Based on Mark 9:42-48 (New King James Version)
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 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, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’”
We live in a society that desires everything almost instantly, and without any kind of effort or diligence. Nowadays, hardly anyone likes the idea of working hard to achieve something—the notion that sacrifices must be made, and that things truly worth having require a great deal of time and dedication. Many no longer believe in hard work, sacrifice, or patience—nor in anything related to persistence and diligence. The vast majority seek instant gratification with the least possible effort; and unfortunately, this very same problem is evident even among the people of God.
In many places today, gospels or doctrines are being preached that portray following Christ as something excessively easy, and that reaching heaven should cost nothing. The Gospel itself is not difficult, but the act of walking with and following Christ is not easy. For instance, many teach that the only thing a person needs to do to get to heaven is to believe in Christ—and nothing else—without repentance, and without a life of walking in obedience; they claim that mere belief is sufficient to attain everything. Others teach that, since we cannot earn heaven through our works and because everything is by grace, a person is no longer required to do anything after accepting Christ, and that works are of no value whatsoever. Others teach that the Holy Spirit performs the entire work, and that the moment a person receives the Lord, everything will happen automatically, without the individual having to make any conscious effort or commitment. Furthermore, there are other teachings asserting that if one possesses sufficient faith, everything one sets out to achieve will succeed—that one will enjoy good health and an abundance of material possessions as well, simply because we are children of a King. Thus, there exist various other teachings that are the product of half-truths, designed to attract the masses—or to prevent people from leaving the church—so that the institution may remain financially viable.
We can clarify all of this through the true gospel—sound doctrine grounded entirely in the fullness of the Scriptures, rather than in mere convenience or things that gratify the flesh. The true gospel consists of: complete repentance and conversion from all sins; believing in and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Lord; and following Christ as the Lord He ought to be in our lives—seeking to do His will, not our own—which leads us to the good works spoken of in the Word of God, works that are necessary to perform as an integral part of our obedience. Since this constitutes the complete gospel, it effectively rules out many of the other things currently being taught as truth. Having said this, we can now see the following.
The first thing we can observe in this passage is the existence of the principle of free will, and the necessity of submitting our own will to God’s commands. We read of many things presented as instruction—actions that must be taken—and we are told that these will be difficult tasks. The Lord also issues a warning: if we fail to do these things—or if we fail to avoid certain actions at all costs—we run the risk of failing to reach our eternal destination. The Lord does not state this merely once, but three times: if we are not diligent in our conduct, we will be denied entry into heaven and, instead, be cast into hell. He could not have stated it more clearly or emphatically. He begins by addressing the matter of not becoming a stumbling block to others. This leads us to understand that, by the exercise of our own free will, we must remain vigilant regarding our actions; we cannot live this life in a careless or irresponsible manner. He also declared that unless we are willing to sever ourselves from those parts of our bodies that lead us into sin, we will not enter the Kingdom. Now, this is not to be interpreted literally—as if we were required to physically sever a hand, cut off a foot, or gouge out an eye to avoid falling into sin. Rather, the point He is conveying is that you must make extremely difficult decisions to secure entry into the Kingdom—decisions to cease doing or practicing those things that would prevent you from inheriting eternal life. And these decisions will be difficult. That is the implication of this passage: it will cost you something. Based on your own free will, these are measures you must take—measures He helps you to understand, yet which you yourself must ultimately decide for. It is entirely possible that physically severing a part of your body would be an easier task than making the actual decisions you may be required to make to truly follow Christ. This is the truth: the salvation offered by the Lord is absolutely free—it is a gift of grace—but the act of following Christ does indeed come with a price.
The Bible says this: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” 1 Corinthians 6:12. What does this mean? Since all things are permissible, this clearly illustrates the concept of free will—the fact that we possess the power to do whatever we desire, and that there is nothing to restrain or stop us. God Himself does not hinder us, nor does He refrain us from doing anything. Thus, while everything is permissible—or, in other words, I have the freedom to do whatever I please—not everything is beneficial or serves my best interest. So, while we are capable of doing anything, whether or not we should do a particular thing is an entirely different matter. Furthermore, we must not allow ourselves to be mastered by anything, but only by the Lord. We must have one Lord, not many. This is the true meaning of not allowing ourselves to be mastered by anything. This is what the Word says: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7. God clearly mentions here “sound mind” or “self-control”—which gives rise to free will—and about aligning our will to do His will. If everything in the Lord were on "autopilot," as some describe it, then He would not mention self-control. The passage also says that we must not have fear, which implies overcoming it through His power, and out of love for Him.
Ultimately, this is what the Word says: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2. All of this has to do with submitting our will to God—doing the things He commands us to do. Some of these things will be easy, while others may be very difficult. But, the point is that we must live for Christ and be willing to do whatever He desires of us—and also pay whatever price is necessary to demonstrate our love to Him, as He deserves. Everything is done out of love, after all; and while love can indeed be very difficult at times, nothing compares to the eternal love and hope we have in Christ Jesus. So, do you worship the Lord in spirit and in truth with your life? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!