(Mark 9:42-50 ESV)
Do you ever think about the seriousness of sin?
That is what this passage is all about.
If part of your body causes you to sin...what should you do? REMOVE IT.
It's better to be crippled then go to hell.
THAT"S how serious God takes sin.
I can see how difficult this would be for people. Like cutting off one's hand? OUCH. That would be so painful.
Then I translate that to real-world relationships. Let's say I'm good friends with a person, or it's a loved family member, but all they do is lead me into sin. God says CUT IT OFF. Man, that would be hard. Even if its better in the long run. It would be so hard, which is what I suppose causes the problems we see in the church today.
People think.. we can't just cut that person off, we love them too much.
We have to ask ourselves this.
WHO do we love more?
God or the person? If that person is leading us into sin.... do we love them more than we love God?
It's hard.
Families who have gay family members. Who LOVE them desperately. Who want to say, love whom you want to love and yes.. call yourself a firm believer and who then change scripture to say what they want it to say. You've just let something into your life that should be CUT OFF. I'm not saying don't love your family member... but cut off what needs to be cut. Don't allow your love of a person lead you into sin.
It's no different than when you have a family member steal something and then ask you to hold on to for them. Or ask you to make excuses for their drunken behaviour. Or partake in gossiping about someone. By doing so you are saying what they are doing is right and good. But what you are doing is SINNING.
God takes sin VERY seriously.
We should too.
Cut off that which causes you to sin. Whether its your deep commitment to a person or your wrong attitude. LET IT GO.
Who do you really love more? Yourself? the other person? God?
Take sin as seriously as God does.
I know I NEED to do a better job of this myself. I have attitudes that I need to cut off as well. And it's a hard road. But God didn't call us to the easy road did he? :) No, he didn't. Being a person of faith is not the easy path, so let's be as serious about sin as God is shall we? Let's have salt in our lives. Let's fix those heart attitudes and cut out that which causes us to sin.
[49] For everyone will be salted with fire. [50] Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:49-50 ESV)