<\/p>\n<\/iframe><br \/>\nJesus did not say that everyone must cut off his right hand, but that \u201cif your right hand causes you to sin\u201d in your walk with Him, then it is better to \u201ccut it off.\u201d There are many things that are perfectly legitimate, but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them. Your right hand is one of the best things you have, but Jesus says that if it hinders you in following His precepts, then \u201ccut it off.\u201d The principle taught here is the strictest discipline or lesson that ever hit humankind.<\/section>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p>When God changes you through regeneration, giving you new life through spiritual rebirth, your life initially has the characteristic of being maimed. There are a hundred and one things that you dare not do\u2014 things that would be sin for you, and would be recognized as sin by those who really know you. But the unspiritual people around you will say, \u201cWhat\u2019s so wrong with doing that? How absurd you are!\u201d There has never yet been a saint who has not lived a maimed life initially. Yet it is better to enter into life maimed but lovely in God\u2019s sight than to appear lovely to man\u2019s eyes but lame to God\u2019s. At first, Jesus Christ through His Spirit has to restrain you from doing a great many things that may be perfectly right for everyone else but not right for you. Yet, see that you don\u2019t use your restrictions to criticize someone else.<\/p>\n<p>The Christian life is a maimed life initially, but in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Matthew+5:48\">Matthew 5:48<\/a> Jesus gave us the picture of a perfectly well-rounded life\u2014 \u201cYou shall be <em>perfect<\/em>, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>______________________________________<\/p>\n<p>June 29 2012 <em>(a reprise from June 30 2011)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Lord when I read one of Oswald Chambers\u2019 devotional like this one I wonder if I measure up or if I can ever measure up to the standards you have set? When I read these high standards I wonder if I am good enough to be one of your children, or if I can ever measure up to the standards You have set? Sometimes I realize I am so far off from your standards, I feel like giving up.<\/p>\n<p><em>And God says\u2026\u201dThat is exactly where you should find yourself…giving up. Part of the transforming process for My children is coming to realize that you must surrender your entire life to Me. You cannot hold onto any part of your old life, including the discipline to do the right things. I can use that, but you cannot. Trust in Me with all your heart, do not rely on your own devices and I will make your paths straight. I cannot be you partner in life; I cannot be your copilot. I<br \/>\ncan only be your life. Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will<br \/>\nbe added unto you. I am the way, the truth and the life.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell \u2014Matthew 5:30 Jesus did not say that everyone must cut off his right hand, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7071"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7071"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7071\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7075,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7071\/revisions\/7075"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}