Tag: little ones to sin
Watch yourselves!
Scripture reading for April 14th: Luke 16:19-17:10
“Jesus said to His disciples; “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves.'” (Luke 17:1-2) The world we live in is fallen and there are many opportunities to sin and break God’s eternal law. People are ‘sinners’ by nature, born with a propensity to sin until that is remedied by a new birth. (Psalm 51:5)
Jesus warned His followers about the future judgment for those causing sin in ‘little ones.’ In other accounts, the ‘little ones’ were small children. Some feel that this also applied to new believers who were young in the ways of Christ. Jesus talked about a millstone being tied around the neck of any person who would cause sin in these little ones. A millstone was a large round stone used to grind grain and it usually weighed several hundred pounds. You can imagine the difficulties swimming a person would have with one of these tied to their neck! This word picture helps us understand the desperate state of a person causing a little one to sin!
Jesus told His followers to “Watch yourselves!” First this means to be personally watchful and examine our own lives for causes of sin. Jesus pointed out lack of forgiveness in the next part of this teaching as a big problem causing others to sin. (Luke 17:3-4) We must let go of offenses. Failure to forgive is cited by Jesus several times as a hindrance for prayer and here as a cause of stumbling for ‘little ones’. (Matthew 6:14, Mark 11:25, Luke 11:4)
Second, we must be watchful for others and especially the ‘little ones.’ Jesus tells us that we must watch out for others as well as ourselves. Love your neighbor as yourself is the second part of the great commandment that now fulfills all the commandments. Children and ‘little ones’ are so precious to the Lord and must be loved, nurtured and protected from causes of sin. Examine your own life and the ‘little ones’ around you. Are you leading them towards Jesus by your life and testimony? Today is a great day to repent! God will forgive!
Hell is real!
Scripture reading for February 28th: Mark 9:30-10:12, Psalms 44:1-7, Proverbs 10:19
Hell is not a subject that many like to talk about. Some believe it is a scare tactic that Christians use to brow-beat people into becoming believers. A Pew research poll in 2008 found that only 59 percent of 35,000 respondents believed in a literal hell. This is down from 71 percent in 2001! (74 percent said they believed in heaven.) It is time that people look to the Bible and what Jesus taught to determine the validity of their beliefs!
Jesus warned those He spoke to about their need to avoid hell at all costs. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hand to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 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 that to have two eyes and be throne into hell, where “their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”” (Mark 9:43-48)
Jesus taught that hell was real. It was a place of fire that burned eternally. It was a place of worms eating flesh and weeping and gnashing of teeth. It was a place to avoid, even if you endured life here maimed, crippled or blind! Jesus had also taught them that the road to hell was broad, and many people were on that broad road. (Matthew 7:13) The road to life was narrow, with only a few people on it. In fact, Jesus is the only way to find life and avoid the broad path to destruction in hell! (John 14:6)
Man has an inner knowledge of eternity put into his heart by God. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) He knows that he is an eternal being and will face a judgment. We should not hesitate to talk with people about their eternal future and their preparations to avoid hell. The Holy Spirit will work with us as we share. God wants none to perish in hell, but all to come to salvation through repentance and belief of the truth. (1st Timothy 2:3-6)