Lesson 2: Recognizing the sinfulness of lust.
In the light of verse 19, Jesus continues to explain to his disciples that his teaching does not do away with the law, rather his teaching supersedes the law. In effect Jesus is raising the standard of what it means to be a “righteous” individual. Then He illustrates this point with specific examples related to the Law. In fact, he places anger, lust, divorce, oaths, and retaliation on the same moral plane as murder, adultery, and perjury. Over the next few weeks we will go over these particulars that Jesus has given us.Note: While Jesus raises the standard of righteous conduct in this passage, he does not reveal the mechanism by which we arrive at this level of righteousness. On its face, Jesus is placing the Kingdom of Heaven out of reach for everyone. Later passages in the New Testament reveal that the Christian’s righteousness is given to him or her by Jesus Christ and acted out in the Christian as he or she walks in the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that Christians are immune to sin, because believers can and do still sin; however, the spirit of the believer longs to not sin, that is, be righteous. A repentant heart can always find restoration to righteousness in Jesus Christ. [1 John 2, Romans 8]
The Dust of Lust.
The unrighteousness of Lust.
Mat 5:27-30 ESV – “You have heard that is was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 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. 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.”
Establishing the first premise: Adultery is bad.
Unfortunately, we can no longer assume that everyone is aware of the seriousness of adultery, or even aware of the definition of adultery. Regardless of the cultural perception of normalcy, the Bible is clear that the only people who should be having sex is a man and a woman who are married to each other. There is no other sexual relationship sanctioned by God. [Matthew 19:4,5; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Hebrews 13:4]Now, the question is "why"? Why does God place such a high priority on this area of our lives? As with many things, to find the Biblical beginning of a subject we need to return to Genesis.
Marriage is a holy union.
Contrary to the winds of much of the current social climate, marriage is much more than a contractual agreement. Marriage is not just a business merger or a means of getting a better tax break or insurance rate. Marriage is a holy covenant, sanctioned by God, between one man and one woman.The very first commandment give to man by God is contained in the following passage:
Gen 1:27-28 NKJV - "27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.""Genesis chapter 2 further elaborates on the creation of man and woman:
Gen 2:21-24 NKJV - "21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23 And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."The key to understanding the importance of marriage is contained in the phrase, “created…in the image of God.” The Bible is specific in its teaching that man is not just another animal. Mankind’s mind and intellect make him unique in all of creation. The eternal nature of his soul and spirit reflect the eternal nature of God and elevate him far above the level of a mere animal. Unlike anything else in creation, man's soul was birthed by the very breath of God. [Genesis 2:7].
Satan’s desire is to undo anything God has done. This includes the sacredness of marriage. [John 8:42-45; Romans 1:18-32].
Marriage is a life of self surrender. Marriage is not about getting, marriage is about giving. In marriage you learn to surrender the things you want (or even need) to see to that the other person's needs are met. [Ephesians 5:21].
- You may do without physical comforts.
- You may have to surrender your "toys".
- You may spend holidays with people you don't really like.
- You may have to curb your spending habits.
- You will have to learn to share living space with another person whose routine and habits are very different from your own.
Marriage is a life of mutual empowerment. When a marriage is built on a Biblical foundation, the value of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. There is a principle in the Bible in which those who follow the Lord together gain exponential strength. [Leviticus 26:8]. This hold true, I think, in the realm of marriage as well.
Several years ago there was a line in a movie that gained popularity among lovers. "He completes me...<insert dreamy look here>". Such an idea is nonsense. If you are an incomplete person before marriage you will be an incomplete person afterward. Only Jesus Christ can "complete" you for he is your creator. You can put that kind of pressure on your spouse. He or she cannot do that. Rather a godly spouse is a complement or, if you prefer, a "help meet for" you.
In marriage we imitate the Divine. Like it or not, marriage is a God given visual aid of the relationship between God and his people. In the Old Testament, used it to illustrate his relationship to Israel and Judah [Jeremiah 3:20; Isaiah 62:5]. In the New Testament, it illustrates the relationship between Christ and his Church. [John 3:28,29; Ephesians 5:21-33]. Christ sacrificed himself for his church. The church is called upon be a living sacrifice for her Savior. [Romans 12:1-3] Jesus initiated the relationship with his church and leads his church. [Romans 5:8]. The Church worships and magnifies the Savior. [Phillipians 3:3].
In what way does this parallel the "love and respect" passage of Ephesians 5?
- Adultery undermines all three of these principles
- Adultery is a selfish act.
- Adultery weakens and humilitates the spouse one has pledged to protect/honor.
- Adultery breaks a sacred covenant.
Jesus states that, for the person committing the sin, lust is the moral equivalent of adultery. In the "amputation" verses here, Jesus is impressing on us the seriousness of sin. If it were our eyes or our hands that caused us to sin, physical amputation would be a quick (albeit drastic) solution. The problem is that our hands and eyes are not the source of sin. The source of sin is our own fleshly desires.
"But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:14-15 KJV)
Conclusion: The bottom line is that Jesus is raising the bar on Christian conduct. While physical fidelity is a good thing, Jesus is calling us to spiritual fidelity as well. Because of Jesus' conquest of sin and Satan at Calvary, it is possible for Christians to live a victorious life in this world. This doesn't mean that the sin nature in us has been annihilated, but it does mean that as believers, we can walk after the Spirit rather than after the flesh.
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