If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into enternal fire
-Jesus
I can't do it. I fell asleep last night contemplating it and have sat at the table this morning trying to figure out how I could be brave enough to cut out my tongue. But unfortunately, the more I think about it, it would be my tongue today, my hand another day and my feet the day after that. What about my brain? What happens when it's time to cut that off?
And then I realized something (Ok, this isn't really the first time I've realized this-just the first time I've blogged it). It's not my tongue or my hands or my feet that cause me to sin. It's my nature. Jesus understood this. He knew I'd eventually get to the place where I'd realize how hopeless all this chopping off of body parts is. This is where I crucify my nature on the cross of Calvary- but that seems to be more nice, neat, Christianese for something I can't do. I think it would be easier to cut out my tongue.
I can't stop sinning. I've tried. I keep trying. I keep failing. I sound like Paul. I've been here with him before. So I know where to start reading. Romans 8:1.
Thanks, Paul. I needed that.
5 comments:
Isn't that the greatest gift we receive, that Jesus understands our nature to sin yet He continues to forgive us our sins? The fact that we realize the sin, admit to it and ask for forgiveness allows us to grow to the point where the sin nature is minimal. What would we be like now if we continued to sin and just didn't care to admit to it and ask for His forgiveness? That's scary to me. I am amazed at His compassion to forgive us on a daily basis....
Oh I'm longing for the day that the sin nature is minimal. I just don't see it getting better. That's all.
I don't think it gets minimal. I think we come to care more and more about it (as you are doing here) and hopefully our struggle with sin becomes about those things that are really important and that have the greatest impact on our life and on the lives of those around us. Often, the really important sins of my life are in hiding and I'm playing around with the trivial.
Thanks. That's encouraging. If it's supposed to be getting minimal I'm doing something wrong! But I am definitely getting more sensitive to it- I guess that's a good thing.
Only last night I was reading the exact scripture!Sometimes it takes my breath away trying to take in how much Jesus loves me and continues over and over and over to understand me, forgive me, and allow me to continue having his arms hold me tight. And at times (no surprise here) I wish I could cut my tongue out, but thank our Lord it's not necessary to cut away anything. How amazing He is.
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