Tear it Out!

Listen to this Ministry Message Moment

Authentic, true blue and the genuine article are words and phrases that describe someone or something that is real, through and through. In grade school when I went on field trips, I got to bring a can of soda with my sack lunch. However my mom, ever frugal, never sent me with brand name pop (Coke or Pepsi), instead I took the generic sodas that simply said “cola” on the can. I didn’t mind these imitations because it was still soda. 

Mark 9:47 (ESV) suggests,  “And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell,” This verse (unrelated to soda) does point out God’s priority that we remain true to our redeemed heart. The utterance here is not for us to start removing body parts in order to conquer sin, but an urgent call to action to get to the core of the problem.

The unfortunate reality for many of us is we are deterred from sin more by fear of consequences than a desire to please the Father. The “eye” in this verse is simply revealing what is in our heart. Matthew 6:22 (ESV) declares, ”The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,” 

In order to conquer sin we can’t just pretend to care and simply disguise the symptoms. We must get to the very heart of the matter and tear it out through authentic transparent repentance. 2 Corinthians 7:10a (ESV) explains, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret,..” True repentance frees us to live without fear and to walk in confidence.

[Prayer]: Father, you see me for who I truly am. Help me not to hide my struggles and sins but instead to confess them to you and receive the forgiveness and restoration Christ secured for me. In Jesus, precious name, Amen.