An Interesting Passage

especially for my new visitors...

As some of you already know, I have been ill all weekend with a lung infection which has kept me lying on the couch for some time. The one good thing that came out of this restoration time was the time I had to deal with a few lost souls through my blog. Not only was it good to have time to speak the Truth to them, it was good to have the time to truly get a sense of where they are coming from.

The fact of the matter is, I have no doubt that some of the souls I have dealt with are actually trying to understand the Scriptures, albeit in a very non-committal, carnal way. And this isn't mockery... if anything, I feel quite sorry for such souls, because ultimately, they can't get passed their non-committal, carnal ways because they're dead. Dead in sin and trespass as Ephesians 2 puts it.

Anyway, with all this bouncing in my mind, I went to Scriptures for some solace. It was then that I remembered this passage:

"Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." (1 Peter 2:6-8)

Now I doubt that the souls I have dealt with care enough about the Scriptures to pay any mind to this passage, but it really struck me at how perfectly it described their situation. You notice first that the beginning of this passage speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ. How saints find Him precious, and how the unconverted are offended by Him. What's interesting though is the wording of this passage when it speaks of the unconverted. They are called "disobedient", and it is said that the "stumble" at what? "THE WORD". Isn't that something?

These poor souls who have been filling up my spam filter, over the last few days, all have this in common: they stumble at the Word. They try to figure out, by carnal means, which parts of the Bible are applicable to them, and which are not. They try to determine which parts of the Bible are truly inspired and which are but ramblings of ancient men. How difficult, uncertain, and absolutely hopeless is their plight.

Finally, did you notice the final words? How scary is that? Some of the souls, and it's probably safe to say, most of the souls I have dealt with this weekend "have been appointed" to stumbling at God's Word. Oh! how I hope and pray that some of these poor souls will be "brands plucked from the fire" (Zechariah 3:2). How I hope that my labouring was not only to them who were appointed to stumble at God's Word, being disobedient to the Revelation of God.

The Lord's will be done.

"Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." (Romans 9:18)


Rand