Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

--Parallel Verses:
Matthew‬ ‭5:29-30‬
If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

In the story of Jonah, he boarded a ship to go to Tarsus to run away from God and the calling God gave him to preach to Nineveh. As God caused a storm to make the boat begin to sink, the sailors began to throw over all of the weight in the boat. They sacrificed their possessions in exchange for their lives. Finally, Jonah told them to throw him overboard, as he was the one full of sin that had caused this life-threatening storm. They threw him overboard and immediately the storm subsided.

As we look at the above passages, we see reference to the parts of our body. And if one causes us to sin, we should cut it off. This is really an analogy. The point is, like the sailors above, if something is repeatedly bringing sin into your life — get rid of it. Prior to following Jesus we all had areas of unchecked sin in our lives. But when Jesus saved us from sin, this passage is saying do not even dabble in it anymore. Don’t even let one part of your body near it. Cut out the things in your life that bring sin back in again. This is a hard lesson to learn, because our sinful nature tricks us into thinking that we are good enough today not to be tempted. In my experience, having accountability in areas of sin with some road blocks put in place can make a huge difference. Ultimately, God wants to use us to build his kingdom. But if we are falling in sin frequently, we will not be solid in our prayer life and filled with his Spirit in such a way that we can minister to others. Instead, we will be in a perpetual state of healing and re-healing. We must be honest and real about our sin and seek out help to conquer it. God gave us a position in his family. He will provide guidance and the help we need.

Lord, thank you for this stark reminder that sin needs to be cut out of our lives. We must get rid of the things that draw us back into sin. Teach me, Lord, to be more honest and transparent about my need for help. Who cares how my weaknesses look when I am a child of the King?