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May 1 – Cut It Off · The Daily Word

• Cory Barnes: Hello, Pastor Jenny here and it is May 1st and as we kick off the month of May, we're still in Matthew. Today's reading comes from Matthew chapter 18 and I'm going to share with you verses seven through nine. So I'm going jump right in. It says this, what sorrow awaits the world because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable. But what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting? So if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off, throw it away. It's better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It's better to enter eternal life with only one eye. than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. So, what stands out to me as I read this scripture today? Do I feel like as I struggle with any temptations that I need to actually cut my hand off or gouge my eye out? No, I do not think that. I need to do a literal interpretation of the scripture today. However, We certainly want to take the principle of something and understand that first of all, temptations in this life, as the scripture says, are inevitable. No one, including myself, including you, ⁓ even as new creations in Christ are ⁓ immune from the temptations of this world. And as we encounter temptation, now as ⁓ believers, The scriptures are clear. Jesus has overcome this world and we are overcomers. So there's no temptation that's gonna come against us that we too cannot overcome. But we, I don't know about you, but I've certainly succumbed to temptation. And so as that happens, if you have found yourself in a habitual state, of sin a pattern of sin the Bible says it would be better that you cut a Part of you off that whatever that is that's causing you to sin you need it's important you cut that out because What it's saying is if you continue in that pattern in that lifestyle It is leading you on the path to destruction. It is leading you into hell Which I do want to point out because there is a doctrine out there that is saying that hell is not a real place. And so as much as people believe in heaven, there is a teaching, a false teaching that hell, that eternal ⁓ torment, like actual conscious ⁓ torment is not real. And I want to let you know that Jesus himself, this scripture shows us, he taught hell is a real place. And so, you know, there's a whole teaching on can we lose our salvation? No, we don't lose our salvation. It doesn't accidentally disappear. However, we as a church, as a denomination, we do believe in apostasy. What does that mean? We do believe that while we can't just misplace our salvation, we can certainly blaspheme the Holy Spirit. We can certainly choose to walk away from our salvation. And so You know, we're not talking about where people, you know, there's certainly struggles in our life. And so anyway, I'm not going to get into all of that today. If you have questions, any one of our pastors would be happy to talk with you further. If you find yourself struggling with any sin pattern of sin today, we'd love to talk with you more because there is freedom in Christ. But As I read this scripture today, I am reminded that it is important to know that temptation is real. None of us are immune from it. And that if I'm facing any temptation in my life, that it's important I recognize where's that temptation coming from and that I cut that off. The Bible says that we are to flee ⁓ the enemy and that we are to pursue righteousness. So that's really my encouragement for you today. And furthermore, I'll end with this as you continue to read in that passage. It is encouraging to me because it actually talks about the very next thing that Jesus taught on is the parable of the lost sheep. It says, a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won't he leave the 99? In the same way it is not my Heavenly Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish. So God's desire is that all men would be saved. Jesus came so that we could have life and life more abundantly, but we do have an enemy who has come to steal, kill, and destroy. So as we conclude today, I to pray for you, pray for myself, that we would be reminded that we do have a savior in Jesus who has come to give us life, that if we are struggling with any sin today, that there is full forgiveness in Jesus Christ that we can run to him. We do not have to run from him. Remember, there's the parable of the lost sheep. Jesus has come to find all those who are lost. There's also the parable of the prodigal son who ran back to the father, but before he ran back, the father was on the front porch looking for him. And so Jesus is ready to receive us with open arms. no matter how far we feel like we've run from him, we can always return back to him because he is ready to receive us. He has come for us. So Lord, we come before you today and we thank you that you are a good, good father, that you love us so much, that you sent your one and only son, that you so loved us. You gave us your one and only son, Jesus Christ, so that we could have life and life more abundantly. I thank you Lord that no matter where we are today, that no one person is too far gone from your grace, not too far gone from the depths of your mercy and your love. And so Lord, we want to receive all that you have for us today. Lord, we come to you and thank you for the forgiveness that we have in Jesus Christ. And so God, as we look to pursue you. We thank you that you first pursue us. Lord, what we pursue and desire is deep relationship with you, is to grow in intimacy with you today. And so Lord, we pray against ⁓ all temptation, Lord, just as Jesus prayed. We thank you that you lead us not into temptation. We recognize it is the world. It is the enemy that tries to lead us into temptation. And we thank you, Lord. that as believers, as followers of Jesus, you have overcome the world and we are the righteousness of Christ. And so there's no temptation that's gonna come our way that we, that you haven't provided a way out for. But Lord is, if there's any struggle, we thank you God that we can come to you, that we can come to your throne of grace boldly to receive your grace, receive your mercy and walk as the new creation that you have called us today. Thank you for the sanctification. that we're walking in ⁓ and that you're purifying and cleansing us, chipping away the flesh and helping us to see who you've called us to be. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.