Monday: Strongholds in My Relationship With God
Daily Lesson for Monday 25th of May 2026
There are many messages in the Bible that speak about our relationship with God and the barriers that prevent us from growing in Christ. Consider these words from Paul and Jesus:
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12, NKJV). Like Samson, self-reliance will bring you down.
“ ‘Do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do . . . , that they may have glory from men’ ” (Matthew 6:2, NKJV). Stop telling everyone how good you are! Be humble, as Jesus was humble.
Image © Krieg Barrie at Goodsalt.com
“ ‘But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you’ ” (Matthew 5:28-29, NKJV). Do anything to remove the lust from your heart, because this is a barrier to your relationship with God.
“ ‘Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged’ ” (Matthew 7:1-2, NKJV). Stop being so critical and judgmental of others. God is the Judge, so let Him be so (1 Corinthians 4:5).
“ ‘But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you’ ” (Matthew 5:44, NKJV). Stop hating your enemies. When you feel negatively toward those who treat you badly, it instantly places a barrier in your relationship with God. Instead, start praying for your enemies and see how this changes not just your walk with God but also your relationship with others.
“ ‘But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment’ ” (Matthew 5:22, NKJV). Perhaps you’ve been justifying why you yell at those close to you. How is your anger impacting your relationship with God, not to mention those you’re angry at? These are just a few areas that make us stumble.
Jesus warned about what we should do when our hands, feet, and eyes cause us to sin. What was Jesus warning us about? Read Mark 9:42-48.
To cut off your hand or foot or to pluck out your eye because it’s causing you to sin is extreme. It was supposed to be. But this is how seriously Jesus sees sin and its impact in our lives. How seriously are you taking it?
The intersection of sin, the Gospel and the law is complex. In my reading today, I came across this statement from Martin Luther King Junior:
In a perfect world we would need no law, but our selfishness and self-interest requires restraint or boundaries of behaviour. Hopefully those restrains may contribute to the development of our moral understanding.
Jesus makes it clear that our sinful actions are a result of our thinking. He talks about lust, pride, and hatred – brain sins – as the root of our sinful actions. Secular society legislates against the actions but can do little to stop what is going on inside our brains.
As Christians we resort to making statements about our relationship with Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in controlling our brain sin but sometimes it’s a bit like the person who drives to the cake shop and then prays for the Holy Spirit to take away the temptation to buy a cake. We need to make some choices about where we go and what we feed our brains on if we want to be responsive to the Holy Spirit.
We are told that the law would be in place till all be fulfilled. This does not mean that it no longer exists but that as it is written on our hearts it no longer needs to be written elsewhere.
Thanks for your thought-inspiring comments Maurice. The bottom-line is, we have to want the Holy Spirit to change us inside and outside.
Sin that is repeatedly entertained will often grow and become a stronghold. What we do repeatedly becomes a habit, and habits, if not checked, become strongholds. Sin always works on the fallen human nature. Through strongholds, sin holds us in bondage, and we resist the truth and God’s grace. Different people have different strongholds. To some, it might be addiction, or bitterness, or lust, or pride, or hatred, and perhaps deceit.
Strongholds are extremely dangerous to a believer’s life. They weaken our faith and damage our relationship with God. It is not that the devil has unlimited power, but what we choose to do habitually becomes destructive and becomes our master (John 8:34–36 ). Human beings cannot set themselves free from spiritual captivity. We need to strengthen our lives through prayer, fasting, worship, Bible study, and holding ourselves accountable for our actions. It is equally very important to remind ourselves of the consequences of habitual sin.
“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NLT).
Samson’s story remains one of the saddest chapters in Scripture. He was a man with tremendous potential blessed with godly parents, supernatural strength, and the favor of the Lord. God raised him up not because Samson was holy or consistently faithful, but because God Himself is faithful to His promises. Throughout the Bible, God uses unlikely, flawed, and sinful people to accomplish His purposes. He uses the weak by making them strong, and He restores the strong when they become weak. As Hebrews 11:34 says, “Out of weakness they were made strong,” and as 2 Corinthians 12:9 declares, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Samson’s life proves that God’s grace is greater than human failure.
Yet Samson also stands as a solemn warning. Though gifted beyond measure, he continually surrendered to strongholds of lust, compromise, pride, and lack of self-control. He could conquer armies, but he struggled to conquer his own desires. His outward strength hid inward weakness, and his spiritual lapses slowly led him away from intimacy with God. In many ways, our relationship with God can suffer from the same strongholds — habits, sins, fears, or worldly compromises that weaken our spiritual walk and blind us to the power God desires to work within us. Proverbs 28:13 reminds us, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
Still, Samson’s life does not end in despair but in grace. Even after failure, brokenness, and discipline, God heard Samson when he cried out in faith. His story is a reminder that no stronghold is greater than the mercy of God. Though Samson wasted much of his potential, God still used him for deliverance, showing that the Lord is able to redeem even the most ruined circumstances. Samson remains both a warning against compromise and a testimony that God’s mercy reaches sinners who return to Him. As Romans 5:20 says, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”
Let’s look at the story of Samuel for a moment. The story of Samuel to me it depicts what can be accomplished when staying with the Lord instead of squandering his up bringing like Sampson then turning at the last moment. Parise God for also the faith of Abraham who obeyed the Lord’s direction, and Paul who turned at relatively a young age to spend the much of his life also with the Lord God, who is now also Christ our Saviour. Christ physical reincarnation(which only He could do)(distinguishing, I died in Christ, now I live in Christ(baptism)),from Lord in the Old Testament to Christ in the new, was to save all who would turn to Him(salvation open to all). Paul after his conversion did much through Christ who strengthens us. Philippians 4:13. That was Paul’s moto as we see through the life and times of Paul. Paul’s, Sampson’s, Abraham’s and us who have stayed with or turned back to our Saviour, are testimonies what the mercies of Christ can do for us. Thank-you Montanya for pointing out the great mercies of a soul that turns to God at the last minute. Also, Abraham had a conversion story after he temporarily lost connection with God(what his sin did) in his interaction with Pharoah in the story of how he fell away to a sin, then repented, asked for forgiveness, and came back into God’s mercies in Egypt. Genesis 12:10-20.
Definitely in our own lives these stories are an example to us no matter if we are at the pinnacle like Samuel, or at the abyss like Sampson, we can turn to Christ for salvation, which is what we are drawn to if we don’t reject the drawing. The plea is always there, how will we respond? Matthew 11:28.
“The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God.” Psalm 40:8.” Desire of Ages page 175.5.
I needed this is truly me honestly
Jesus teaches if our hand, foot or eye cause us to sin we should cut and remove it respectively; better to enter into life with a hand, foot and eye than having the two and be cast into hell where the fire is unquenchable.
Questions
1. What does it mean to cut off part of the body that made us sin
2. What does unquanchable fire in hell means here and the worm that doesn’t die. “their worm does not die and the fire is not quench”
I need explanation God’s people.
We need to understand that Jesus uses figures of speech to emphasise the seriousness of sin. He is pointing out that sin has eternal consequences and we need to take that into consideration. Some of us are so attached to our sins that it will take an amputation to separate us from our complacency. The good news is that Jesus provides the way.
As Maurice says, Jesus used figures of speech, including hyperbole.
But, really, is it not literally true that it would be better to go to heaven without an arm, a leg or eyes than to keep our arm, or leg or eyes and be destroyed by the flames that cleanse this earth of sin?
Of course, it is better to pray for strength to overcome our evil propensities than to mutilate our bodies, and Jesus is quite willing to give us this strength if we ask.
Jesus also taught that we can sin in our minds without physically doing anything. So mutilating our bodies might not help much in the battle against selfishness. Jesus certainly knew that, and He was making the point that heaven is worth any sacrifice we might need to make to prepare to live in that holy atmosphere.
To Edun: It’s clear that those who believe and follow Christ constitute His body. Christ is the head of this supernatural body of believers. See 1 Cor 12:12-31 for a delineation of the various body parts and their necessity for the functioning of the church.
So when Christ says to cut off a disfunctioning body part He is referring to the church and how to deal with sin in the church. This explanation seems rational not radical to me..
Jesus continuously used powerful language to awaken people to the danger of sin and the reality of divine judgment. “Cutting off” the hand, foot, or eye means removing anything that causes us to disobey God. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:22.
The “unquenchable fire” and “worm that does not die” Isaiah 66:24. The seriousness and permanence of judgment apart from repentance.
God’s desire is that people repent and receive eternal life through Jesus Christ.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance – 2 Peter 3:9
As Maurice and Inge explained, we can see the figures of speech in the fire and worm too.
The fire and worm here refer not to eternal punishing, but to the eternal consequences of the choices of the lost.
Just as in Jude 1:7
Jud 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
The fire of Sodom and Gomorah or the fire of Jerusalem in Jeremiah 17:27
are described as “eternal” and “unquenchable” meaning not that they are still burning (as we obviously know they are not), but that the consequences are permanent and unchangeable.
Maurice also gave a very good example of what the cutting of a body part could look like in practice:
“it’s a bit like the person who drives to the cake shop and then prays for the Holy Spirit to take away the temptation to buy a cake. We need to make some choices about where we go and what we feed our brains on if we want to be responsive to the Holy Spirit.”
Where sin abounded,grace did much more abound.Amen
Egotistical pride, arrogance, conceit, lust, criticism, condemnation, and disapproval seem like distant traits that should not be found among people of truth and those who know and understand the Law. Yet the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes lived, breathed, and taught the Law, and still these traits were found in them. How do we reconcile the fact that those who spoke and read the Law could still have such deep flaws? The Pharisees — those who diligently followed the 613 commandments, together with additional oral traditions and behaviors — were still found with such negativity within them.
Does this ring a bell today within us — in the community, in church pews, during breakout Sabbath School sessions, or from our pulpits? I have noticed how easily we fall prey to these or similar characteristics, especially when we gain knowledge or experience the favor and mercy of God. At that point, instead of becoming humbled, we begin to posture with pride. We look at those struggling with faith, those who do not share our beliefs, or those who have backslidden, with a condescending eye, almost wishing the worst to befall them. We refer to “the others” as sinners, “Sunday keepers,” or “the lost,” not because we intend to reach out to them or tell them the “old, old story,” but because we compare ourselves with them.
Well, the Gospel is meant to be a positive and contagious force to be spread. The Gospel is about love for the world, love toward the world, and sharing it freely. It is about loving our enemies and blessing those who curse us — this is the Gospel. I am praying for a change in perspective today, so that I may benefit from the double edge of this same Gospel; that as I reach out, I too may grow.
I noticed that the lesson author uses a translation (NKV) that inserts “without cause” into the text below:
The majority of translations do not allow the wiggle room that it’s okay to be angry with our brother or sister “with cause.” (A note in the ESV says that “some manuscripts insert ‘without cause.'”)
I’m not an ancient language expert, but I tend to believe that Jesus did not include the “without cause,” judging by the rest of His teachings.
We are generally angry with someone when we feel we have been wronged, and in the same sermon, we find Matthew 5:44. I am sure that Jesus did not contradict Himself!
The ancient manuscripts are about equally divided on the inclusion or exclusion of the phrase “without cause”. The Majority Text and Textus Receptus both include it.
I don’t see the issue as being divisive. There are times when we should be angry, but in a controlled and constructive way. It is not an excuse to act without control.
Inge: I agree with Maurice on this one..!!
There are around 450 English versions of the Bible in the world today. It seems that we as believers can search and ultimately find the version that supports our predjudices and world view.
I’ll stick with the “Textus Receptus” as it has over 5700 extant manuscripts that harmonize with each other at least 95% of the time.
There are only a few, 40-50, manuscripts that lend support to all the other versions which originate from Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus.
Just to be clear; Textus Receptus was a compilation by Erasmus circa early 1500s. He had no reliable Greek manuscripts for parts of the New Testament, and back translated from the Latin Vulgate into Greek to provide the final Greek Manuscript we know as Textus Receptus. This does not make a difference to the current discussion but we need to recognise how Textus Receptus came about and be wary of making claims about its age and accuracy.
For the record, I wrote an article on the history of the Bible some time ago for Sabbath School Net and it can be found here: https://ssnet.org/blog/transmission-and-translation-english-bible/ I am not a linguist but am used to doing literature searches. (I should probably update that article – it is a while since I wrote it.)
You are free to choose your authority. 😊
However, as Maurice mentioned, the “Textus Receptus” is a 16th-century text produced by Erasmus in a bit of a hurry. The actual manuscripts from the mid-fourth century, namely the Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Vaticanus, both omit “without cause.”
The scribal addition “without cause” is understandable, considering that the original statement sets a rather high bar.
See my comments below regarding what I view as internal evidence regarding why the “without cause” is likely a scribal addition.
My wife and I are on a 31 day excursion and I did not bring my Andrew’s Study Bible with me I wonder what it says about Matthew 5:22,44. Maybe a Sabbath School net contributor out there has a Andrew’s Study Bible handy, and can tell us what it says?
Yes, it would be interesting to see the commentary on Matthew 5:22, 44. But we can also reason from what we know of historical documents and scribal additions. From the information I found, the phrase is not found in the earliest documents, but is found in later ones. That would explain Maurice’s statement that the manuscripts are “equally divided.” Since early manuscripts are scarce, compared to later ones, this would favor the translation that leaves the phrase out.
Then we can look at the likelihood of scribal edits. It is much more likely that scribes would add a phrase to soften a command in Matthew 4:22 than to omit it.
My concern is that it is human nature to consider our anger to have good cause. And I believe it is also true that our anger generally arises from self-interest, and Christ teaches in the same chapter, Matthew 5:44, that we are to relate in love to those who abuse us, persecute us, etc. That doesn’t align with justifying anger.
On the other hand, I agree with Maurice that there are times for justified indignation (using a different word on purpose). We see Christ’s cleansing of the temple as “anger,” but it is not described as anger. I believe Psalm 69:9 is applicable to Christ’s cleansing of the temple. There it is called “zeal” for the house of God.
There are times Moses exhibited such zeal, as when he commanded the Levites to kill the leaders of the apostasy at Baalpeor (Numbers 25:1-3). In that case, Moses mirrored the anger of the Lord.
But let’s be realistic, how often are we zealous for the Lord’s cause rather than our own when we feel “angry”?
It is also interesting to examine the passages where Christ is said to be “indignant, angry” or inferred to be so.
Mark 3:5 Why was Christ angry? How does it compare with observations above?
Mark 10:13-16
Matthew 23:13-29 does not specifically mention “anger,” but some infer anger from the “woes” pronounced. But Ellen White tells us that “tears were in His voice” when He pronounced these rebukes. So it is more likely sorrow on display.
Matthew 16:23/Mark 8:33 Rebuke of Satan using Peter. Anger may be inferred. What caused this?
Thank-you Inge for your information. It is helpful to all. Now that we have studied Thursday’s lesson, we can pull out Proverbs 24:13-14. My take on that verse is done by digesting His word(honeycomb)a metaphor or maybe a super metaphor(hyperbole) we have allowed the Holy Spirit to invigorate our soul. What does invigorating our soul do? It gives us a hope of salvation. A hope of salvation strengthens our soul as a buckler against temptation and sin. Psalm 91:4, Psalm 23:3 , And yes, we must not tag our anger with righteous indignation, if indeed anger is anger. I agree. It is hard to love your enemies when anger doeth abound. That is where the Holy Spirit helps us who surrender to God.
Pastor Clarence Schilt often said “We do much of our sinning when we are right.”
Our relationship with God is based on loving God and obeying the instructions of the bible. This practice requires daily commitment which cannot be executed by our own merit. We need to be dependent on our Creator in heaven to walk this Christian journey. There are many distractions and wiles of the devil that will be thrown at us. We should ask God to help us put on His whole armor so that we will be protected and our relationship with can be solidified daily.
Amen Mervin Stephen. God has answered my prayer to me to continue to use a smart phone for Bible and Sabbath School lesson without distractions of news or looking up information on 3 plants she just purchased for us(purple tree collards).
Dear Lord, please let us take seriously the need to avoid habbits,thoughts,beliefs emotions that hinder the growth of our relationship with You.
I love the following scripture:
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12
The scripture reminds us that we are imperfect beings. Only our dependence on God, can we overcome our sinful nature. It is so easy to call out others sinful habits or errors in their Life.
What about us- we cannot decieve ourselves into thinking that the little bad habit will also prevent us from heaven and ultimately loosing eternal Life.
My dependence on God clearly gets me through every moment of every single day!
We need to strive daily to be fully committed to Christ. I know I’d feel completely hopeless without Him. Praise You, Lord, for saving me. I ask YOU
to help keep me grounded in your love and righteousness. AMEN!
Matt.18:5-7
”And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come.”
Rom.14:13
”Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.”
In my flesh, I am a weak and easily frightened person. God’s way to help me with that was to give me a ‘solution-oriented’ mind and faith to look to Him for strenght and guidance. Not wanting to dwell on that which causes me distress, I rather look for ways to effectivle eliminate it. Though I appreciate the lesson highlighting acts of sin and sinning, I think it is more important to know how best to avoid them before they affect my life.
Before we believed, have we not considered that there is a ‘right’ and a ‘wrong’ way to life? We might not have known all the details, but now, after having accepted God’s Way of Righteousness, what can we do to strengthen our resolve to be faithful to His Way of life? I asked myself: ‘what do all the ‘does’ and ‘don’ts’ have in common’? Who is the source of our awareness which helps us know what sin, sinning and its consequences are? Who has revealed this wisdom to us? Is it not God’s Gift of the Holy Sprit which shares His Wisdom with man?
Can we employ God’s Wisdom if we are still filled with our own hubris? We are called to humble ourselves, making room for the Holy Spirit to fill us and given to help mankind understand God’s ‘Truth and Way of Righteousness’. To strengthen us in staying away from sin and sinning, His instructions are clear: “put on the full armor of GOD. Employing this powerful weapon blunts all darts of the adversary’s attack on our faith – Eph.6:10-18
Jesus’ statement about cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye is a powerful illustration of how radically we should deal with anything that separates us from God. Sin is not a small weakness to be treated casually; it is destructive, deceptive, and ultimately deadly.
At the same time, Christ’s warnings are always balanced by His grace. God’s mercy does not minimize sin; rather, it reveals the immense cost of saving us from it. A gospel that speaks only of judgment can produce despair, while a gospel that speaks only of grace can lead people to take sin lightly. Jesus preached both repentance and forgiveness.
True grace does not excuse sin; it empowers us to turn away from it and pursue holiness through the transforming power of Christ.
God is love; we have to learn from Him and love too. Love does not say “yes” all the time. In fact, love determines limits. Freedom is limit, because mine ends where my neighbor’s begins. Learning to love is a science, and it requires daily choices. How am I choosing to love?