Jesus gives some extreme examples in Matthew 18. We’re told it would be better to be drowned than to cause a believer to sin. We’re told to pluck out our eye if it causes us to sin.

What does it all mean?

Jesus isn’t endorsing harming yourself. He is showing the seriousness of sin.

There’s no simple, “Sorry,” here for sin. We don’t just ask God to forgive and then continue on with our lives.

Sin must be put to death. We’ll read about putting to death the deeds of the body when we come to Romans 8.

Sin must die. Jesus came to take away our sins. That looks like washing away our sins, but it also looks like deliverance from sin. We become slaves of righteousness. If you are a slave to sin and not to righteousness, you are missing your salvation.

We can’t save ourselves. Call out to the God of salvation. Make the choice to get free, and let Him free you.

If you love your sin and don’t want to get rid of it, ask God to help you hate it. He can give us the willing and the working. Salvation is from God, not from our works.

Humble yourself and rely on God. Do not try to save yourself. You don’t need willpower or psychological tricks to get free from sin. You need a Savior.

Be like a child and helplessly ask for help. God is a ready help. He desires to show mercy. He desires your salvation.

We have the famous story about leaving the ninety-nine to go after the one. It’s not a parable about Jesus. It says that everyone leaves the ninety-nine to go after the one. It’s what you do.

The parable is about rejoicing over finding the one that was lost, not about how Jesus abandons everything to search for us. Jesus never leaves me to go get another sheep for the fold.

The parable does make it clear that God doesn’t want anyone to perish. He will execute justice and some will go to hell because they choose hate over love, but God’s heart is always going to choose love.