Resisting Temptation

Resisting Temptation

Mark 9:43-48, NLT

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. 45If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. 47And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48“where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.”

Setting the Scene

This teaching ties closely to the two preceding ones. Jesus emphasized the need for continual self-appraisal. Temptation can come from various sources. In the Bible, feet are often associated with deliberately traveling to do wrong, hands with the acts themselves, and eyes with what we see and think about. Those who desire to follow Jesus must remove the stumbling blocks that cause sin—any relationship, routine, or activity (not literally to cut off a body part). As a person would submit to losing a diseased hand, foot, or eye to save his or her life, so believers should be just as willing to “cut off” any temptation, habit, or relationship that could lead them into sin.

In describing hell, Jesus spoke of a place, like the garbage dump in the valley outside of Jerusalem, where worms infested the garbage and fires burned constantly. With these strange words, picked up from Isaiah 66:24, Jesus pictured the serious and eternal consequences of sin and the absolute destruction of God’s enemies.

Getting Personal

When are you tempted to go where you shouldn’t—either by habit or deliberate choice? What can you do to “cut off” that temptation?

In what situations are you tempted to sin with your eyes or hands? What steps can you take to “cut off” those temptations?

Jesus was describing true, radical discipleship. No one will ever be completely sin-free until heaven, but God wants an attitude that renounces sin instead of one that rationalizes and holds on to sin. Unfortunately the excuses flow easily, even for believers: “It was just once,” “No one got hurt,” “Everyone’s doing it,” “I could have done a lot worse,” “Look at the good that came because of what I did,” and so forth. Pornography, gluttony, petty theft, gossip, lying, and other socially acceptable sins can be very tempting for those who claim to follow Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t being tough with his followers to spoil their fun. Our Lord loves us too much to let us walk down destructive paths. We need to take sin as seriously as he does, to walk his way, trusting he wants only the best for us.

Talking to God

Identify areas of going, doing, or looking that you may have rationalized to yourself. Confess these to God today; his forgiveness is already yours in Christ. Ask him for courage and strength to be totally dedicated to living God’s way.