Let me preface this with a little story of mine. I used to think that I would never leave Jesus. In fact, I promised Him I wouldn’t. But I walked away from Him for 13 years. At first, it was this woman. I liked her and, little by little, I stopped chasing God and started chasing her. Before I knew it, I started having sex, getting into drinking and partying and I stopped reading my Bible. Eventually, it got to the point where I started questioning if Jesus Christ even existed. I thank God for allowing me to be attacked by a demon. It was because I saw evil that I was sure there must be a force for good and that Force is Jesus Christ. One of the first things I realized when I came back to Christ, however, was that I broke that promise I made 13 years ago.
The Old Testament Israelites also made a promise after hearing the laws they were supposed to abide by.
And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
Exo 24:7
We know they failed a short time after that. When Moses was gone for only 40 days, the Israelites took him for dead and decided, hastily, to make a golden image to worship although there was a specific command not to make or worship idols.
Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.”
And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Exo 20:23, 32:3-4
And it only got worse over time. By the time Jesus came from heaven to the earth, the nation had killed prophets, worshipped all sorts of false gods and broke God’s commandments continuously. Notice some of Christ’s words near the end of His earthly ministry.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Mat 23:37-38
It became so bad, Christ no longer called the temple His Father’s house (John 2:16). He called it their house because God’s Spirit had left the temple and their nation as a whole. What is the lesson here? We must never be “sure” of ourselves or our faith. The wisest man, besides our LORD Jesus Christ, was Solomon and he laid out this principle which is the biggest obstacle to your success in Christianity:
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Pro 16:18
As we see, he’s telling us that right before we “fall” or right before destruction comes, by our own doing, is the feeling of pride. Right at the moment that we think we are in a secure position, we are actually in the most dangerous position of our journey.
Let’s look at another story. Peter was one of the most favored disciples that Jesus chose. He got to walk on water, see the transfiguration (Mat 17:1-3) and he was one of the three that was closest to Jesus during His agonizing time at the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter probably experienced as many of Christ’s miracles as anyone else. He loved Jesus and was sure that he would never leave Him. However, we will see that because of this pride, he denied Christ. After Jesus foretold that all disciples would leave Him when He was captured, this is what follows:
Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
Mat 26:33-35
First, let me say that Peter became so entrenched in his pride that he denied the prophecy that Christ gave him. As you’re reading this, are you denying that this is possible for you? Are you denying what the Bible is plainly teaching? Pride is also the biggest obstacle to believing and trusting the Word of God.
Peter was so sure of his love for Christ, God could not offer Peter any assistance. Peter didn’t have a need to pray and depend on God more. Peter expected to be able to stay close to Christ in his own strength. We all know Peter denied Christ, with cursing, not once but thrice.
Paul, under inspiration, wrote:
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1Co 10:12
The most dangerous times in our life are the times we feel “safe” or “strong”. I learned this lesson, Israel exemplified this lesson and Peter, also, suffered the consequences of not heeding this lesson. We should never assume we can’t fall “too far” or we will never leave Christ. Remember, Peter who spent 3 years by Christ’s side said, “I will not deny thee”. Let us learn from the past experiences of the Bible.
“Now all these things happened unto them for e[x]amples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
1Co 10:11
Once we recognize our dependence, we will see that it will be our strength. In the very next verse, after Paul warns us about having pride, he says:
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1Co 10:13
God does not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able BUT we must remember that pride will lead to our ruin. So this is a conditional promise. If we depend on God, then He will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able, with His help.
Let’s add another Scripture to support that;
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Jud 1:24
God can keep us from falling, so long as we rely and depend on Him!