On Death and Dismemberment

Every once in a while Jesus comes out with a pronouncement that just tilts your mind up on end, doesn’t He? We heard one of them Sunday: “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell” (Mt. 5:29-30 NIV).

Yikes. I picture large garbage cans at the doors of the sanctuary, quickly filling with offending body parts as the congregation files out. (Elders wielding long knives? This is a good blog for Halloween weekend). For who of us hasn’t sinned with our eyes or hands or tongue? Who of us would be able to keep from whittling away at our bodies, lopping off first this and then that disobedient part, until we were finally the death of ourselves?

Still, Jesus said it. So partway through Keith’s excellent sermon, I reached over to snag Dave’s Life Application Bible. Their commentary on the gouging/cutting-off verses did not, unsurprisingly, advocate literal mutilation of the body. Because, they point out, even a blind man can lust. Even an armless man can sin. For sin goes deeper than flesh and blood.

Lust – overpowering desire for any object – is a product of our inner man, not our physical body. Therefore, it’s the inner senses that lead us astray , and the inner person who needs dealt with. Scripture calls that inner person “the old man.” Yes, as believers we are new creatures in Christ, that old man has been crucified with Him… but we know that crucifixion is a slow and painful death. That old man hangs on the cross and begs for mercy and just a little more time. And Jesus is saying, “Don’t give him any. Cut off every supply of life. End it with a swift stoke of the sword. Don’t coddle what can send you to hell.”

How can we hasten the death of that old self within? Ultimately, there is only one Executioner able to deal the fatal blow and free us from the bondage of lust… the Holy Spirit. “If by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Rm. 8:13 NIV). But He won’t do it without our cooperation. So we’ve got to show the Spirit that we mean business about this death of self. Here are some practical ways:

1. In our minds: Proclaim a “fast” from that forbidden thought pattern, from thinking about a person you shouldn’t be thinking about, from starting down a mental path that always drags you down. Every time your mind goes that direction, grab it by the neck and turn it elsewhere. Just do it, and do it for three weeks. That kind of starvation has an amazing power to clear the mind and open it to the Spirit’s perspective and help.

2. In our actions: Cut off the “blood supply” to that which is dragging you down. Pull the plug on the computer. Block the caller. Drive a different route to work. Plan new weekend activities to replace the harmful ones. Be as radical as you must, using every physical means available to strangle the temptation, and do it mercilessly, for three weeks. You'll be creating an opening for the Spirit to gain a foothold, and ultimately defeat a stronghold in your life.

3. In our hearts: Take an honest look at your heartstrings. What are they connected to? What is your “treasure”? If you aren’t sure, answer this question: Where does my mind go when it’s free to think about anything it wants to? That’s likely your treasure. If it’s not God-honoring, cut the strings. If you are unwilling, are you willing to be made willing? Tell the Spirit so, and whatever He says to you, do it.

Cut. Starve. Strangle. Desperate words for people who mean business. Who mean to do their part, and finally be the death of themselves. Who mean to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, experience the gift of His power and love and self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7), and freely walk in newness of life.