Bible Question:
If Jesus came to save us by grace because we can't be good enough, why then did he say things like "better to gouge out your eye if it causes you to lust than be cast into the lake of fire"? (Matt 5.29) This implies that I am expected not to sin, no matter how hard it may be for me. But we all do sin. So why does he say that will get us cast into hell, if he came to save us from hell??? I'm angry and confused. |
Bible Answer: 1John 1:9 is the scripture which will help you. If you have received Christ as your Savior, you don't have to feel as though something unfair is being asked of you, because God is just and He loves you. Jesus sometimes used shock value to get people out of legalistic thinking so that they could have real faith. Obviously, an eye or a hand is only a tool for the inner thoughts of a person. Jesus wanted the people he talked to to think about their motives as well as their behaviors, NOT cut away body parts. They had become used to thinking that perfect behavior was what made them right with God. So, He told them how shockingly impossible it was to try to be right with God that way. Remember that in those days no one sat and took notes or recorded speeches. They just had to remember what the speaker said. Saying something outrageous was one way to help people remember what they had heard, so it was a commonly used teaching method. I hope that helps. |