The Domino Effect
Our choices effect more people than just ourselves, it is called the domino effect.
Have you ever been in a multi-car collision, or tripped and caused others to stumble? If you are close enough to others when you mess up or someone in front of you messes up you all get messed up. Look at the corporate world a fallen leader usually takes their whole business down with them. Or a religious leader brings down an entire church with them, this is the domino effect. The devil does not mind us influencing others for if he knows he still has a hold on us, then when he chooses to take us out, he will take many others out with us.
None of us are isolated to the point we have no one watching us, even in this age of technology where people can lose themselves in gadgets, somehow, someway we are still somewhat observant of those around us. I was just driving in Times Square and noticed that hardly anyone was looking up the majority of people were looking down at their smart phones while walking and yet were not running into each other. We have adapted to the times and are becoming multi-tasked yet still observant of our surroundings.
Here in Luke 17:1-10, Jesus tells his disciples that temptation can be expected but that it is worse for the one doing the tempting for are nature is prone to sin so if our life leads other believers to fall into sin, judgment wil follow. The bible says to avoid the mere appearance of evil, those young in the faith are not mature enough to understand certain things, we must be cautious even though what we are doing might not be causing us to stumble it may cause someone else to stumble around us.
I once had a coffee liqueur drink with my dinner. It was one drink but the young believer with me told others that I am a drinker and so made it seem drinking was part of my lifestyle. One can drink without excess is my biblical position, but the effect I had on others, made this a sinful act. People who are prone to becoming alcoholics cannot handle even one drink, so it is best that I abstain from drinking all together so I don't cause others to stumble.
While we are trying our best through God's grace to cause no one to stumble those whom are in sin must not be ignored.
Have you ever witnessed someone doing wrong and was afraid to confront them in case they get offended or don't like you anymore?
The bible says in Luke 17:3 "if anyone sins, rebuke them, and if they repent, forgive them." If we care about our own body we would not harm it right? Well, we are the body of Christ, sin harms us, so those in sin need to be confronted with the hope that they will stop, because sin in one effects us all. The bible says to shun those who remain in sin, we are not to compromise our faith by accepting sin as okay, if removing ourselves from fellowship from a believer in sin is necessary for the conviction of God to draw them to repentance, then we must oblige, even at the sake of losing our friendship.
We don't always understand love and forgiveness. Love corrects and showing forgiveness doesn't mean condoning sin. It isn't being judgmental to hold people accountable for their sins, it is choosing to stand by God's righteous standard. We know we are all prone to sin yet we know Jesus is our deliverer. As we forgive others we must lead them to the one who will deliver them from sin, if we just say I forgive you and do not hold them accountable then they might feel they can continue to get away with their wrong behavior.
In Luke 17:5-10, Jesus shifts from teaching on forgiveness to faith. See, the two go together because unforgiveness is the chief contributor in halting our spiritual growth. As far as we are able to forgive others will determine the amount of faith we have. That is why Luke 17:4 says to forgive someone seventy times seven, meaning never stop. Jesus overcame sin and death through the cross forgiving the world of it's transgressions, we cannot expect to minister in His name with unforgiveness in our heart.
The disciples asked Jesus how to grow in faith? His illustrations made the point that with whatever measure of faith we have received we are to respond to His word with obedience. Whenever someone tries anything and it works they believe it the more. Faith works for by it we grab a hold of His promises, taking us from glory to glory in Him. God speaks depending on the level of adherence to His present word. Believing His word by responding by faith is what pleases our heavenly Father and brings peace to our soul.
