MARCH 16 WHEN SACRIFICE LEADS TO OBEDIENCE It is not popular for a minister of the gospel in the modern church to preach of hell and damnation, but it is the preacher’s obligation to do so. Christ himself did it. Pastors are not true shepherds of their flock if they fail to warn of the wrath that awaits those who have a flippant attitude toward sin. Christ spoke solemnly of sin in Matthew 5:29-30 when he said, ““If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Throughout church history some have taken this command to the literal extreme and have actually mutilated themselves in flawed efforts at pursuing holiness. Obedience is far better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22) and Jesus stresses the point that one must be willing to sacrifice in order to become obedient. If a portion of our life is given over to sin, He is saying then we must be assured that it is more worthwhile for that part our life to “die” rather than to condemn our whole life. Letting go of sin is something many are not willing to do, and that is why they remain trapped in sin, or never come to Jesus and turn their hearts over to Him. They never get beyond a nebulous wish to be better or do better. Christ is the answer to man’s sin problem. The debt Christ paid for man on Calvary’s cross brings man his only hope. “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of Gods one and only Son”(John 3:18). It makes perfect sense.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 20:01:55 +0000
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