A STONE OF STUMBLING, AND A ROCK OF OFFENCE. 1 ST Peter 2:8. Those who are disobedient to the word of God and reject its teaching also reject the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the capstone. Because they rejected the one who could have been their Savior, they will stumble and fall into a lost eternity because they deliberately disobey the word of God. God does not destine people to disobey Him and despise His word, but they choose to disobey and reject His word, His grace, and His salvation. The blame lies in their disobedience, not in God’s choice. He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
When our Lord Jesus Christ “came unto His own, and His own received Him not,” as their Messiah, He became “a stone of stumbling” to them. The same applies to anyone who refuses to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. Their unbelief in the word of God, disobedience to the truth, and rejection of Jesus as their Savior and Lord mean they will not be saved from hell and the eternal consequences of their sins. They will not be saved from the wrath to come because they did not want to be saved, not because they could not be saved.
If a person refuses to bow in repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ and persists in unbelief, that person will stumble and fall. When one is unwilling to obey God, stumbling and falling into everlasting condemnation is the inevitable result. This is the “appointed,” foregone conclusion.
Look at them as they come to hear His gracious words – Look at their faces as they turn from His truths – Look at their body language; they are turning away – Look at their attitude; they are rejecting what He does say. They stumbled and fell, and took others down too – They were offended at Him, even though they knew what He did and who He was were so different from them that they stumbled and fell, offended at His truth, never to rise again.
Watch how people react to His name; you can see whether they believe or not. See what they do when you carry a Bible, and you can tell what they’ve got. Bow and pray – see if they stay to engage in conversation with you. Look at their face – see whether God’s grace indicates whether they are false or true. People stumble at times over the Head of the Corner because His name is Jesus. They are uncomfortable and resentful at the thought of someone who always sees us.
They’re offended that the Rock in the track knows every sin we commit. They do not intend to amend their ways or submit to Him; that is true.
Isn’t it strange to see ordinary men stumble over something as simple as a word? But the reason it happens is that they don’t want to submit to Jesus Christ as Lord. I’m not surprised when one who never relies on Him who holds our breath in His hand turns away and falls, and won’t rise until before His throne they stand. Then they’re too late to wipe clean the slate of sins they committed. How sad the case when they look on the face of the One who paid the price of our sins; but when they stumble over the Stone – the One who sits on the throne – they’ll see their awful mistake. The Rock of Offense will send them out, from the throne to the fierce burning lake.