Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire [. . .]. If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell [. . .]. If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
—Mark 9:42–48
In his book Licensed to Kill: A Field Manual for Mortifying Sin, Brian Hedges recounts the story of Aron Ralston, the mountain climber who, in 2003, was forced to amputate his own arm to free himself from a fallen boulder. He then makes a connection between Ralston’s experience and Mark 9:42–48.
While sin cannot drag a true blood-washed believer in Jesus to hell, the basic lesson Jesus teaches in this passage is vital to the life of faith. Jesus’ words still hold true: sin is out to ruin us, as badly as t can, dragging us as far away from God as it can, in any way that it can. Just as Aron Ralston didn’t decide to sever his own arm until it was clear there was no other alternative, so we will not exert holy violence against our sins until we’re convinced that they really are dangerous.
—Brian G. Hedges, Licensed to Kill: A Field Manual for Mortifying Sin (Cruciform Press, 2011), 22–23.
Cruciform Press publishes one new book each month, and offers subscriptions in print or ebook formats for a very reasonable price. Books may also be purchased individually. For more information, visit www.cruciformpress.com.
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