27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[e] 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 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. 30 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. (Matthew 5:27-30 NIV)
Adultery
We have here an explanation of the seventh commandment, given by the same hand that made the law and is therefore most fit to interpret it. It is the law against adultery and all sexual impurity, which follows the previous commandment, do not murder (Mt 5:21-26). Adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse.
The command is given in Matthew 5:27, “You shall not commit adultery.” This includes a prohibition of all other impure acts and desires. However, the Pharisees limited its meaning to the physical act of adultery, suggesting that if sin remained only in the heart, God would not regard it (Psalm 66:18). Thus, they thought it enough to claim they were not adulterers (Luke 18:11).
However, Jesus explained ‘You should not commit adultery’ in a way that seemed new and strange to those who had followed the traditions of the elders.
In Mt 5:27-30, we are taught that there is such a thing as heart-adultery—impure thoughts and desires that never lead to the physical act. Matthew 5:28 says, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” This command forbids not only the acts of fornication and adultery but also:
- Lustful desires – Sin begins in the heart. When a person dwells on impure thoughts, the sin is committed inwardly, even if no external act follows (James 1:15).
- All approaches toward sin – Feeding the eye with forbidden sights, whether intentionally or carelessly, can lead to sin. Many fell into sin this way—Joseph’s master’s wife (Genesis 39:7), Samson (Judges 16:1), and David (2 Samuel 11:2). The Bible warns of “eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin” (2 Peter 2:14). Like Job, we must make a covenant with our eyes (Job 31:1) to avoid impure thoughts. If looking leads to lust, much more so do unclean words and flirtations, which fuel this sin.
Furthermore, those who dress or behave provocatively, seeking to be looked at and lusted after—like Jezebel, who painted her face and looked out a window—share in the guilt. Since lustful thoughts and actions endanger the soul, it is better to lose an offending eye or hand than to allow sin to lead to eternal ruin. Matthew 5:29-30 warns, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out… If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off.”
This means we must take drastic measures to avoid sin by exercising self-control, self-denial, and dependence on God’s grace. Self-control requires us to guard our thoughts and desires, avoiding temptation and bad company. Self-denial calls us to give up even lawful things if they lead us into sin. Above all, we must rely on God’s grace, for only by walking in the Spirit can we resist the lusts of the flesh. The warning is repeated because people resist such strong teaching (Isaiah 30:10). It is better to lose something valuable than for the whole body to be cast into hell. Take note of these key lessons:
- Preachers must warn about hell, as Christ did.
- Some sins must be confronted with fear because they are difficult to resist.
- If denying lust seems hard, how much harder will it be to suffer eternal punishment?
- Hell’s torment affects the whole body, reminding us to live in purity.
- Every command God gives is for our good.