‘“You have heard that it was said, “Do not commit adultery.” But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in her heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, 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 sin 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.”’
NIV Matthew 5:27-30.
What a scripture to wrestle with. Adultery is birthed through desire. Desire is created by what we give our attention to. When we put our hand to fulfilling desire, sin is birthed according to James 1:14-15 ~
‘Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.’
We CANNOT conform to current cultural rationale when it comes to acceptable sexual practices. The body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body, 1 Cor. 6:13. We cannot allow our bodies to be the master and serve their appetites in any area. Paul wrote every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we exercise self-control so that we might receive an eternal one. Paul went on to say, ‘I discipline my body and keep it under control lest after preaching to others I should be disqualified.’ This isn’t just willpower, which Colossians 2:23 tells us holds an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body. Still, they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Paul’s solution to the problem is to set our mind on the things above, Colossians 3:1-2, and change what has captured our attention.
HELPS Word-studies ‘to lust after’
1937 epithyméō (from 1909 /epí, "focused on" intensifying 2372 /thymós, "passionate desire") – properly, to show focused passion as it aptly builds on (Gk epi, "upon") what a person truly yearns for; to "greatly desire to do or have something – 'to long for, to desire very much
We get the first part of Jesus’ standard, but what are we going to do with the violence that follows? The KJV states, “If your right eye offend you.. pluck it out..” The following Word Studies from Vincent give us some understanding.
Vincent's Word Studies. Offend (σκανδαλίξει)
The word offend carries to the English reader the sense of giving offense, provoking. Hence the Rev., by restoring the picture in the word, restores its true meaning, causeth to stumble. The kindred noun is σκάνδαλον, a later form of σκανδάληθρον, the stick in a trap on which the bait is placed, and which springs up and shuts the trap at the touch of an animal. Hence, generally, a snare, a stumbling block. Christ's meaning here is: "If your eye or your hand serve as an obstacle or trap to ensnare or make you fall in your moral walk." How the eye might do this may be seen in the previous verse. Bengel observes: "He who, when his eye proves a stumbling block, takes care not to see, does in reality blind himself.”
Jesus deals with man's heart through continual searching and revealing of what lies therein. If we look to lust, the heart has already engaged with the snare.
It is always through works of darkness that we are blinded and find a way to eat the forbidden fruit.
We are responsible for controlling our behaviour. It’s one of the benefits of being created by God with free will. We are to offer ourselves up to him in sacrificial service, for we are not our own. As Christians, we are to “present our bodies before the Lord as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God; this is our spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1.
We have these scriptures that help deliver us from temptations ~
The record of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, “And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out" [Genesis 39: 11–12].
The Apostle Paul, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that commiteth fornication sinneth against his own body.” [1 Cor. 6:18]
The Lord’s prayer …. “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil (the evil one)..” Matthew 6: 13
With all the admonitions throughout Holy Scripture to keep our eyes on the word, on Jesus, and listen to what His Spirit is saying, we can rest knowing these safeguards will always lead us in paths of righteousness and keep us free from all evil.