Week 13
last time
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
new
29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
We are learning many things about the heart of a believer. We know that the sin we commit ultimately starts in the heart. This is what defiles us (Matt 15) Adultery does not begin in the bed, it begins in the heart. So why the shift? If the sin of adultery begins in the heart why the shift to tearing our right eye out or cutting our hand of and throwing it away? The significance of the right eye or the right hand is just that, it is significant. To the first century Jew, maybe a lot more significant than it is to us, but regardless as even as significant as these two parts of the body are, this is NOTHING compared to going to HELL! Whatever is causing us to stumble (skandalidzo) get rid of it. As we learned last week through Jones the power of sin has been broken by the cross, but we must apply this provision through our choices. This culpability is revealed many times in Scripture: , Joshua declared in Joshua 24:15 “choose this day whom you will serve”, Jesus said in Matt. 6:33 “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”. Paul combined culpability and provision in Romans 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death
the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
So as this is explained, the question stands: are we guarding our heart as Solomon requested (Prov 4:23)…this will be shown in our choices…this is revealing our desires.