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Matthew 18:9

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Chapter 18
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2He called a little child and had him stand among them.3And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

7“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.

9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

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TheBaptistCommentary - (eBible Enthusiast) 8 months ago.
I know at first this passage is easily mistaken to say something that it was not intended to say. Especially when you have been taught the wrong interpretation for a very long time. A person cannot determine his own eternal destination, that was determined by God the Father. Neither is our salvation a works based salvation being determined by what we do. To rightly divide this passage you must consider that anything not righteous is evil. Anything we do that is not righteous is sin, and we sin a lot in one day. According to the scriptures, everything that is not righteous is, or will eventually be, burned up. When we are chastened by God with fire, we are experincing the same fire that will consume all unrighteousness in the end. Just as the earnest of the inheritance is derived from the eternal inheritance, and is therefore the same, that is, eternal life and eternal salvation, so also is the fire that we are chastened with. It also is but an earnest while here in this world, being derived from the eternal flames of hell. When we walk contrary to God, we are committing evil, and that evil must be consumed with fire. When we walk contrary to God, He walks contrary to us, and therefore we are experiencing hell's fire in the present, being absent from Him. It is God's hope that we will realize this and turn to Him in obedience. The good news is that because Christ secured our eternal destination for us, when we depart this evil world, we will be changed into a glorious and holy form acceptable unto to God. Learn in my exposition of the Winnowing Fan at my site www.BaptistCommentary.com
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