True or False: Our outward actions betray our inward attitudes.
Think about it—at Christmas, you receive a gift from a godparent visiting from overseas. You’ve told her what you wanted, the package looks about the right size, and your excitement builds. But when you finally open it, it’s not what you expected—it’s just a book wrapped in a sweater. You smile and politely say thank you, but inside you’re disappointed.
Or maybe a friend who loves to bake offers you a gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, soy-free cookie. Outwardly you say, “This tastes amazing!” But the first chance you get, you spit it out.
Our outward actions don’t always match our inward attitudes.
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, is drilling down beyond the surface. He doesn’t just care what we look like on the outside. He’s interested in integrity of heart—purity on the inside. That’s why He called the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27)—looking good outwardly, but dead inside.
This brings us to today’s text:
Matthew 5:27–30
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, 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 stumble, 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.”
Raising the Bar
Jesus acknowledges the law’s command not to commit adultery (Exodus 20:14), but He raises the standard: adultery doesn’t begin in the bedroom, it begins in the heart.
He is interpreting the seventh commandment in light of the tenth commandment: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” (Exodus 20:17). Sin is not just the act—it’s also the desire. And by applying the Spirit’s standard, Jesus reminds us: “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
The Stages of Adultery (R.T. Kendall)
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Normal attraction – Not sin. It’s normal to notice someone’s beauty.
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Temptation – Still not sin. Even Jesus was tempted (Hebrews 4:15).
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Obsession – This is where sin begins: when thoughts dominate your mind, fueled by fantasy, pornography, or lustful imagination (James 1:14–15).
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Causing another to lust – Seducing, flirting, sexting, or dressing with intent to stir desire. Proverbs 7 paints this picture vividly—“With persuasive words she led him astray” (v.21).
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The physical act of adultery – The most destructive stage, bringing grief, betrayal, division, and sometimes divorce (1 Corinthians 6:9–11).
Jesus is clear: even if culture excuses it, lust is sin. And unchecked lust leads to destruction.
Radical Action
Jesus says, “If your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out… If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off.” (Matthew 5:29–30). He isn’t calling for literal mutilation, but for radical measures. In other words: Do whatever it takes to guard your heart.
Building a Hedge of Protection
The Bible often uses the image of a hedge as protection. Satan said of Job, “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?” (Job 1:10).
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Guard your eyes. Like Job, say: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman” (Job 31:1).
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Guard your mind. Romans 12:2 says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Fill it with God’s Word, not garbage.
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Guard your relationships. Paul warns, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Maintain healthy boundaries.
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Guard your marriage. “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband” (1 Corinthians 7:3). Protect intimacy and nurture affection at home.
Final Word
Lust begins in the heart, but so does purity. Jesus is after hearts that are holy, not just hands that look clean. The world may say lust is harmless—but Jesus says it’s a matter of life and death.
So the question is: Will you settle for surface-level living, or will you invite the Spirit of God to purify you beyond the surface?
