“For we all stumble in many ways.” James 3:2a
“...the righteous falls seven times and rises again” Proverbs 24:16a
Every week it seems we hear stories of pastors, teachers, and leaders stepping down or removed from their posts due to moral failures of some kind. And while we might be tempted to shake our heads and exclaim our disappointment, if we are honest, we know that we too are prone to stumbles and falls.
The world, the devil, and our own flesh all conspire together to wear us down, distract us, trip us up, and trap us. We get weary, become downcast, lose sight of Jesus, and then stumble along the way. We get distracted by temporary things such as work, worries, and desires, take our eyes off Jesus, and down we go. It happens faster than we think possible and far more often than we want to admit.
Some of us wallow when we fall. We give in to despair and foolishly reason that since we have fallen, we might as well give up on walking altogether. What started as a fall turns into a foray into enemy territory where we risk captivity and do damage to ourselves and those around us.
Others of us minimize or deny our falls. We pretend that all is well with us. We go through all the motions of our faith, hoping that no one catches us out. We prop ourselves up with good works and appropriate appearances for as long as possible. We falsely believe that if we just try hard enough, we will get back on our feet, but we quickly discover that we are unable.
But the prophet Micah gives us the right response to a fall, “But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.” Micah 7:7-9
In Micah 7:7-8, Jesus is speaking through His prophet, Micah, anticipating His death on the cross. On the cross, it was as if He “fell,” though He was the only one who never did. At the cross, Jesus “fell” under the weight of our sin. He hung in darkness for three hours under the judgment of God while bearing the indignation of God's wrath over our sin. Then He rose again on the third day and was brought out into the light, having been vindicated by God, His Father.
When Micah himself fell, he said, “I will look to the Lord” and “I shall look upon His vindication,” and so, like Jesus, Micah would “rise again” and be brought out into the light.
Friend, falls are unavoidable, and we end up in darkness by our sin. But by looking to Jesus on the cross, we see both His condemnation and our justification. We see Jesus risen from the dead and “pleading our cause” before the Father, and so we rise again, knowing there is no condemnation for us.
When you fall, look to Jesus and see that on the cross, He paid your sin debt and bore the indignation of the Lord for you. Indeed, Jesus has taken all the wrath of the Father so that there is none left for you. There is no condemnation for you because Jesus stood in your place, and judgment was executed on Him. In Heaven, Jesus presents His wounds and pleads your cause. Your are justified from all falls and fully vindicated by the work of Jesus! He has raised and will continue to raise you to walk by His Spirit.