If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it
from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish,
than for your whole body to be cast into hell. —Matthew 5:30
“Jesus did not say that everyone must cut off his right hand,
but that “if your right hand causes you to sin” in your walk with Him, then it
is better to “cut it off.” There are many things that are perfectly legitimate,
but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them. Your right hand
is one of the best things you have, but Jesus says that if it hinders you in
following His precepts, then “cut it off.” The principle taught here is the
strictest discipline or lesson that ever hit humankind. When God changes you
through regeneration, giving you new life through spiritual rebirth, your life
initially has the characteristic of being maimed. There are a hundred and one
things that you dare not do— things that would be sin for you, and would be
recognized as sin by those who really know you. But the unspiritual people
around you will say, “What’s so wrong with doing that? How absurd you are!” CHAMBERS
What are you willing to give up to follow Jesus? One of the hallmarks of a changed life is
that affections are changed. What a
person once loved to do, they don’t do anymore.
Why .. because of the Spirit of God in them. Because they are new in Christ. Steven Curtis Chapman sang a song called “The
Change”. The song describes a Christian
who, by appearance is living the Christian life .. big Bible, necklace, wrist
band, bumper sticker, fish on the trunk lid .. but there is no change in the
desires of their heart. They still
hunger for the things of this world, and have little time to read that
Bible. They prefer to hang out with
their unsaved friends, talk like they do, when they are not around Christians, like
what they like … nothing wrong with having unsaved friends so long as you keep
in mind that there is a limit to the relationship. Do you embrace your unsaved friends to the
point that you compromise your walk with Jesus?
Your heart knows the truth and so does God, who judges the heart.
Why am I harping on this?
To criticize you? No. To warn
you. Don’t be deceived .. you cannot
walk through the mud and not get your feet muddy. You need to walk around that mud puddle, even
if the person you are with is walking through it. People don’t like to walk in the mud by themselves. They will most certainly encourage you to
join them. What makes you say OK? What do you fear, that you will lose their friendship?
So you deny Jesus and quench the Spirit instead?
I changed substituted some words in Matthew 5:30 -- If your "friend" causes you to sin, cut "them" off and cast "them"
from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your "friends be lost" ,
than for you to "harm your relationship Jesus". Think about it. ELGIN
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)
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