Chapter 18

        So much in this chapter!  Personally, I relate really well to the section on temptation.  Here it is again:

"Woe to the world for temptation to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!  And 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 crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.  And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire."

        I don't relate with this because I've cut off a limb or gouged out my eye, but I have taken radical steps to remove sin and temptation in my life.  People think I have been hard on myself or done radical things- but I think this is what Jesus is teaching here.  Sin needs to be removed, and you need to do radical things to do it.  Now, Jesus isn't being literal in the sense of cutting off your arm or leg, or tearing out your eye, but He is emphasizing purity and holiness.  

        I'm not sure what you struggle with.  I don't know where you are at with Jesus.  But I exhort you, if there is a sin that seems to get repeated in your life- something you might be in bondage to, do whatever it takes to get rid of it.   Some examples of sinful behavior or lurking temptations that have been removed in my life are:  drinking alcohol, porn, shopping online, subscription to House Beautiful, ordering from Walmart online causing the Fedex man to deliver {A Brewing Attraction}, obsession about one specific thing, identity in outward appearance, discontentment.

        What are yours?  Be honest with yourself.  The first step I found to truly repenting, was telling someone.  Confess it to God and to a close friend who can pray with you and encourage you.  The second step, is get rid of it.  If you have to throw something out, unsubscribe to something, not log in to something, not go somewhere... whatever you have to do- do it.   Your purity to Jesus is more important than anything this life has to offer.  Your righteousness is worth far more than what anyone could buy you.  Your eternal destiny and reward far outweighs your earthly reward.  

        The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.  This story is incredible.  Jesus really wants us to understand forgiveness.  The penalty for not forgiving someone who has sinned against you, is severe- you are not forgiven.   The Bible teaches that if you have experienced forgiveness and mercy from Christ you should also bestow upon others the same forgiveness and mercy.  If you are withholding forgiveness from somebody, it is said then, that you have not truly tasted forgiveness in your own life, you are not truly saved.  It sounds harsh, but it is the truth.  This is evidence of a true believer.  Some of you may say, "But you don't understand!  You don't know what they did to me!"  You're right, I don't know.  But God does- and He knew it when He wrote this passage and every other passage of Scripture concerning forgiveness.  If there was an exception to the rule, it would be known.  For instance, with divorce.  In Matthew 5, Jesus says that divorce is sinful, "except on the ground of sexual immorality".   Jesus gave an exception to the command.  God could have written this passage on forgiveness this way: "Unless you have been [raped, abused, lied to, cheated on, killed your son or daughter, stole against you] you need to forgive others."  But recall this: "Then Peter came up and said to him [Jesus], 'Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.'" Also recall in Matthew 6:14-15 after Jesus teaches us the Lord's Prayer, "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."  Read these verses over and over again until you completely believe them and are willing to obey them.   

        I know there are many unforgiving hearts out there- but this also means unforgiven hearts too.  I encourage you to obey what you have heard today and make yourself right with God.  May the Lord bless you for your obedience.  Amen.

On Matthew Chapter 18

• Leanne