Word of Salvation – Vol.29 No.02 – January 1984

 

Purity And Our Eyes

 

Sermon by Rev. D. K. Baird, v.d.m. on Matthew 5:27-30

Scripture: Genesis 39;7-23; John 8:3-11; Matthew 5:17-20, 27-32

Songs: H.7 (BoW), 379; 235; 286; 489

 

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

You know the old saying, “Where there is smoke, there is fire.”
It is a proverb that applies to many things.
For instance, it applies to the sin of adultery.

When we hear of adultery – and there is plenty of it around we are looking at the smoke coming from a dangerous fire: the fire of lust, deep in the human heart.

If you know anything about fighting fires you’ll know you have to think first about what you are doing.

It’s no use getting a fan to just blow away the smoke.
You have to go to the seat of the fire.

So too with adultery: we have to go to the seat of the fire: lust.

Furthermore, when you discover the seat of the flames you again think about what you are doing; you dampen those flames down with water, you don’t feed them with petrol.

So too with lust, a certain wisdom is needed to ensure you dampen down the flames.

We want to see this morning that lust is fed through our eyes.

We want to look at two points:-
1.  Christ purifying our lust.
2.  The need for precautions.

1. CHRIST PURIFYING OUR LUST (v.27-28)

In this chapter 5 of Matthew, Jesus contrasts a number of times, “You have heard that is was said…” with “But I say to you…!”

He does this in the verses 21,27,33,38 and 43.

“You have heard that it was said…!”

By whom?
By the Jewish scribes and commentators who said: this is what the law meant.
This was the interpretation they placed upon it.

Now Jesus comes along and says: “I say to you, this is the real meaning.  I want to make it clear what the real intent of the commandment has always been.”

In the case of our text the particular commandment in view is the seventh, “You shall not commit adultery.”

If you had gone to the scribes and rabbis and asked: “Give me the gist of the Seventh Commandment; what is it really saying?” they would just tell you: “adultery is wrong!”

“If you have not actually committed adultery, that’s one commandment where you are O.K.”

Jesus, however, says: “Now I will tell you what it is really all about.”  The Jewish leaders had externalised and formalised the commandment.  They had concentrated on the act of adultery.  Jesus shows there is more to it than that, (Read verse 28..!)  Don’t think that because you haven’t actually gone to bed with another woman, then there is no problem.

There is the need to see the problem at its source: lust.  You can commit adultery with your mind just as your promiscuous friend does with his body.

– – – – – –

It is important that we are clear as to what Jesus is actually saying here.  Obviously he is not saying that it is wrong to look at a woman.  Neither is he saying that it is wrong to desire to make love to your wife.  Nor is it wrong to have a loving desire towards your fiancée, to be expressed in love-making after you are married.

What Jesus does say is wrong is looking upon a woman lustfully – to fix your eyes on a woman with the selfish greed of lewd desire.  That is adultery of the heart and of the mind.

Now you may say, “I would never actually DO anything; I have no intention of putting that desire into action.”

Maybe not, but that is still not the issue.  Jesus does not say, “it is wrong to look upon a woman in order to commit adultery with her”.  Rather he says, “it is wrong to look upon a woman in order to lust after her.”  It is the lustful desire itself that Jesus says is wrong.

– – – – – –

Elsewhere Jesus says, “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, etc.”

In our text this morning Jesus is putting his finger on the lustful, sinful, greedy, selfish, covetous look which is the expression of a lustful, greedy, selfish, heart.

He wants us then to search our hearts, our innermost desires and inclinations, to confess the inward sinfulness of our hearts and minds, and to come to Him as our Lord and Saviour for forgiveness and cleansing.

If you have a problem in this area, you may be assured that the Lord Jesus came to deal with just this sort of thing.

He came to conquer sin.  That was his mission.  And not just sinful actions either; sinfulness.

He came to bring it to light, to convict us of our sinfulness; to get it confessed to the Father and forgiven by Him, because Jesus himself bore the guilt of it on the cross.

Remember too that Jesus was a man, a man who did keep his thoughts clean.  He kept the whole law, on this point too: He obeyed in our place.  Being pure He was able by His death to bear away the guilt of our failure.  Because of his endless life He is also able to impart to us His power.  In every way there is hope for the future, no matter how big a problem you may have with this.

– – – – – –

It is fair to say that this is a problem particularly faced by men.  After all Jesus is speaking of the problem of a man looking at a woman to lust for her.

We have noticed that many these days want to play down the created differences between men and women, but in looking at this verse it would seem important that we don’t fall into that trap, but rather recognise those differences.

Not only is this something that men should realise (they probably already know anyway!), but women also should be very aware of this.

We do not want to suggest for a moment that women are more righteous than men.

In the incident involving Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, which we read earlier, it was the woman who tried to seduce the man.

Also, many times in Proverbs men are warned against the adulteress, the evil woman.

But here in this matter of the lust of the eyes, we find a temptation that is particularly real to men.

It has been said, “Such mental adultery has probably brought more sincere men to spiritual defeat than any other single sin.”

And, “The most consistent spiritual problem faced by the average red-blooded Christian man relates to his thought life.” (T. La Haye).

The extent of this problem for men needs to be borne in mind as we move on now to the next two verses.

– – – – – –

2. THE NEED FOR PRECAUTIONS (29-30)

We have seen that when we are dealing with sin, we are dealing with a spiritual problem that needs a spiritual answer.

We need therefore to be cleansed by the blood and Spirit of Christ.

However, that does not mean that in this matter of lust the only thing we need to do is to pray, and then the Holy Spirit will take over, clean up your mind, and there will be no further problems.  We need also to receive wisdom from the Spirit as to how to live.  We have not experienced the resurrection of the body yet; we still have a sinful nature and we may still need to take precautions.  So let us remember that as lust remains a possible flash-point for men, some precautions are necessary.

At least wisdom will be necessary in keeping the fire under control.

– – – – – –

It is this that Jesus speaks of in verses 29 and 30.  (Read 29-30…!)  Jesus appears to be still dealing with the seventh commandment, for He goes on further in verses 31-33 to speak of divorce.

So here is some advice applicable to this matter of lust, although it could also be applied more generally.

The advice given here by our Lord appears to be fairly drastic and gory.  However he is speaking figuratively: he is not asking us to literally pull our eyes out or cut our hands off.

Nonetheless it may be necessary to take some definite, radical steps.  “And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, and throw it from you…!”  It is with our eyes that that lustful look is made.  So, if by looking with your eyes at certain things, lustful thoughts come into your mind, then do not look at those things.

Avoid them.

Make as complete a break with them as if you had plucked out your eye and were not able to see anymore.

Someone has put it like this:-

“If your eye causes you to sin because temptation comes to you through your eyes (i.e. from objects you see), then pluck out your eyes.  That is, don’t look!  Behave as if you had actually plucked out your eyes and flung them away, and were now blind and so could not see the objects which previously caused you to sin.”

“If temptation causes you to sin, because temptation comes to you through your hands (things you do) or your feet (places you visit) then cut them off.  That is, don’t go!  Behave as if you had actually cut off your hands and feet, and had flung them away, and were now crippled and so could not do the things or visit the places which previously caused you to sin.”  (John Stott)

Anyone who visits the local newsagent on Saturday morning and notices all the fellows hanging around the magazine rack will understand this example:-

“If we have a problem of sexual self-mastery, and if nonetheless our feet take us to see these films, our hands handle this literature, and our eyes feast on the pictures they offer us, we are not only sinning but actually inviting disaster.”

This is something we must take seriously.  “Disaster” is not too strong a word.  In fact Jesus uses a stronger one.

He says, “It is better for you that one of the parts of your body perish, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”

We need to realise that walking into the arms of Jesus means walking away from sin, and vice versa.

The apostle Paul says, (in Romans 13:14) “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, in regard to its lusts.”

We cannot be serious about Christ increasing his influence in our lives, if we are still feeding the flames of lust.

The battle to have the fruit of the Spirit more in evidence in our lives is strong enough without promoting sin behind his back.

– – – – – –

The particular precautions a given person may need to take, that person will need to work out before the Lord.

Jesus’s words were, “IF your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out..” Something that is a temptation for one person, may be no problem to someone else.  Rules cannot be drawn up on this.  As mature believers we must do what is necessary to ensure Christ’s salvation comes to expression without hindrance in our lives.

– – – – – –

Perhaps the ladies have felt this sermon has been just for the men.  Well, it has been mainly for the men, but so the ladies will not feel left out, there is more that should be said.

A good marriage is the best precaution against sexual temptation.  Couples need to cultivate good marriages.

Husbands and wives need to minister to each other’s needs of acceptance and significance.

They need to cultivate intimacy and should express that sexually.  It is not a matter of demanding from each other.

It is not that we have rights.

Rather, Christ graciously and freely has given us so much, which includes – in the case of couples – their partner, who is graciously given by Christ to minister to us within our marriage.

– – – – – –

Something should be said for the girls, whether married or not.  You should learn to understand the guys.

Only too well, you say?

O.K., but don’t forget the area of lust is a particular temptation for them.

“Many Christian women fail to understand the male problem, which is one reason they often adopt such scanty dress.  If they realized the thought problems which their indecent exposure causes the average man, many of them would dress more modestly.”  (T. La Haye)

So, it is not just a matter of, “What do I like to wear”, or “I’ll wear what I feel free in”, but also, “What effect could this have on the guys, who are my brothers-in-Christ?”

– – – – – –

CONCLUSION

In conclusion let us underline these things:

Sinful thoughts come from the heart:- “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication.”  Merely taking precautions doesn’t solve that problem, it would only smooth over the symptoms.

Radical heart surgery is needed:
– the blood of Christ must cleanse us from all sin and sinfulness;
– the Spirit of Christ must cleanse us from within.

However, we still live in these as-yet-not-resurrected bodies, therefore precautions are necessary, so the growth of the Lord’s salvation is not smothered.

Amen.