Called Higher: Get Rid of It

In my first post I had talked about how Christians have a higher standard then nonbelievers. Those standards need to be put into action. Sometimes that requires getting rid of something.

“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among the saints.... For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God... Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.”
~Ephesians 5:3,5

If it is shameful to even speak of the “things done in secret,” why should we listen or watch sin on our ipods or TVs? If a singer, comedian, or actor is doing any of those things, making it look all right, and we are listening and/or watching; it is to our shame. Expose it as it is! It is a sin and affront to God’s glory. The damage to God's glory by our sin is determined not by the severity of our sin but by the value of God's glory (Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges, pg. 137).

Think about it. If a picture is stolen from someone's house, the news may talk about it a little. However, if someone stole that same picture from the White House, he's going to get a lot more publicity. In God's eyes the sin is the same, whether he took it from some ghetto or Buckingham Palace, but for some reason we think of the one as a greater affront. However, God is greater than us. So, profaning his name by our sins is a greater affront.

"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better to lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right eye causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better to lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell." ~Matthew 5:29-30

Now God doesn't want us to actually to start chopping our limbs off. If he wanted us to do that he probably would have told Peter to cut off his hand when Peter cut off the ear of the high priest's servant when they came to arrest Christ (John 18:3-11). The Lord gave this example to show how drastic we are to be towards sin.* If there is anything causing you to sin: get rid of it. God desires you as Christ’s spotless bride. Nothing is to come between Christ and us.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." ~Hebrews 12:1,2

*These verses are talking about the sin of lust. However, I think we can apply it to any sin. God doesn't take lightly any sin, so I think he would have us drastically take action to get rid of it.