Their worm diets not

Bible Reading: Mark 9

Mark 9:43-44 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Hell is not a pleasant subject. Especially this time of year, when people are focusing so much on the birth of Christ. We must remember that Jesus was born to save us from hell.

Jesus taught us that sin is so serious that to remove those things that offend us is better than going to hell. Here Jesus makes the contrast between eternal life and eternal hell. He describes entering life maimed as better than going to hell with both hands. For the believer, death is a doorway to eternal life with Jesus. However, sin will send a person to hell. A person who is not born again will face hell.

This is the description that Jesus gives us: hell is a fire that is never quenched. He says this twice. He also says their worm dieth not. Worms live in rotting flesh. Eternal fire and eternal rotting. How horrible! Yet, we must believe this because Jesus taught about it.

We must also ask this question: What could be so bad that the Son of God would have to die? Hell is the answer. Jesus came to save us from this horrible reality.

If we are honest with ourselves, how much would we have to cut off to get rid of everything that offends?

Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Not just hands, feet and eyes, but hearts would have to go! We cannot save ourselves! That is why Jesus was born. He loves us and came to save us. We only enter into life because of him!

In Christ,
Rody