By: Hanny Lynn Stearns
Fish N
Loaves Ministries, Inc.
“Multiplying
God’s Word Around The Globe”
August 31, 2016
If It
Causes You To Sin – Get Rid Of It!
Mark
9:43-47
3 If your hand causes you to
sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than
having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 44 where
‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’
45 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— 46 where ‘Their worm does not die, and
the fire is not quenched.’
47 And if your eye causes you
to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one
eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—
This is a
section of scripture that hits us where it counts – among others. The Lord was
not actually telling people to cut off their limbs! Of course not. But what He
was illustrating is this: If there is something in our lives that causes us to
sin, we need to get rid of it. We are looking at working the word in our lives
as Christians. We are also looking at how to work the word to overcome
addictions. I have struggled with food addiction for several years and I
believe I am healed. I am in a stage of “fine tuning” you might say.
As an
addict, whatever it is we have been addicted to is an idol. Idolatry is sin. So
Jesus is telling us to throw the stuff out if it is causing us to sin. If it is
alcohol, the booze has got to go. If it is gambling, we must stop going to the
casino. Likewise, anything that we are clinging to that we are cherishing more
than the commands of our Savior must be disposed of – and the sooner the
better.
Right now I
will speak to food addiction. I believe I have a very large audience of people
who are addicted to food and sugar. How does a person get rid of food or stop
eating? This addiction is probably the most common and widely accepted form of
idolatry within the church around the world today. Obviously, we can’t stop
eating. But what we eat must be strictly monitored.
If you went
to a person who really likes ice cream for example, and told them to stop
eating it, they would probably laugh us out of the room. Why? Because it has
become very dear to them. Ask another to stop drinking coffee because it is
full of addictive caffeine, and again you might here, “No way!” But Jesus is
calling us to turn loose of anything that takes His place in our hearts. For me
it was food/sugar and my daughters. I have had to work hard at letting go of
both and I can assure you it has not been easy. All the sacrifices Jesus made
for us were not easy. Look at what He said to the rich young ruler…
Mark
10:17-22
17 Now as He was going out
on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher,
what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good?
No one is good but
One, that is, God. 19 You
know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not
steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and
your mother.’”
20 And he answered and said
to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”
21 Then Jesus, looking at
him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you
have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take
up the cross, and follow Me.”
22 But he was sad at this
word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Jesus was
not asking the man to take a vow of poverty. He was asking him to let go of
what he was clinging to above God. He put His finger on the one thing that had
a hold of his heart – money. If he had done what the Lord said, he could have
reaped a tremendous harvest and been able to plant even more seed into kingdom
work. But he was not willing. He walked away sad because the thought of parting
with his money was too much for him.
Jesus is
asking us all in the church to walk away from the desires of the flesh and take
up our cross and follow Him. But many will not choose to do that. They will
miss the blessings and rewards that were in store for them. They will miss out
on being used for great kingdom work. Jesus wants us to love Him willingly and
make the choice to walk with Him of our own volition. Let’s look at this in the
Old Testament…
Amos 3:3
Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
Two people will not walk together unless of
course they both agree. It is that way in any relationship – including our
relationship with the Lord. The Father has asked me to follow a certain food
plan. It is a well-balanced diet. It includes healthy choices for every day of
my life. It is not a fad diet. It is a plan for life. I have had to let go of
sweets and excessive carbohydrates. I am quite limited on what I can eat
pertaining to fruit and carbs, but that is what is keeping my weight under
control along with a regular exercise program.
Just
yesterday I went to the Dr. for my annual physical. I take no medications by
mouth and I eat almost a vegan diet. I am working on giving up cheese. With the
Lord’s help, I will even though I like cheese. The Dr. was surprised to see
that my bloodwork looked “squeaky clean.” She even asked if I exercise. A Dr.
can tell by the bad cholesterol numbers that a person does a regular workout
because that is one of the only ways those numbers can be maintained at proper
levels.
I have to give
that good report as a praise to God. Without Him, I would never have made it.
Because of Him, even though I have to deny myself a lot of eating and many
foods, I consider myself blessed to be able to eat a lot of good healthy food.
I am blessed to be able to do a hearty workout most days of the week. I am
blessed to be able to run with my puppy and keep up with a hectic schedule at
age 60. (Going on 20)
Just this
morning, it was raining so hard that I literally had to just about drag our
puppy around the lake so he could go to the bathroom. He needed to go. It would
be good for him. But he didn’t want to. After a while though, after trying
several times to turn back toward home – his place of comfort, he finally eased
up and stopped resisting me so much. When we got to that point I could hear the
Lord speaking to my spirit, saying, “That’s how you have been with Me much of
the time. You have drug your feet but now you are finally starting to walk with
Me the way I am asking you to.” That really hit me where it counts.
I confess
that I have struggled and been rebellious and I am not pleased to announce
that. I have had to cut many things out. As I have come to learn that rebellion
is of the devil, I have decided more and more to follow Jesus and His wonderful
plan for my life. I also realized how selfish and self-centered I had been. I
was thinking more of myself and the desires of my flesh than the desires of the
Lord’s heart or how He wants to use me to bless others.
I have
decided more and more to just let it go. I tell myself that it is only food.
And food is only supposed to be fuel to keep our “engine” running. It was never
intended to be a comforter. There is only one Comforter – Holy Spirit. For the
Christian, we have to look at the whole counsel of God on a daily basis in
order to keep our flesh in check and our spirits alive and obedient unto the
Lord. We may have to put scriptures up all over the house – even the ones we
don’t prefer to look at – the really meaty ones that speak to addiction and
flesh and rebellion.
It is the
word that is getting me straightened out on this. I confess it out loud over my
life and agree with it daily. In so doing, I know it will come to pass. That is
how we can all work the word. Read it, speak it out loud, think about it and
hear it from the Lord. If we will commit to doing that, we cannot possibly
fail. The choice is always ours. Which God will we serve? Our stomachs (flesh)
or the Lord? Friends, the word works when we work it. Let’s not leave our tools
in the “tool shed!”
2 Corinthians 5:9
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or
absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
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