Just as there are 10 Absolute Essentials (the 10 “I’s”) for spiritual growth and conforming to the image of Christ, there are 10 Absolute Pitfalls (the 10 “P’s”) in hindering you from growing spiritually and conforming to the image of Christ. The Pitfalls to our Spiritual Advance are both subtle and deceptive. Surely the “Father of Lies,” the devil, John 8:44, is behind them. Please note with me the 10 greatest Pit Falls:
- Pretending You Are Saved when you have never been born again- Spiritual Deadness – Many try to grow but find it impossible because they are “dead in trespasses and sin,” and have never come alive through the experience of the new birth (Ephesians 2:1-2). A dead person cannot grow. You can’t revive a corpse. Therefore, be sure you are born again.
- Presuming That You Can Stand Still – The Deception in believing you can Stand Still in your spiritual growth, not realizing that you can never stop. When you think you are standing still, you are backing up all the time and will slowly drift from all the things of God. Note the warning of Hebrews 2:1, “We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” or “be drifted by” as the Greek says.
- Putting the Good Above the Best – The substitution of the “Good” for the “Best.” Multitudes substitute the “good” for the “best.” Example: You may do good things and things which are spiritual up to a point, such as attending church, singing in the choir, being a deacon, but at the same time your prayer life is nil, and you are not “internalizing” God’s Word at all – even though you have a daily devotion. If this describes you, you need to know that the “Good” is almost always the enemy of the “Best” in the kingdom of God. Illus.: Martha chose the “good,” preparing a meal; Mary chose the “best” – having fellowship at the feet of Jesus. When Martha complained to Jesus of Mary’s failure to help her in the kitchen, Jesus reprimanded Martha, “Mary has chosen the good (which in this context meant the very “Best”) part and it shall not be taken from her” (Luke 10:42).
- Procrastination – The Postponement of doing what is God’s will is almost always a serious sin. Procrastination is the devil’s tool of salving your conscience while you are clearly disobeying the Lord’s will. Procrastination is delayed obedience, which is total disobedience. Even a pagan Roman poet wrote “Delayed” giving is no giving at all; if we fail to give spontaneously out of the heart and wait for a long time in so doing we show we gave grudgingly not cheerfully, which is no giving at all.” This is precisely what God says through the apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 9:6-7.
- Practicing Rationalization – The Justification of our disobedience by rationalizing that God will understand if I do not obey Him. What do I mean? Many guys know what they should do to advance their spiritual lives. But they rationalize, “I just don’t have the time, my work and my family” keep me so busy. I am so tired and I know the Lord will understand my dilemma.” Wrong. God will accept no excuses. Instead, He commands that we “seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness and the necessities of life will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). The first commandment means, “You shall put God first in every area of your life. Everyone who has done so has discovered how the Lord works a miracle of “time management” in that person’s life.
- Puckering Out After You Start. The grievous sin of starting out on the right track and then giving up. A “multitude which BB and Thad cannot number” have been guilty of this. What does God say about this? Luke 9:62, “He who putteth his hand to the plow and looketh back is not fit for the kingdom of God.” 2 Peter 2:23 “…It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, then, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment…” the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” (2 Peter 2:20; 1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”
- Partial Disobedience. King Saul, greatly deceived by Satan, tried to pull this trick on God. But Samuel, speaking for God, charged Saul with total disobedience and rebellion, which were the same as “witchcraft” and “idolatry” (1 Samuel 16:23). “And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:35b). Many salve their consciences by doing the easy things and refusing to do those things which are clearly commanded by God but which require sacrifice. Examples: Two guys said to me, “I attend Sunday School every Sunday and the preaching services. We know we ought to pray and get into the Word, but we just can’t get out of bed and lose our sleep. What would God say to these guys? He has already spoken, “Woe unto you who are at ease in Zion” (Amos 6:1).
- Perversion of Eternal Security – The terrible misunderstanding of the doctrine of eternal security of the believer. Indeed, the Bible does teach that if a person is truly born again and regenerated that he will never lose his salvation (John 10:28-29). But the same Bible teaches that if one is born again he will show it by a changed life, and without which he is lost, no matter what he has professed. “He who is born of God does not practice sin” (1 John 3:9; 5:18), “He who practices sin is of the devil” (1 John 3:8a). “Pursue peace with all men and pursue holiness, without which no man will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). We are “saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves, for it is the gift of God.” this is the teaching of Ephesians 2:8-9, but verse 10 follows with these words, “For we are His masterpiece created in Christ Jesus for good works, which he has before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). “Faith without works is dead,” (James 2:26) and a dead faith does not save. We are not saved by works, but we are saved for good works.
- Planning to go no further – The false view that I have the option of not “going any further.” When one guy was approached by his brother about being mentored, he replied, “I have been saved, baptized and attend church, and I don’t need to go any further.” The Bible teaches just the opposite. Hebrews 6:1 declares, “Therefore, leaving the elementary principles of the doctrine of Christ (being saved, baptized, joining the church) let us go on unto perfection (maturity).” “That we be not lazy but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Heb. 6:12). In summary, it must be noted that God declares that “He who began a good work in you will continue it unto the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6) and that “He who endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13; Mark 13:13b), the clear implication being that if one does not endure (persevere in the faith) to the end, he is not saved. Read 1 John 2:19.
- Pathetic Plea of Your Ignorance , “I just can’t memorize. I don’t have much education and mentoring is fine for BB, etc, but not for me.” Never does the Bible say that our salvation depends on our mental ability, nor does it say our obedience is possible if only we have sharp minds. What the Bible says is “Depend on me with all your heart, obey me the very best you can with the abilities you have and I will add to your abilities.” (Prov. 3:5-6).
Illus.: Quite a few of our students begin mentoring saying, “I just can’t memorize.” Yet they remain in class and in time become among our best students. Ex.: One man attended faithfully for over two years, never quoting a verse. Within the last six months he not only quotes the verses but gives the references to every verse. God just wants your availability and usability and He will work a miracle of change in your life.
Conclusion: Please, please, please look at your life today, be brutally honest, and ask yourself, “Am I letting one of these ‘Pitfalls’ keep me from doing those things which I clearly know is God’s will for me and is absolutely necessary for my spiritual advance?” If so, ask the Lord to forgive you and He will. Begin today to obey Him. Be sure you get with your accountability partner and ask him to help you with your pitfall. If you will do this, Guess what: You will see the glory of God in your life not many days hence. And to Jesus be ALL the honor, praise and glory. Amen.