unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into [overpowered by] a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching [discoursing], he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.”
Eutychus was a young man who dropped out of the meeting! He didn’t intend to, but that’s what happened. His fall is a picture of those who leave the meeting literally. We see this happening among the Lord’s people from time to time, and it’s a grief. Is there anything that we can learn from this? I believe there is. Let’s look at it more closely.
A Happy Scene
The assembly at Troas had a visit from the Apostle Paul. They broke bread together and listened to his ministry. What a happy scene that was! I suppose many of us would like to have been there. We might ask, “How could someone have a fall when they were in such favorable circumstances? You couldn’t ask for more favorable conditions. But it just goes to show us that it is not good teaching that keeps us—even if it was from the Apostle Paul himself! The truth alone will not keep us; there must be an inner life of communion with the Lord too. The Bible says, “Let Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth continually preserve me” (Psa. 40:11). To be kept, not only do we need the truth in our souls, but we also need a practical enjoyment of the Lord’s love.
It says, “There were many lights in the upper chamber.” They had a lot of light, but one thing that seemed to be lacking was shepherding care. The fall of Eutychus emphasizes this, and perhaps it is the reason why the Apostle in the latter part of the chapter warned the Ephesian elders, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed [shepherd] the church of God” (Acts 20:28).
The assembly at Troas is not unlike many assemblies gathered to the Lord’s name today. We have been privileged to have much recovered truth concerning Paul’s doctrine, thanks to the labours of brethren in the early 1800’s, but it seems that we don’t do well in keeping our young people. It is something we certainly need to be exercised about. I remember the late Albert Hayhoe speaking of this and asking, “Why wasn’t there someone who noticed Eutychus in that precarious position? Why didn’t someone go over to him and put their arm around him and suggest that he come and sit next to them?” Well, hindsight is pretty good. We could be here all afternoon saying, “Woulda, coulda, shoulda ... ”
Sitting in the Window
So, how did it happen then? What was the cause of Eutychus’ fall? I believe that it had something to do with the place that he had chosen to sit—“in a window.” A window, in Scripture, speaks of outlook. He perched himself in such a place where he could keep one eye on what was going on in the meeting and one eye on what was going on outside. You know, we can do that too—keep one eye on spiritual things and the other eye on the things of the world. But friends, it doesn’t work. Sooner or later our outlook on the assembly will be affected by what we see outside. Our appreciation for the assembly and for the Lord in the midst will deteriorate. Yet there are people who think that they can have one foot in the meeting and one foot in the world and do all right, but sad to say, they end up having the same result as Eutychus—a fall.
Overpowered by Sleep
Having taken that place in the window, it wasn’t long before Eutychus fell into “a deep sleep.” This speaks of losing interest. His mind began to wander to other things, and soon he wasn’t paying attention. Paul’s voice drifted into the background. He was there, but he wasn’t listening. It reminds me of a young man who once confessed, “I was present in body but absent in mind.”
Now, if the Bible meetings are uninteresting to you, it may be that you’re beginning to fall asleep spiritually. This is a serious sign of declension. Something has come into your life that is spoiling your appetite for divine things. Years ago, there was a father who came home from his day at work and sat down to supper with his wife and family. The mother had gone to a lot of work to make a good meal with meat and potatoes, and all those things that are important for good nutrition. As they were eating, he noticed that the kids were just playing with their food, rather than eating it. He encouraged them to “eat up,” reminding them that the food was good to make them grow strong and healthy, but the kids weren’t making any progress. They just weren’t hungry. Finally, the man asked his wife if she knew why they weren’t interested in eating, and she replied, “Well, actually, we had a little party this afternoon, and we had some cupcakes, and some cookies and ice cream.” That explained it! What had happened? They were filled with a bunch of “junk food!”—things that didn’t have much, or any, nutritional value—and the grand result was that they didn’t have an appetite for the good food.
It can be just the same for us in the spiritual realm. One of the reasons why we have so little appetite for the Word of God is that we’re eating too many “cupcakes!” We feed on all kinds of things from morning to night, and then when we take the Scriptures in hand, we have little appetite for it. Is it any wonder why the Bible meetings are uninteresting when we are in that state?
His Fall
Then there came the inevitable fall—Eutychus dropped out of the meeting. He “fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.” Sitting on the windowsill as he did, there was a 50/50 chance that he could have fallen either way—into the meeting or out of it. But he didn’t fall in. It seems that people who spiritually fall asleep never fall into the meeting. No, you don’t just fall into the meeting. It takes exercise to be there. It takes spiritual conviction.
Then there was quite a stir among the saints. The word goes around the room, “Eutychus has left the meeting!” And what a departure it was! He fell down to the level of the world to which he had been looking. Is it any wonder that that is where he would end up? Brethren, it’s no different today. This is happening among us too. We hear of one here and one there slipping through the cracks and out into the world.
Symptoms of Leaving the Meeting
It’s sad, and we might ask, “Couldn’t they see it coming?” You know, there seems to be certain repeating signs—“symptoms”—in those that end up leaving the meeting. Let me give them to you:
• They start coming to fewer and fewer meetings until they are S.M.O’s (Sunday Morning Only).
• They dwell on the shortcomings of the saints, concluding that there is no love there.
• There is a marked lack of separation from the world—either in its secular or its religious aspects. At the same time, they accuse those who walk in separation of being legal.
• They claim that they are not getting fed in the meetings—meetings that they don’t come to!
• They are easily offended. Whatever is said to them, they seem to take it the wrong way.
• Their doctrine as to the one place of gathering becomes altered, to open the door for them to go elsewhere.
Recovering Eutychus
Well, what could be done for Eutychus? We read that Paul went down and embraced him, and lo and behold, he revived. Note this carefully: it was not Paul’s preaching that revived him; it was Paul’s embrace! Paul didn’t go over to the window and shout down a few verses of Scripture at him. No, he went down to where he was and embraced him tenderly. The point we are to get from this is that the backslider is not restored by preaching at him, but by showing that we have a genuine love and concern for his soul. What he needed was a hug—and that’s what Paul gave him. It teaches us that recovering those who have slipped away is a hands-on project. Those who have grown cold in their souls need to know that we still love them. This shows that Paul’s doctrine is important, but so is Paul’s embrace.
However, to reach those who have dropped out of the meeting requires discernment, because we don’t want to compromise principles. That’s never God’s way. We have to be careful. If the person is not going on in any specific sin, and there is no charge laid upon him by the assembly, then we should seek to reach him in some way. And love will find a way.
Note: it doesn’t say that Paul brought him up alive, it says, “And they brought him alive.” This indicates that the saints, as a whole, got involved in Eutychus’ recovery. This is nice to see. It reminds me of the return of Naomi. When the Lord brought her back, it says, “All the city was moved.”
It also reminds me of the return of the ten tribes of Israel (under the figure of “Ephraim”) in Jeremiah 31:1-3. In a coming day, the Lord will work in their lives in three ways. Firstly, He will use the “sword,” which speaks of His governmental discipline. Secondly, He will work in their lives by His “grace” by showing unmerited favour toward them; and thirdly, He will touch their hearts with His “love.” The grand result is that they will return to their land and to the Lord from the four corners of the earth. But the Lord will also work in the hearts of their brethren, the two tribes—the Jews (under the figure of “Rachel”) who will be restored to the Lord first. They will weep with “bitter weeping” for their brethren and will “refuse to be comforted” until they are restored (Jer. 31:15-16). Then Ephraim will come back bemoaning himself in true repentance. He will own that the chastisements of the Lord—“the sword”—were just and right (Jer. 31:18-19). This moves the heart of the Lord to say, “Therefore My bowels are troubled for him.” The Lord will then set up “waymarks” and “signposts” on a highway to Zion to help Ephraim get back to the land of Israel (Jer. 31:20-21). This shows that when there is real repentance, the Lord, so to speak, paves the way back for the backslider to return. Such is the heart of our God! He loves to restore the wanderer.
We learn from this that the Lord works from both ends—in the heart of the wanderer and in the hearts of his brethren. The Lord would have us to be actively involved in seeking the restoration of the wayward. Galatians 6:1 Says, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” James 5:19-20 says, “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert [restore] him; let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” These verses show that there is something for us to do in regard to the restoration of a wanderer. We need to be in prayer and exercise about what we can do to help in his recovery.
Two Scenarios
I believe we are getting more and more confused as to how we should deal with those who are no longer with us. Some have slipped away, and others have been put away. There is a difference, and our actions toward them are to be different according to each case.
There are two scenarios that I have in mind particularly. Firstly, there are times when one is “put away” under a specific charge, having a particular sin “bound” upon them by an administrative act of the assembly (Matt. 18:18-20; 1 Cor. 5:13). With such a person we are told “not to keep company [not to mix]” with them as far as fellowship is concerned. Scripture says that we are not even to “eat” a common meal with them (1 Cor. 5:11). This course of action is to be taken toward them so that they would feel their wrong and be brought to repentance and restoration.
Sad to say, there are some well-meaning benevolent souls who will get up right after a person is put away and go over to them and give them a hug and confirm their love to them. This is surely contrary to Scripture. If we extend our love and fellowship to them in their sin before they are repentant, then we are only condoning their course. I am not picking on the sisters, but oftentimes they are the ones who are at fault in this. They are emotionally driven creatures with large hearts who can, and sometimes do, get caught up in the emotion of the moment and go hug the person who has just been excommunicated.
Such actions give the person mixed signals—some of the brethren will not shake hands with them, and others do. What is the person supposed to think? I don’t believe that we are not doing them any good by such actions. We may not realize it, but we are actually hindering their restoration. By trying to encourage them when they are still in their course of sin, we are prolonging their humbling which would lead to their repentance and restoration. J. N. Darby speaks (in his letters) of those who will deliberately have fellowship with those excommunicated as being a serious thing. It is really defying the action of the assembly and the authority of the Lord. Scripture indicates that we are not to express fellowship with such a person until there are signs of repentance. And even then, we are not to take matters into our own hands, but to notify the brethren so that the assembly can act together in the loosing of the censure placed on them.
The second scenario is when a person, through coldness and indifference, slips away from the meeting and the fellowship of the saints. There is no specific sin that he or she has been charged with—they have not been excommunicated—but they are no longer coming to the meetings. We need to reach out to these people and seek to recover them. Eutychus is an example of this second group. Often times, all they need is a little affection shown to them. It is usually a case where they are just discouraged. They need a hug, not a lecture.
We should not go after those in the first scenario, but we should go after those in the second scenario. But sad to say, sometimes we get this wrong too. We treat the person who has slipped away as though they have plunged into some serious evil and have been excommunicated. Consequently, we turn a cold shoulder and have no contact with them. The problem here, is that we have our principles mixed up. We have a square peg in a round hole, so to speak. We are applying the principles of action toward one who has been excommunicated to one who has slipped away through coldness or discouragement: this is a mistake.
The point I’m making here is that we can’t paint everybody who leaves with the same brush. It’s one thing to be put out under a specific charge of sin, and it’s another thing to have slipped away through carelessness. We are to make a difference in such cases. Jude confirms this by saying: “Of some, have compassion, making a difference” (Jude 22). With one, we are to leave them with the Lord until there are signs of repentance; with the other, we are to go after them.
Now, of course, if someone leaves through coldness, and we learn later that they have gotten into some serious evil, we ought not to have contact with them in that case. As I said, there needs to be spiritual discernment in these things—as Paul said, “Ye which are spiritual, restore such an one ... ” (Gal. 6:12). May God give us that kind of love and spiritual discernment to know how to deal with wayward ones.
Ahaziah
Now, let’s turn to 2 Kings 1:1-2. “Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.”
Here we have another young man who had a fall. Like Eutychus, his fall is intended to portray a spiritual fall that any one of the Lord’s people could have. He was a young king who had just ascended to the throne in Israel in place of his father. He had his life before him, and I’m sure it looked pretty good. But it all came to a screeching halt one day when he “fell down through a lattice.” The fall of Ahaziah was a very serious one. It was something from which he would never recover. This is solemn, brethren. It shows that there are some things that a person may fall into that they may not recover from.
The Lattice—Bars of Protection
Note: it says that in falling, Ahaziah broke through “the lattice” of his home. Now, what does this speak of? I believe the answer is found in Proverbs 7:6-7. It says, “At the window of my house I looked through my casement [lattice], and beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding ... ” This chapter in Proverbs describes a young man in his father’s house learning under the wise counsel of his father and mother about the dangers of the world—and in particular, moral evil. He learns the important lessons of life by observing the ways of others, not by going out into the world and experiencing those things himself. By looking out through “the lattice” of his father’s home, he was behind the bars of protection that that godly home had, and from there he learned the lessons of life. If we have been raised in a God-fearing home, we should be able to get all the moral instruction that we need as to the ways of the world, without having to go out into it.
The “lattice” speaks of the parental guidelines and restraints that are placed in the home (some homes have more, and some have less) for the purpose of protecting the young from falling into the evils of the world. Sad to say, in the case of Ahaziah, in falling, he broke through the lattice. And by doing so, he injured himself in such a way that he never recovered.
You know, there has been many a young person who has resented their parents’ principles of separation and has wanted to break through them. Dear young people, do you find the principles of Christian living in your parents’ home too restricting? Do you have thoughts of wanting to break through the lattice in your parents’ home? Oh, be careful! If you break through those restraining principles that your parents have established, you could be headed for a fall! God has recorded the fall of Ahaziah in Scripture as a warning.
The Bible says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” Even as you get older and think that you should be able to make decisions in your own life, still, it says, “Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) that it may be well with thee” (Eph. 6:1-3). Regardless of how old you get, you should always “honour” your father and mother. As you get older, there should be the lifting of your parents’ supervision, but not your parents’ principles.
The book of Proverbs tells us that you are to bind the principles that your godly mother and father have taught you around your neck and to live by them for the rest of your life (Prov. 1:8-9; 6:20-21). Only a person who is on a sinful course of rebellion would want to break through those Scriptural principles. Such a person, if he or she should fall, is not one that I suggest we go after. It would be better to leave them with the Lord until such time as there is some repentance.
If you read a little further in 2 Kings 1, you’ll see what God thinks of those who would help someone on in their sinful course. The king sent “messengers” to “Baal-zebub” to inquire for him, and also “a captain of fifty with his fifty” were sent to the prophet Elijah. But the soldiers were smitten by the judgment of God (2 Kings 1:3-12). When the king sent another captain with his fifty, they were also smitten. These men came under God’s judgment because they were abettors to the king’s deliberate course of sin in seeking after Baal-zebub. You may think that it was a little severe, but it just shows us what God thinks of those who would help someone on in their course of sin. To go out deliberately and have fellowship with someone who is unrepentant in their course of sin is really assisting them in their self-will and is helping them on in that course. You may not look at it that way, but it is really what you are doing. And if we do it, we are liable to bring down the governmental judgment of God upon ourselves. We could incur a serious rebuke from the Lord. Let us be warned by this. What I’m saying here is that a Eutychus type you should go after, but with an Ahaziah type, you shouldn’t. As I say, these things take discernment.
Mephibosheth
Now, let’s turn to 2 Samuel 4:4. “Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.”
Here we have a third young person who had a fall—Mephibosheth. This is, perhaps, that saddest of all, because it was hardly his fault. He was put in the hands of someone who was not careful, and she caused him to fall. Sometimes a young person’s fall can be traced back, in some degree, to those who have had the care over him. In Mephibosheth’s case it was his “nurse” who caused him to fall. This passage warns us of the danger there is in turning our children over to babysitters who may not have the same care and principles that we have. Parents, let’s be careful about who we leave our children with; they could corrupt them and make them “lame” in their walk in some way.
Introducing Things to Stumble Our Children
But we don’t want to just point the finger at those with whom we leave our children; we, as parents, are probably the biggest offenders in this. What I’m saying is that WE are often the ones that cause our children to fall—more so than any babysitter! We can, and often do, stumble our children by what we do and allow in our lives. This is solemn. We can occasion their fall by introducing things into their lives that will overtake them later and cause them to stumble. The classic example is Abraham taking Lot into Egypt. Lot got a taste for Egypt that he never got out of his system, and it was the reason why he made the choices he did in his life that caused him to go to Sodom (Gen. 13:10-11).
There was a Christian man and his wife who received a phone call late one night from the city police. They were asked to come to the city mortuary to identify a body—the body of their own daughter who had just died in a car crash! How would you like to have a phone call like that? When they got there, they were told that the girl had been under the influence of alcohol. She had been drunk.
When the parents returned home, they were, of course, devastated. Many thoughts ran through their minds. How did their daughter get liquor, being under-age? And why would she do such a thing? The father kept repeating that he would like to find the person who gave liquor to his underage daughter; he wanted to get his hands on him. And you can imagine how he felt. Not being able to sleep, the man paced the floor of his house. And he thought that he was ready to have a nervous breakdown. So, he thought he had better take a little shot of brandy or whisky, or whatever it was that he kept in the house. He was an upright Christian man who saw nothing wrong with drinking; he had always used it carefully, never allowing himself to get tipsy. So, he went over to his liquor cabinet, and lo and behold, the bottle was gone! But he saw a note there saying, “Daddy, we took your bottle because it’s graduation; we’ll give you the money to replace it later.” It was signed by his daughter!
What a lesson this man had to learn. Here he was looking for the person who had given his daughter liquor; and it turned out that it was himself! By having it in the house, he facilitated the opportunity for his daughter to get drunk.
Dear parents, don’t be so naïve to think that if your young people drink that they are using it for medicinal purposes. Now you might say, “If they want it, they’re going to get their hands on it anyway.” Yes, but do you want to have it on record that you were the one who enabled their fall? I mention this as an example of how we can occasion the falling of our own children whom we love dearly. Let’s be careful about what we allow in our homes.
Unfortunately for Mephibosheth, this all happened at a time when there was a division in Israel. He was of the family of Saul, and quite naturally his family followed the house of Saul. But sadly, they were following the wrong side. Hence, Mephibosheth was a young person who was led away in a division among the Lord’s people, whether he liked it or not. Being but a child, it was not his fault.
Now brethren, doesn’t that sound familiar? Are there not similar cases among the Lord’s people today? There are young people who have not been cognizant of what’s been happening among the brethren, who have been taken away in a division by their erring parents. Their fall can be traced to their parents and those who have had the spiritual care over them. It’s pitiful; it really is.
Now, how are we to behave toward such persons? I believe that Scripture would tell us that we are to make a difference in such cases, because the wrong position that they have gotten into was not of their own doing (Jude 22). Scripture indicates that the children should not be held responsible for their parents’ mistakes (Deut. 24:16; 2 Chron. 25:4). Our hearts should go out to such. We should try to be a help to those unfortunate ones as opportunity presents itself. And this is exactly what we see David doing in 2 Samuel 9. If we were to turn to that chapter, we would see that David went after the innocent victims of the house of Saul and showed them kindness. He found Mephibosheth in a place of isolation—in Lodebar. He had been there for twenty years! David’s heart went out to him, and he sent for Mephibosheth and brought him to Jerusalem (the divine center), and thereafter he had the privilege of eating at the king’s table.
Primary Teaching of This Passage
This is instructive for us, because most think of the story of Mephibosheth as being a picture of the grace of God going out to sinners in the gospel. But that is a secondary application. The primary teaching in the passage is the work of going after ones who have strayed away, and perhaps, have been damaged through the mistakes of others. But having said that, we have to be careful in this because gathering people to the Lord’s name is not our work—it is the work of the Spirit of God (Matt. 18:20; Luke 22:10).
Now, if these persons who have been taken away in a division prove themselves to be intelligent supporters of their parents’ mistakes—and we have seen such—that’s a different thing altogether. If they understand what happened and still believe that their parents’ position is right, and they are active in supporting it, then we need to back off. Their will is at work, and they are engaged in the same sin as their parents. Joshua 7:24-25 indicates that such persons should come under the same judgment as their parents. Achan was judged for his sin, and his children were judged on that day too. This is not a violation of Deuteronomy 24:16, which says that the children should not die for their parents’ sin; it was done because they were actively involved in their parents’ sin. Scripture says that Achan was “not alone in his iniquity” (Josh. 22:20). So, this all comes back to what I was saying earlier; it takes discernment in each case.
With Mephibosheth there was a lovely restoration; he “dwelt in Jerusalem” and did “eat continually at the king’s table” (2 Sam. 9:13). He was tested on these things later in his life in the revolt of Absalom. Another division developed in Israel and many turned after Absalom, but Mephibosheth remained faithful (2 Sam. 19:24-30). He had learned some valuable lessons. Sometimes, those who have been carried away into division and have been restored value the place more than those who have been there all along.
Summary of the Three Young Men
The things that caused these young men to fall:
Eutychus—carelessness. We should go after such, as Paul did, for they have not gone out under any charge from the assembly. They are usually just cold and/or discouraged.
Ahaziah—rebellion. We should not go after such because they are on a definite course of sin. If we do, we are liable to get the fire of God’s judgment come down upon us (governmentally), as was the case of the king’s soldiers.
Mephibosheth—innocently led away by division makers. We should seek to reach them, as the opportunity presents itself (as David did) because they have not been actively involved in dividing God’s people, but rather, they are victims of others’ mistakes.
Seven Reasons Why We Fall
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 1:5, “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. 12:14). 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. 15:33). 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. 4:14-16). 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 2:11-13. 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. 5:15). 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 16:1, which says, “Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust,” and 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 16:18 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 14:29). 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 14:7-12). 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 5:10 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. 28:26).
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. 10:12), “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 6:6-10 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. 6:32). 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. 2:20-21). 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. 3:5). 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. 11:28).
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. 6:11-12). 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. 6:33). 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. 23:4-5). The Psalmist agrees with this, saying, “If riches increase, set not your heart upon them” (Psa. 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 5:2-4. “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. 2:16). 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. 5:14-26). 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. 65:5). 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 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 3:6: “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 15:6, “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. 10:16). 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. 3:4). 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. 5:12; 1 Tim. 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; 26:9-11). 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 16:17-18. “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. 14:47) 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. 1:23). 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 17:11). If we are going to keep His word and not deny His name (Rev. 3:8), we don’t want to get caught up in a division amongst God’s people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
Encouragement for the Fallen
Let’s turn to the book of Proverbs for a few words of encouragement for the fallen. Chapter 24:16 says, “A just [righteous] man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief [disaster].”
This is encouraging to me. “Seven” in Scripture, speaks of completeness. We might say that this man was a complete failure. He had repeated failures, yet for all his failures he is called “just,” or “righteous!” That might strike us as being a little strange. Usually, you don’t call someone who has failed so completely a righteous person, but I think he’s called that because he rose up after falling and sought to go on.
Now I’m not minimizing failure; sin is a serious thing to God, and it should be to us too. Rising again speaks of judging oneself and seeking fresh grace from the Lord to go on. He is righteous because he doesn’t give up and stay down. This shows that falling down doesn’t make you a failure—it’s staying down that does! Note: it says that “the wicked” man falls into disaster and he doesn’t rise out of it. He doesn’t have the will to judge himself and to rise out of his failure.
Perhaps you’ve fallen and you feel that you might as well give up. Oh friend, don’t do that! That’s what the devil wants you to do, but the Lord wants you to rise up and judge yourself and go on. The lie of the devil is that if you have fallen, you’ve gotten into things so far that you can’t be restored. That is what Cain thought. He said, “My iniquity is too great to be forgiven” (Gen. 4:13 – margin). He thought that what he had done was too great to be forgiven and be restored, but it was not true. He had been listening to the devil. The Lord had said, “If thou doest not well, sin [a sin offering] lieth at the door” (Gen. 4:7 – margin). There was a provision for his sin, serious as it was. The Lord had proven it with Cain’s father and mother—Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21). I tell you again, to think that you can’t be restored is a lie of the devil. Don’t believe it. The Lord can “restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten” (Joel 2:25). He can turn your life around and make it a blessing in spite of your failures. He can put the pieces back together again. He has done it with thousands of His people.
David said, “The steps of a good man are ordered of the LORD: and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand” (Psa. 37:23-24). Let that be an encouragement to you.
A Good Fall
You know, in a sense, there is such a thing as having a good fall! Now you might wonder what on earth that could be, but if you turn to Genesis 17:1-3, you’ll read that Abraham had one of these good falls. He “fell on his face” before the Lord. That’s a good place to fall! It is the kind of fall that we all need to have. We need to fall down before the Lord and ask Him to keep us from falling into ways that would dishonour Him and hurt ourselves. A felt need and an expressed dependence are what we need to have when we soberly think of all the dangers around us.
We need to cast ourselves upon the Lord, and He will keep us. “The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him” (Deut. 33:12). Those who don’t, will fall. Even those who are pretty sure of themselves won’t make it. Isaiah said, “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall” (Isa. 40:30). It’s only those who “wait [rely] upon the LORD” who will be renewed in their strength. “They shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31).
The Lord has the power to keep us from falling, but we have to cast ourselves on Him. Jude 24 says, “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.” What a wonderful promise!
(Adapted)
B. Anstey
THREE YOUNG MEN WHO HAD A FALL—Why We Fall & How We Should Treat The Fallen
B. Anstey
First Printed Edition – June 2007
Printed Version – 1.0
Printed in Canada
First eBook Edition—May 2021
eBook Version – 1.0
Note: all Scriptures quoted are from either the King James Version (KJV)
or the J. N. Darby Translation, unless otherwise noted.
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