Someday that will be the case and we won't ever be tempted again. Right now, we fight the battle everyday. It's inevitable. We are going to give into it as well. We sin, we are human. It's in our nature to be sinful.
I want you to think of some of the things that cause you to give into temptation. Satan makes things seem like they're going to fulfill you. Satan attacks you at your weakest points. Now, think about those sinful things that you do commit. How do you feel after you give in and have sinned? How do you feel when you loose the battle? For me, it's the worst. You feel broken inside, and like you failed. It's a process that you go through over and over again. We sin, we are forgiven, we sin, we are forgiven, over and over again.
Have you ever been able to cut off that one thing that causes you to sin/give into temptation? Think about the question....
"Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptations 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." (Matthew 18:7-9)
This passage is fantastic. "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!"
Woe: great sorrow or distress
There will be great sorrow and distress that will come to the people of this world so that we will sin. There will be great sorrow and distress to the one whom temptation comes. Temptation isn't fun. It's not cool. Temptation is sorrowful and distressful. It's something we don't want to face. Temptation honestly sucks, because it's you at your worst, with an opportunity for you to make things worse. Woe to everyone, because we will all be tempted.
Now it gets a little juicy.
"If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away."
"If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away."
If this was the case. I would not have any body parts left. I've sinned in all of these ways. Yet, I still have my body parts. The way I think about it is this. Whatever it is that is causing you to sin, cut those things off. Cut those things out of your life. If we take away the things that make us vulnerable to give into temptation, it'll be way easier to not be tempted by those things. You're going to have to cut some things off. You're going to have to cut some things off that you think make you who you are. It's the price we have to pay. It's what you have to do to stand strong and to stand firm and to be obedient.
"It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown in the enteral fire."
I titled this post based on that verse right there. Do you want to limp into haven or walk straight into hell. It's a choice we have to make. The road is narrow and difficult and few enter the gates. We aren't going to get through this perfectly. We will have bumps and bruises. We will have to rid our selves of the things that cause us to sin. Or you can make yourself vulnerable. You give into temptation. You don't ask for forgiveness. You keep on doing the wrong over and over again. You shut out God from your life and think you can walk the path of this life alone. What you will end up doing is walking straight into the eternal fire.
Are you willing to limp into heaven? It's better that way. It's worth it! I hope and pray you can understand that it will all be worth it. It's eternal life we are talking about here! Eternal life in heaven praising and worshiping God. I can't wait.
I encourage you to have non shame in limping. There is no reason to feel shame because you might be a little different. It's cool to have a limp. Remember that.
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