Overcoming Temptationਨਮੂਨਾ

CUT OFF TEMPTATION

Jesus gives us direction on how to overcome sin, which many people refuse to take seriously. Rather than applying a hard lesson, they just skip over it.

Matthew 18:7-9 (ESV) - "Woe to the world for temptations 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.

There are several keys here. First temptations will come. Jesus takes seriously, doing what we can to flee from them. Note that in His instructions, we’re to cut off as little as possible to end the temptation. But to make whatever changes are necessary to live free. So often it seems extreme and gets thrown out, instead of looking at what we should be cutting off.

Today, if we struggle with our eyes, we can probably cut off our smartphone or internet plan. Maybe it's cutting off our privacy and getting an accountability app and a friend. Maybe we need to cut off a relationship that is drawing us into sin, or away from our spouse. Maybe we need to find a new job where lying isn’t standard work practice.

Are we willing to cut off what has made life convenient, in order to follow God? Part of the lesson is that the comfort and enjoyment of today is not worth sacrificing eternity. Eternity is worth making the sacrifices today.

Romans 13:14 (ESV) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Make no provision for the flesh. Don’t leave the door to sin open. If you are struggling with alcohol, don’t keep it around. Are we willing to change friends to follow Jesus?

Many times, we stop the sin at or for the moment, but we keep our foot in sin’s door. We keep access to our sin. We know we should delete their phone number or unfollow them, but it would make it final. And we haven’t been ready to cut off access to what it was.

I have had conversations with people who value their freedom and rights more than their integrity, more than their walk with God. They are offended by cutting off sin, or access to it.

We need to be willing to cut sin off, no matter if it goes with a personal freedom, a relationship, or a habit that we enjoy but leads to sin.

The way to win this is to end this. You don’t have a debate with sin. You just flee from it. Don’t consider, don’t flirt, don’t go near. No justification, no compromise, just shut it down.

When we value our freedom or rights more than our integrity, we will end up in the ditch. If we leave room for sin, it will fill it.