In Luke chapter 17 Jesus spoke:
1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
As I have mentioned in the past: “You become like the company you keep.” Jesus gives us a stern warning against causing others to sin for there is a definite judgment that will arrive to the person whose motivation leads others to sin. Over the years I have observed such judgments to come upon certain individuals who were persistent in their actions which did harm to others. Our words and actions have consequences thus it would be better to say and do nothing than to cause others to have their spiritual walk negatively impacted.
On the other hand if we are the one being offended, we must forgive the person as they repent and seek forgiveness. Jesus knew that correcting such ingrained motives would require much forgiveness as the person sees the error of his ways. In many cases it takes time and commitment to correct and remove those things which caused us to sin and negatively impact others.
We must admit we were wrong in order to embrace the Truth. I look back at the belief system I had at various times in the past and realize how little I knew then and thus I must admit that I still know very little in the overall scheme of things. This is precisely why I must seek FATHER’S Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in all matters. I must be led by THE HOLY SPIRIT throughout the day and I must compare my words and acts to that of Jesus in order to determine if I am a blessing or a hindrance to those I come in contact.
I have been around long enough to witness the reality that man’s wisdom is a temporary fix to the symptom of the problem. FATHER’S Word and Wisdom is the only Source that stands the test of time. Often It goes contrary to the world’s current views but in the end, FATHER’S directives will sustain us when the world’s views either change or evaporate under pressure.
The best way to insure we don’t entice others to sin is to continually walk in Love. There are those who consciously direct people away from FATHER in order to fulfill their own lusts and there are those who provide light to others and help steer them toward eternal life. Let us be those vessels of honor by which life flows to and through so that all the individuals we encounter have good seed planted in their hearts.
Jesus made it quite clear that there are ramifications to leading others astray. The stakes are high when you are on a path which affects a great number of people. There have been ministries in the past which have fallen apart due to the leadership’s persistent path of sin. FATHER will not allow the sheep to be fleeced indefinitely. There is a point where longsuffering has come to a conclusion and judgment must be enacted to correct the problem.
In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus issued a specific warning against adultery in the heart:
27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”
Whatever causes you to move away from FATHER, GET RID OF IT! That is the message. If a person persists in drawing you away, you must separate yourself in order to protect yourself from their impending judgment. You can pray for that person from afar but do not take on their sin by association. These are critical warnings or Jesus would not have brought them to our attention. Let us be careful of our words, behavior, and associations for we should let nothing keep us from being a blessing to mankind.