I love to sing the song: “The great Physician now is near, The sympathizing Jesus; He speaks, the drooping heart to cheer: Oh, hear the voice of Jesus.” But I did not enjoy hearing an E.N.T. Physician saying, “it has to go”.

For about an hour this past Tuesday a surgeon painstakingly removed a tennis ball sized lipoma from below my left collar bone. Since I chose to remain fully awake, I soon became aware that the tumor had found a comfortable home. Judging from a lot of cutting and pulling, it was not
leaving without the SURGEON’S SKILLFUL SCALPEL.

At times God is the skillful surgeon asking us, via His scalpel (Heb.4:12), to “tear it out”, “cut-off”, “expel” or “come out”.

• First, we must TEAR OUT the right eye or CUT-OFF the right hand that causes us to sin (Mat.5:29–30).
• Second, we must EXPEL the wicked person from amongst us (1 Cor.5:13).
• And lastly, we must LEAVE our friends, partners, or anything that is breaking our fellowship with God (2 Cor.6:14ff).

Friend, the only sin Jesus cannot forgive is the one you want to hold onto. It is time – it must go!