1 John 5:4: "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith."
This passage offers the disciple of Christ a start from victory over defeat. Starting from defeat sounds like the following:
1) "I'm only human."
2) "Jesus is not really expecting us to live up to..."
3) "We are not being asked to live holy in a practical sense."
After all, James 3:2 reminds us we aren't going to be perfect. "For we all stumble in many ways." See! There you go. We are going to fail. We don't need to be too hard on ourselves if we do. This is what starting at failure sounds like. It allows us to be okay with the sin in our lives. If the Bible doesn't anticipate our victory, then all we can do is try. Heaven is where perfection will happen. I hear many Christians making these excuses and more. Then, they call those who make no excuses "self-righteous." Those who expect to be obedient are called "holy rollers." The latter are told to expect to sin all the time, every day, and that is the Christian life. And the folks saying all this become comfortable with sin and compliant to their lust because, after all, "... we all stumble in many ways."
Does James stop with this declaration? No! James says, "... If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well." He addresses how to keep from stumbling. As humans, we inherited a nature that stumbles, yes; as obedient servants of the Most High God, No!
John's first epistle tells us that "our faith" is where the victory stems. When the weight of our trust, during our Christian walk, is placed fully in Jesus, it offers us the victory not to stumble or the vexation of falling frequently. If we do the latter enough, stumbling, we conclude this is all the Christian life offers. Unfortunately, we don't always stop to call ourselves out and say, "Oh, my little faith!" Then, repent and finally change. We inadequately believe that the Bible is a book of good ideas, not concretized truths. Truths that set our feet on The Solid Rock. Truths that inform our faith, we are filled with God's Spirit, and the likeness of Jesus is being developed in us.
How does being born of God allow you and me to overcome the world? Grow in our faith.
Let's scoot from 1 John, then James to 2 Peter; they are all in the same neighborhood in the Bible. Second Peter addresses the issue of stumbling. In 1:10, he concludes, "You will never stumble." What? "Never?" I know you feel uncomfortable reading, "You will never stumble." It's not that it isn't possible that makes it uncomfortable. It comes across, sadly to many believers, as arrogant. That is what makes many uncomfortable. It eliminates excuses.
This will help you contend with Peter's words, and we will get back to them, with what Paul says in Philippians 3:12-14: Paul knew this walk in Christ, with all its possibilities for stumbling, was a fight of faith. "Not that I have already obtained all this or arrived at my goal." Neither have we. Paul does not stop there and commiserate with his struggles. He doesn't stop and say, "I'm never going to accomplish what God's called me to. I am only human." No! Paul put aside the possibility of stumbling. He continues, "...but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Then, in verse 14, he finishes this thought, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." He would not be thwarted from living out the victory God had before him through his faith. That's where the possibilities for God to use us are brought to fruition. Paul believed and moved in faith, no matter how difficult the challenge or any momentary stumbling. He would not live in that. He lived by his faith. He was faithful to his LORD.
Then what is Peter telling us when he said, "You will never stumble?"
1) Second Peter 1:3 tells us to live the reality of what has been given to us. "His divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness." We lack nothing that we need to keep from stumbling. The problem we must contend with is the sin that entices us. James 1:14: "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire." You and I get to follow our faith in one or the other direction; pressing forward or stumbling.
a. Which report will you set your faith on? One gives you victory over the world; the other sets up a stumble.
2) Second Peter 1:4 tells us to live dependent on God's divine nature. In Christ, we have "escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." The stumbling has ended by faith. Remember, believing/knowing what we have obtained through salvation gives us victory over the world. James tells us where stumbling grows 1:15, "Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."
a. Which promise will you live out? You have "escaped the corruption in the world by lust." Will you surrender to "desire... conceived... sin... fully grown... brings... death?" Faith will rest in one or the other. Not to stumble or to stumble; faith or faithlessness will be decided. Sometimes, moment by moment. This is why we are told, "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." That consists of the choice to live stumble-free verses, continuing to live a faithless, stumble-full life. Say that three times fast. I digress.
3) Peter tells us how faith makes the decision to attain victory in Christ. The victory Jesus died to offer his followers is a victory that allows us to live a "you will never stumble" life. These next steps teach us to live with purpose. Peter goes on to say, "... make every effort to supplement your faith (our faith must be growing), with virtue (good character), and virtue with knowledge (understanding who God is and what He demands of His children), and knowledge with self-control (words and actions- following biblical principles), and self-control with steadfastness (going the distance);" as Paul says, "I press toward the goal..." Peter finishes by saying, "and to steadfastness with godliness." Remember, Peter already told us we have everything we need pertaining to life and godliness." It's a circuitous opportunity for victory, growth, and no excuses. This road will be filled with repentance. Even repentance demands we change and do not go on stumbling.
Pursuing that which grows our faith inwardly, verbally, and physically all come together to help us live a victorious life without stumbling. When we keep our focus on complaining about how God desires His children to live and begrudging the high standard, we've wasted time not supplying to our faith the growth as described that keeps us from stumbling. I've addressed crowds/groups, mostly women, and said, "God has made us His holy people. A people with victorious possibilities lived out without sin." I always add the caveat, "If we choose to walk by faith and grow in that faith." It's never failed that someone came up to me after and told me, "No one lives like that." Even a stronger rebuke, "Did you mean to sound so arrogant?" I'm not trying to sound arrogant. I'm always going to speak the way Scripture speaks. It does not call me a sinner saved by grace but a "Saint!" Why are we so afraid of the title given to us by our God? A title the Apostles offered when they addressed recipients of many of their letters.
Even I stumble. That will not be my testimony. That will not be my ministry message. I will declare, after repentance, the same as Paul, "I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." And as Peter says, "For if these qualities, (above) are yours and increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." In my paraphrase, you will not stumble.
Here's the definition of stumbling, 2 Peter 1:9: "For he who lacks these qualities (verses 5-7), is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins." My paraphrase is, "If you are not growing in your faith, you will stumble. Not once, but again, and again."
The way to "never stumble:" 2 Peter 1:10 "Therefore, be all the more diligent in making certain about His calling and choosing; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble." Your faith and faithfulness matter.
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