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It Is A Serious Matter To Offend One Of Those Who Have Faith In Jesus Christ

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in Me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.  And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.  Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
Mark 9:42-50

How do people offend those who believe in Jesus?  By false testimony, accusing us of doing things we did not do, or reminding us of things that we did wrong, but we have already received forgiveness from the Lord.  By torture, and by death, and many otherr ways.

Any one who offends one of these; do you see how serious Jesus takes this matter?  If your offense is done with your hand, you are to cut it off.  If offense is done with your foot, it too, must be cut off.  If the offense is done with the eye, then, that eye is to be plucked out.  These drastic measures of showing repentance are not  necessary, but show to us the extremities that would keep the offender from experiencing eternal death.  If you have offended one of those who believe in Jesus, there is no need to cut the offending hand, the offending foot, or the offending eye and that is for you to believe Him too.

There is only one way to avoid the destruction of sin and death; and that is by way of the cross of Jesus Christ where He died in our place, taking the whole wrath of God upon Himself paying our sin debt.  A debt he did not owe.  He was also buried, and He rose up from the grave very much alive.  Ask Him for forgiveness and He will give it.

Cutting Off Sin

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be Thou my helper. Psalm 30:10

Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.                                                    Matthew 18:8-9

How seriously should the Christian take sin? Yes! I ask myself that question, then I must ask, “How seriously did Jesus take sin?” and  then realize the seriousness of sin.

Not too many people think about sin, but are sometimes very much prone to see the faults, failures and weaknesses; sins; in others, but not self.

Jesus saw sin as such serious condemnation of the heart, soul, mind, and strength of Adam’s race that He chose to take sin upon His sinless Person, and take the wrath of the Father in our behalf, so that we might know Him. In doing so He also gives us His Righteousness.

When we have received His Righteousness we no longer desire sin to be in our lives, and we constantly, and consistently fight against it. In the epistle to the Colossians the apostle Paul wrote,

If ye then be risen with Christ…  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.   Colossians 3:1, 5-7

In the words of Jesus spoken above Jesus speaks of cutting off a hand or foot if it causes us to sin; and pulling out your eye if it offends you, causing you to sin. Is He okaying the mutilation of one’s body. Only if it means the saving of your life, your soul.

Something to consider with cutting off the hand or foot or pulling your own eye from its sockets is this; unless you deal with your heart the other hand or foot can still offend you. The other eye can still look upon someone or something with a covetous heart, and you are condemned. There is no hope in cutting off the hand or foot to deliver yourself; or pulling and eye from its socket.

Our hope is only in the cross of the Lord Jesus who gave Himself for the redemption from sin. Like Psalm 30 verse 10 says above,

Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be Thou my helper. Psalm 30:10

The Lord Jesus alone is our salvation and deliverance from sin, yet when we have received Him we still hate sin, our own, and the destruction it causes to life, homes, churches, communities, states and nations; to the world. We must fight it daily in ourselves, putting it to death (Mortify), cutting it off.

My Foot, My Mouth, and My Sacrifice

/ Tim A. / 1 Comment

“Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 (KJV)

Our feet are the means of our transportation. With them we walk about our homes. We walk to our automobiles. Some people who live near their place of employment walk to work, and we need feet to do such a thing, and such things. It is a good thing to have feet.

However, we must watch where we place them in order to walk safely, soundly, and securely. The thing is true in God things as well. As a matter of fact; for the Christian everything we do ought to be done with the thought of “Will this glorify the Lord?” and if it does not; it is not worth doing. Watch your feet when you go to the house of God. Be careful where you step, so that you do not harm your testimony; and so that you do not profane the name of our God.

Saul, the first king of Israel did not keep his foot. He boasted of his faith when he offered a sacrifice in disobedience to Samuel (1 Samuel 15 note verse 22). Sacrifice without obedience is blasphemy, and is sin. God has no pleasure in those who do all the right things for the wrong reasons.

The mouth is a thing often affected by the way the feet move, and where they go. To go to the house of God we should be silent when we are being taught, except in participating in discussion of the lesson, and on track.

God is not well pleased by sacrifices done in the wrong motive, nor words spoken that are contrary to one’s life (Isaiah 1:10-15). Any words we speak in the place of worship should be toward God; admiring, adoring, and worshipping Him. Otherwise they should be few.

As a Christian we need to realize that our bodies are the temple of the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:19-20); therefore we are to walk with Him wherever we go; whatever we do; to glorify Him; and

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

We all need the fellowship of others; to encourage others in the faith; and for ourselves to hear from others and be encouraged, and strengthened in the faith.