Following Instructions

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: Following Instructions ------------------- Date: 9/17/2002
Keywords: "disobedience" "leper" "obedience" "touch" "unclean"
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Passage: Mark 1:40-45*

40. And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."

41. Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

42. Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

43. And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, and He said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

44. But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that

45. Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.

Questions

1. What are you thankful for today?

 

2. Has your thankfulness resulted in expressions of gratitude to God?

 

3. Have your blessings resulted in increased desires to obey God’s directions for your life?

 

Practical help

Jesus healed the leper knowing full well that he would disobey him later. More to the point, Jesus healed the leper knowing full well that he (Jesus) would have to suffer for it later. Because the leper was disobedient to Jesus’ instructions, it says in verse 45 that he could no longer publicly enter a city, but had to stay in unpopulated areas. This made Jesus’ life harder as well as all the other sick people who had to travel greater distances to receive what the leper had experienced.

What we do does matter to God. He has not removed our freedom to choose selfishness just because we have called upon Him to save us. Understand that God loves you whether you struggle with pornography or not, and He will continue to love you no matter what. But that does not mean you are at liberty to do whatever you want, especially when you know He does not approve of it.

If you believe that the choice whether to view pornography or not is a personal one and does not affect your relationship with God, you are absolutely wrong. It is incompatible with the idea that you love God and yet you disregard His words. The good news is that God waits with open arms for you to turn around and run back to Him.

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."