“And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched– where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.’” (Mar 9:45-46 NKJV)
The Bible made it clear to us that God loves the world, you and I and all the creations; that He has reconciled all things to Himself by the death of Jesus on the cross of Calvary.
However, for all that Christ has done for you and me to be effective and be a daily reality, a daily experience in our lives, we must cut off everything that will constitute a hindrance to our eternity into the purpose of God for our lives both here on earth and eternity with Jesus. You need to cut off everything that is not congruent with the life of Jesus.
Everyone wants to go to heaven, but there are certain things in your life that will hinder you from going to heaven, they must be cut off. Even though our forgiveness is sure as soon as we confess our sins to God, but Jesus insists from the scripture quoted above that “If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.”
If there are certain sins in our lives, certain habits of life, certain things that we have copied from the world system, culture and traditions of the land, that are contrary to the word of God, and likely to hinder us from going to heaven, certain things that we are presently involved in now that are not congruent with the kingdom life, we must cut them off. In the same vein, certain ideas, principles of the world, that will not allow us to enter into God’s purpose for our lives even here on earth must be cut off.
Jesus mentioned the truth that “if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched.” (Mark 9:43).
This implies that people going to hellfire is not because they are not good church members, it is not because they are not active in the church, but certain things that make us to displease God must be cut off.
My sister and brother, God is taking you far – far beyond where you are today. The Bible says,
“Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly (Job 8:7).
You may be thinking you are small now, insignificant in the purpose of God for the earth, but I tell you, something great lies ahead of you. There is a “hereafter” for you that is bigger than what you can think or imagine now. But how do we arrive there if it has to do with cutting off all the unwanted things in your life? If there are still some activities of the sinful nature, like little indulgences of sin in your life, it will hinder you from eternity into the fullness of God’s purpose for your life. You need to cut it off.
What are these activities of sin or flesh? Gal. 5:19-21. They could be telling lies, exaggeration of the truth, false testimonies, backbiting, anger, the lust of the flesh, keeping of malice, wrong relationships, masturbation, evil thought, disobedience to parent, elders, husbands, unforgiveness, you find it difficult to forgive your fellow human being, procrastination in obeying God’s word, laziness, lateness to duty, unfaithfulness, love of money, love for the things of this world, love for fashion, addiction to certain things, e.g. alcohol, television, movies, jealousy, envy, hatred, bitterness, unbelief, you find it difficult to believe God’ word and promises for your life, over-talking, overeating (Prov. 23:20-21), oversleeping etc. the list is endless.
Whatever is that thing that will not allow you to be the best that God wants you to be for Him here on earth, you need to cut it off. Whatever is that thing that will hinder you from making it to heaven, you need to cut it off.
“Where their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:46).
The implication of the above scripture is the destination of everyone who fails to cut off all the activities of the sinful nature. It tells us of the consequences of our failure to cut off whatever is a hindrance to our entering into God’s purpose for our lives both here on earth and in the life to come.
The fire there does not quench, the worms there do not die. It implies everlasting pain and torment and eternal separation from God. It is an eternity in hell!
Dear friend, this is not God’s plan for you. Hell is not meant for every one of us whom Jesus has already died for. God designed hell for Satan, his angels and those who refused to believe God’s provision for their salvation and deliverance from the power of sin. Hell is meant for those who refused to take heed to the word of God.
Today, as you read this article, God wants you to believe His own provision for your salvation and deliverance from all the works of the flesh. You cannot save yourself, you cannot cut off all the aforementioned vices that the self-life is producing in your life. It is as you received Jesus, the man of Calvary as your personal Lord and Saviour that you can be set free. Jesus said without Him, you can do nothing (John 15:5). You need Jesus to come into your life, and give you a new heart, and gives you the power to cut off all that constitute a hindrance to His purpose in your life. The power that emanates from the cross of Calvary, will be at work in you to set you free. Jesus is standing at the door of your life today, with an open arm to receive you, to cleanse you, forgive you and give you a new life – the New Creation Life! He is ready to deliver you completely from the sinful nature that produces sinful activities in you.
And, are you there, fellow pilgrim, you have invited Jesus to come into your heart, but you are still struggling with one habit of sin or the other, you also need to humble yourself today and cry out for mercy to be saved to the uttermost. Cry out insincere, desperation to God to save you from those sins. Cry out to some godly mature men and women around you that can counsel you further and continue to stand with you in prayer.
Beloved, are you there, you may not be able to paint out at anything that is wrong in your own life now, you also need to humble yourself and tell Jesus to search for you. Tell Jesus to show you what you still lack just like the young rich ruler came to Him. Report yourself also to Jesus today, say, “What else do I lack?” he will graciously speak to you as He did to that young rich ruler. He told him what he needed to do. He will do likewise to you today.
“Then He said to them all, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
This is a word from Jesus to you today, to daily experience the victory that is the death and resurrection of Jesus, you need to take heed to the above word from Jesus – Deny yourself, say No to self, sin, Satan and the world system. Deny yourself of all the benefits that these sinful activities has been giving you. Give it up, say No to its power and dominion over you. You have received grace to say NO to sin, you have received grace to say Yes to Jesus. That is the only way to daily cut off the sinful activities.
Furthermore, take up your cross daily and follow Jesus. The cross here means your daily remembrance and conscious knowledge of what Jesus did with your sinful nature on the cross of Calvary. Remember, it is at this cross, that you were crucified together with Him, Rom. 6:6. It is at this cross that you died with Him, your Adamic nature that produces sin in you was terminated at the cross, Gal. 2:20, 1 Cor. 15:31b. Keep reckoning yourself to be dead to sin for a dead man can no longer yield his members to sin, Rom. 6:11, 14. Activate this death of your sinful nature daily, apply this truth daily in your life. Finally, follow Jesus daily. Follow Jesus by living according to the word of God. Live only for Jesus. Follow Jesus by obeying the teachings of Jesus daily. Engage your life daily in practical obedience to the word of God. Follow Jesus by following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Be willing to obey whatever the Spirit of God tells you to do. Let the word of God dwell in you richly and apply this word of God every day in your life. Be eager to let Jesus be seen in your life daily, at home, in your place of work, in your neighbourhood, be eager to let Jesus be known, be seen, be made manifest through you. May the Lord bless you in Jesus name, Amen.
