Session 24

What Jesus said you should do with sin

From Mark: A 6-Week Devotional

Status always comes with responsibility. As an actress experiences more fame, her influence on pop culture grows. As an athlete breaks new records, his influence on the sport increases. And as an executive climbs higher on the corporate ladder, his decisions impact more and more employees in the company.

At the end of Mark 9, Jesus teaches us about the responsibility that comes with our status as Christians. When we commit to following Jesus, we become role models for those around us. Our actions no longer just affect us. They can lead those around us, and especially those younger than us, closer to Jesus or farther away.

All of us were born with selfish, sinful hearts. Since the day we were born, our natural inclination has been to do what we want, go where we please, and look at whatever we like. As followers of Jesus, we must attack the sin in our lives aggressively.

In Mark 9:43-45, Jesus tells us to flee from sin. Don’t manage it, flirt with it, or hide it. When something or someone causes us to sin, we are to cut it out completely. Jesus was not saying we should maim and mutilate our bodies. We can gouge out our eyes and still sin with our thoughts. Jesus was saying that sin is serious. It seriously hinders our relationship with God, so why wouldn't we do whatever it takes to remove it from our lives? 

Reflect:

• What sin threatens to destroy your life? What steps can you take to cut it out before it kills you?
• Does your lifestyle make people want to know Jesus or run from Him?
• Ask a godly friend how they would describe your walk with Jesus based on what you do, where you go, and what you are looking at. What, if anything, needs to change based on that conversation?