Mike Focht 6/20/2025
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Matthew 5:29-30
Jesus’ warning is very sobering. It is also easy to understand. If we don’t deal seriously with sin, He will. All unjudged sin will be righteously judged in hell for eternity. Whatever earthly consequences we might face in dealing seriously with sin now are far less than the everlasting consequences we will face when God deals with unrepentant sin then. Praise God Almighty that He sent the Lamb of God to redeem us by His blood!
But does this warning no longer apply after we are saved? I don’t believe we need to fear losing our salvation, but a wise man or woman will still fear sin and its effects! Jesus’ instruction here still matters to sons and daughters of the Most High God. The New Testament still echoes Jesus’ warning here in various ways. Christians still need to deal seriously with sin. Our sin is always more serious than it appears to be, and our response should also be equally severe, even if it seems we are overreacting to those watching from the outside.
God is serious about heaven and hell. God is also serious about completing the work He has begun in us. He is serious about eternal reward. He is serious about fruit that is glorifying to Him. He is serious about the family of God, the Bride of Christ, and our place in His body. He is serious about our communion with Him. All these things are still affected by sin on various levels. We still need this warning. It is part of His provision to cultivate His own work in our lives. If we refuse to take the Great Physician’s prescription, it will not be long before we find the sin infecting our hearts and spreading beyond.
We know our own sin. We are familiar with how it comes to us, or the methods through which we live out our sinful desires. Those are the places Jesus is targeting, even if it brings a “handicap” to how we live daily. Jesus’ overall point is that whatever difficulty we go through to deal with our sin is easier than allowing our sin to run rampant.
Where do we start? Obviously, by bringing sin into the light and confessing it. If you have already done so, start removing the places where Satan can get a fingerhold in your life through sin. What will this look like?
Dealing seriously with sin will look serious in your life. It may even seem radical to those who care little about their sin. It will seem radical to some because it is! The real question is not what you must do—God will show you that. The real question is: Are we really serious about dealing with our sin? If you are, God will lead you practically. If not, no amount of instruction will help you anyway.