7/18/25

Mark 9:43 NASB95 “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire,

If a person has a car that is not getting them to where they want to go, many will not hesitate to trade it off or sell it. If a job is not paying enough to get them the things they want, then many will not hesitate to leave and find a new Job. Many even will go as far as, if their spouse is not fulfilling the BETTER of their marriage covenant as they desire, then they will get rid of the spouse and look for another. I was told recently that my biological grandfather did this four times. This shows the flesh can never get enough of the better and therefore thinks it is worse.

This scripture says, If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. What is the difference between the things I mentioned and this verse?

Please take a minute and look back at my examples versus the one in our text. What is the difference?

Let me list it out:

They want to go.

They want things.

They desire.

Then in our text:

Causes them to stumble.

The difference is a selfish want, versus a realization of what that want causes. The verse explains that selfishness causes them to fall into something they really don't desire.

Listen to a word from Clarke, "Men often part with some members of the body, at the discretion of a surgeon, that they may preserve the trunk, and die a little later; and yet they will not deprive themselves of a look, a touch, a small pleasure, which endanger the eternal death of the soul."

We must be more cognizant of the things that endanger our eternal witness and endanger the eternity of a soul.

People look at their life and physical desire and live in the flesh with little to no thought of the effects on people's eternity. We eat healthy food, so we might live longer, but we won't spend time in the Word of God in order to learn the desire of God for the eternal benefit of many. We are quick to flee or rid ourselves of things that do not provide for our selfish desire, but we will not look at the eternal outcome of the things that do fulfill our selfish desire.

Clarke continues, "It is not enough to shut the eye, or stop the hand; the one must be plucked out, and the other cut off. Neither is this enough, we must cast them both from us. Not one moment's truce with an evil passion, or a sinful appetite. If you indulge them, they will gain strength, and you shall be ruined."

It is better for you and your neighbor to be scorched by a small fire now than to be burned by a destroying fire for all eternity.

Satan will hand you temptation! You must turn and flee. Then call upon the Lord to remove the desire of the flesh because even an appearance of sin can cause someone else to stumble. Don't take part in the temptation, it will burn you and others, as the fire is often difficult to control.

Water the dry flesh with the overflowing cup of the word. This will keep the flesh from igniting when the torch of temptation is thrown at you!

Love Bro. Scott