Not Profitable to Perish in Hell (Matt 5:13-30)

“And if your right eye offend you, pluck it out, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell.”

First, it is better to lose anything than your soul. Our soul is the only and most valuable possession that we have. The soul will be punished or BLESSED eternally, and you and I get one shot at this life.

No matter the cost, no matter the sin, and no matter the claims of Jesus Christ, it is BETTER to believe the gospel of grace unto good works than to destroy the law and the prophets, preaching a false christ who can’t save – “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matt 5:17). He fulfills the law in and for us, causing us to love, which is what the law taught the whole time. By His death for us, we receive the Spirit by faith, whereby we walk as commanded, letting our light shine unto the world. Scripture says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Matt 5:16).

We do everything so that people can see God’s grace and the goodness that He has to sinners. We want people to see His love, so we praise Him, loving people. Preaching and ministry is not to be seen; it is so that sinners can see. Likewise, we are blessed to see His people that we’ve helped walking in the truth, people that we’ve prayed for, loved, and brought to Christ, people dear unto us – “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (III John 1:4).

Secondly, Christ says, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven”, so that obedience to Christ reveals people that God’s blessed to be followed (Matt 5:19-20). It is required in stewards that a man be found faithfulness, and faithfulness is the most important thing a child of God can have. Not only has Christ NOT come to destroy the law and the prophets, but He so values obedience that He makes it beautiful to us; we admire with God given love the beauty of obedience to Christ.

Blessed be the Lord that His commandments are good. He causes us to love rather than hate, and He makes help rather than judge.

If you and I hate others, looking down our noses, then we’re in disobedience, revealing our hell-deservedness. But, being CLEANSED of this hypocritical evil, God gives us love for those we hated, so we can pray for and live for our friends and foes – “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has aught against you; leave there your gift before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your bother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matt 5:22-24). We love each other, dealing with each other through Jesus Christ, even as we deal with God. I cannot present His Son to the Father and say, “For Christ’s sake”, when I deal with you after your sins. I must deal with God and man in Christ Jesus, loving those that I’ve offended and who have offended me.

By forgiveness, Christ enables us to love our brethren, and now, all that He has, He gives.

God is glorious to save, and His salvation is unto love. Make sure, at all costs, that you get what God gives, rather than something contrary to the scriptures – “And if your right hand offend you, cut it off, and cast it from you: for it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body should be cast into hell” (Matt 5:30). The Sermon on the Mount is for now; it is to be lived as much as any other teaching of Christ. Get this from God, so that you can be saved, and don’t hesitate because of your sin. Don’t let your past or present weakness stop you from obedience. God is with you now in Christ, giving you all freely because Christ SATISFIED God for all that believe.

Lastly, if we believe, then we have God’s salvation. Call upon God to perform it, trust Him for it, and experience the joy. John refused to baptize Jesus until he saw the Lord’s glory and command. Then, upon obedience, the Lord “when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:16-17). John got evidence from God on top of the evidence that caused his obedience. Like Abraham, he got assurance, joy, and peace as the reward of obeying God, as Christ in His glory was revealed even more!

Build the House (Haggai 1:8)

“Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, says the Lord.”

First, doing what God says is best for us. Wealth and health are not signs of pleasing God, for you and I can be poor and serve God with zeal – “their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yes, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves”, “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man has, and not according to that he has not” (II Cor 8:2-3). Yet, affliction comes for a reason, and God says that we’re experiencing bad because priorities are distorted and unordered. We serve self, thinking it makes us happy. But, it is the opposite: joy comes by doing God’s will and not mine.

The Lord’s mother said, “Whatsoever he says unto you, do it”, and we hear the same from God daily (John 2:5).

Secondly, I don’t have to worry about my health or wealth; I need to seek God’s kingdom and live as He sees fit, and He will guide and order my circumstances BETTER than I ever could.

Don’t live for yourself, because you’ll suffer and miss out on the fruit you could have, the love, joy, and peace. God says, “You looked for much, and lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? Says the Lord of hosts. Because of my house (my will, God says) that is waste, and you run every man unto his own house (serving self).” You and I could be a great church because everything is FOR us: God is for us, the blood is for us, the Spirit is for us, and if God be for us, then who can be against us? We have been reconciled to live as God says, having the help of the Spirit. We’ve sinned, but He says, “I am with you, says the Lord”, and again, “my Spirit remains among you: fear you not”. The blood has so availed that God is on our side, as if we had not sinned, because we are forgiven, received, and able thereby to live as He sees fit, growing in Christ. But, we need to believe that doing God’s will and not ours is the highest we can achieve. And, as we do, the joy, amidst the pain of constant need of growth and unbelief, we’ll have the productivity promised. He promises, “build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, says the Lord”, so that God will add His blessing, whether man sees much or not.

Thirdly, we don’t have human praise or applause in mind; we seek the glory of God, and God REMOVES all selfish ambitions leaving us with His GLORY and the GOOD of sinners: we find our own HAPPINESS thereby. “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34).

Do you believe that serving Christ is best? Then serve Him in the home, family, and job. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice in His mercies. Receive the life that He gives, and be what eternity has declared you will be, which is God’s child, with His Spirit, walking in allegiance to Him.

You have been born again to believe God’s love unto loving others. Paul said, “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (II Tim 2:10).”

We live because He lived and died for us (John 14:19). Now, we live so that others can see Him too.