Moment of Meditation: Temptations to Sin (Matthew 18:7-9)

''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! 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)''

Temptation is everywhere. We can't get away from it. And if we want to get rid of it in our lives, we have to literally rip ourselves apart to keep ourselves away from temptation. This is what we need to do if we want to save ourselves from temptation. We have to rip ourselves apart.

But that's what sin does. It rips apart what God has created. Remember one of the last lines of most of the church weddings you've been to: What God has joined together let not man put asunder. Sin puts asunder what God has joined together in a person. Sin changes each person.

Yielding to temptation is bad enough. But causing someone else to fall into temptation is worse. Both are sin. But one is internal. The other is external. Yielding to temptation primarily hurts yourself. Tempting another primarily hurts them.

Jesus says, "It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame ... [or] with one eye than ... to be thrown into the hell of fire." Temptations come, but Jesus always provides a rescue for you. Lean on Him when temptations come, and you will be able to enter life eternal. Amen.