Take Drastic Measures, Part 1 Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Take Drastic Measures, Part 1-------------------------- Date: 9/22/2001 Keywords: "adultery" "cut off" "lust" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Matthew 5:27-30* 27. [Jesus speaking] "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'; 28. but I say to you that every one who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." 29. "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." 30. "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut if off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell." Questions 1. Why do you think Jesus used such a strong word-picture to describe what we should do about lust?   2. What drastic measures might you take to keep you from temptation?   Practical help Jesus selected language that would get our attention as to the seriousness of temptation. But it is easy to run past this passage because it seems so…well… so violent, or drastic. Surely He was talking to people in a more ignorant time than ours, right? This couldn't be directed to you and me in our sophisticated and refined computerized culture, could it? Afraid so. Jesus wants us to prepare for temptations and act as if our lives depend upon what we do — because this is the case. Your life can be seriously damaged, even ruined, by a single sin that began with little tempting thoughts you played with but could have easily avoided when they first began. You already know this, just like I do. We've walked down the path of temptation to the point of sinning. So let's now learn from our mistakes. We don't have to repeat them. I bet you could sit down and write out a list of all of your weaknesses. Against each one write out what drastic measures you might take to keep yourself from moving close to them. For example, maybe you could pluck your computer out of that locked room of yours. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2001 by eXXit *"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."