Matthew 5:30 says, "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your mem- bers than that your whole body go into hell."
I struggle with this passage because sometimes I prefer the Jesus that isn't quite so outspoken. I prefer the Jesus that tells me of His grace and sacrifice for me. I prefer the Jesus that opens His wide, loving arms to me - even after I've sinned against Him. And while Jesus is all of these things and more, He is very serious about sin.
Whenever Matthew 5:30 is read, the typical response is, "That's not what Jesus really meant. What He really meant was..." But Jesus meant what He said. He wants us to know the consequences of letting sin remain in our lives, and He challenges us to completely rid our- selves of sin. That's exactly what King Hezekiah did.
During the reign of Hezekiah, Judah reformed and repented. 2 Chronicles 29:3 says that in the first year and first month of his reign, Hezekiah commanded drastic changes. He commanded that the priest and Levites clean the house of the Lord, restore temple worship, and then all Israel was to destroy foreign idols and forms of worship that Hezekiah's father had set up. And Hezekiah "did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God" (2 Chron. 31:20).
Hezekiah and the people of Judah ripped sin out of their lives. They "shattered the stone pillars" that kept them from knowing God (2 Chron. 31:1). So ask yourself these ques- tions: what is keeping you from knowing God? What are you idolizing? Whatever it may be, ultimately you and God know.
Like Hezekiah and the people of Judah, you need to rip the sin out of your life. Get out of the friendship that is discouraging you from going to worship. Get rid of the computer screen or phone that is destroying your mar- riage. Let go of your pride by offering a helping hand to someone in need.
1 John 2:17 says, "And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." For it is better to make drastic changes in our lives now so we can be with God forever. - Luke
