Lies That Limit Life #2
Text: Matthew 5:27-30
Jesus said, "Except your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes
and Pharisees you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."
(Matthew 5:20).
This may well have been the biggest surprise of the mountain address.
These men were the biggies when it came to religion. They were the
ones who spoke from Moses' position, sat in Moses' seat and now this
guy from Nazareth is saying we can't just be as good as them, we must
be greater than them in terms of righteousness! How can this be?
One thing we want to note about this sermon on the mount (the
sermon of sermons), is how Jesus was perceived after he got done
speaking- Matthew 7:28,29- taught with authority not like the scribes.
So, there's something in Jesus' message that the people understood to
be a more authoritative voice than what they were used to hearing.
Back to Matthew 5 then.
Now Jesus began his Sermon on the Mount in vs.1-16 by declaring
something totally revolutionary for his hearers-
true religion does not consist solely of outward appearances, but
begins on the inside and develops to the outside!
Begin with the right attitudes and then let your light so shine!
Then he hit them with a big whopper-
I am not against Moses, but the Pharisees and scribes are actually
against God! (vs.17-20) I believe that every command of God is to be
respected not just a few 'big' ones.
So as mentioned last week, the one who came to give us abundant
life (John 10:10) began to expose the lies that the people had been
told that truly limit life.
From vs.21-26- the first lie is the one that says you are allowed to
feel bitterness in your heart towards a brother as long as you don't
physically harm him or something to that effect. We can't be a free
child of God if we don't love our brethren as ourselves!
Read with me vs.27-30 and let's look at lie #2-
you can look at someone in a wrong manner as long as you don't touch!
Now again we see the mastery of Jesus' teaching here:
Again he begins with what was taught-
don't commit adultery! We again want to make note that this was an
essentially true command. The physical union of two bodies that are
not lawfully married before God is wrong!
This was of course part of the 10 commandments!
"You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). To break the covenant
of marriage by having sexual relations with someone other than your
spouse is wrong!
What is the problem though?
Listen to what Jesus says, and this is a great lie today that many
people are limiting their lives by!
Jesus says, it's not just the physical act that is wrong, but if you
look at a woman to lust after her, you have broken your marriage
covenant in your heart!
In the case of anger, people could say "I'm not killing anybody
but I am allowed to feel bitterness towards them all I want" Jesus
says, "no that's not the case, even if you are angry with your brother,
you are in danger!"
Now, someone comes along and says "I'd never physically cheat on my
spouse, but what is the harm in lusting after other women or men?"
Jesus says, plenty!
Jesus exposes this lie and says it is not just the act of adultery
that is wrong, it is the wishing to commit adultery as well!
Then Jesus says these words that there has been some debate over:
cut off the part of the body that causes you to stumble!
Whatever way you want to take this, (personally I don't believe Jesus
is speaking figuratively here), the point is this:
his teaching on this matter is that serious!
As his people today, we must take this teaching very serious!
As one man put it "One can be technically chaste but full of
immorality, according to Jesus….Sexual conduct isn't primarily about
hormones; it is a matter of what is in one's heart."1
Another great lie today that is limiting people's lives, not only
with God but also with their loved ones and other Christians, is the
lie that says it's safe to lust as long as I don't act on it!
I want us this morning to note the words of Jesus and take a very
serious look at some of the things that plague our society today:
Entertainment productions where men and women are dressed very
suggestively. (there is a new show- temptation island)
The pornographic industry that now has made it possible for someone to
obtain it just by clicking on the Internet.
(I even heard a young 'Christian' man claim there was nothing in the
Bible that prohibited possessing pornography)
The way people in modern society dress to get a look. (look at 1
Tim.2:9,10- where Christian woman are to be noticed for their deeds not
their dress).
Many of these things lead us to the conclusion that there is nothing
very harmful in lusting after someone other than our spouse!
The very first question we should try to answer is this:
Why did God clothe Adam & Eve after they fell into sin? (Genesis 3:21)
How does lusting after someone in our heart limit us?
In what way is it harmful?
Let's just show first however, how the Law really spoke on this:
Exodus 20:17- coveting your neighbours wife was also part of the same
Ten Commandments!
Listen to what one man wrote about the feeding and encouraging of lusts
…"As people's lusts are fed and encouraged, society grows more and more
tolerant of immorality, indecency, obscenity, pornography, profanity
and other forms of smut…..Gratuitous obscenities and sex scenes are
routinely included even in films promoted as children's fare…In short,
lust is a desire for anything God forbids."2
We need to understand, when we entertain the lust of the eye for too
long, our standard of morality gets damaged!
Let me just say however, the command of Jesus here is not limited to
what we watch on television or see in a magazine. This is included and
Christians must be sure to not be entertained by something they
shouldn't be, but it also includes even looking on others nearby!
After Sara and I were first married some young girls invited Sara
down to the beach to look at some guys! When Sara explained why she
couldn't, their response was simply, "Just because you are on a diet
doesn't mean you can't look at the menu." But my friends, it does mean
you can't look at the menu!
In 1 John 2:16- John told us that the lust of the eye is not of
the Father but of the world and will pass away!
Now that tells us something already-
it can't be part of the abundant life!
Whatever Jesus teaches us we must remember it is designed to enrich our
lives not diminish them! Are our lives diminished by lusting?
Listen again.. "Are such sins that disastrous? Yes, they defile us
(Matt.15:18-20). They are an abomination to God: "The thought of
foolishness is sin" (Prov.24:9, KJV). Any thought that is not
God-honouring, Christ-exalting and representative of full obedience to
the Word of God is sin. Covetousness, the basis of most of our evil
fantasies, is expressly forbidden by the Tenth Commandment.
We dare not think of these thought-sins as mere pecadillos. They
open the door to actual deeds of sin. James 1:15 says, 'When lust has
conceived, it gives birth to sin.'"3
Who does this sin actually hurt?
- Your spouse!
You have committed your desire to your spouse and your spouse alone.
What happens when your desire goes to someone else?
1 Corinthians 7:1-4
- Yourself!
This type of sin, defiles a man Jesus said! (Matthew 15:9,10). We soon
are not thinking the pure wholesome thoughts and instead are sinking
towards gross immorality.
- The other person!
Unfortunately what many people do not realize is simply this:
the other person is then used for one's selfish desire and there is no
thought of his/her welfare!
What can we do about this?
I mean as one put it before, trying to remain sexually pure in our day
and age is like trying to run from the front of the crowd at the Boston
marathon the wrong way!
- Seek God's help!
Psalms 51:10- create in me a clean heart of God! This is a man who
unfortunately looked at another woman and lusted after her in his
heart! David's sin began when he failed to leave the rooftop!
- Take Jesus seriously!
Take whatever measures you need to take to remain pure! Be a Joseph
and risk jail time! "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin
against God?" Get rid of the channel, throw out the magazines, and
don't go to that place! Do what you have to do.
- Take the other gender seriously!
What do I mean by this?
They are people not objects. They are to be treated with respect!
Why did the woman at the well feel so different with Jesus in John 4?
- Determine like Job! Job 31:1!
- Reprogram our thoughts! Phil.4:8
It's difficult to stop thinking certain thoughts, but the best way is
to start thinking on what's better.
- Don't be a stumblingblock to others!
Don't purposefully put yourself in a position where someone might look
at you! There are times we can't help it, but there are times we can
encourage it or do our best to discourage it.
- Teach our young people how to properly look at others!
They need to know from us what is proper to look at, what is the proper
way to look at things, and then how to handle it!
Above all else, listen to what Jesus said earlier in the Sermon on the
Mount "Blessed are the pure in heart. For they shall see God."
(Matthew 5:8)
1. Mike Cope & Rubel Shelly, What Would Jesus Do Today? (West Monroe,
LA: Howard Publishing Co., Inc., 1998) p.34
2. John F. MacArthur Jr., The Vanishing Conscience (Dallas, TX: Word
Incorporated, 1994) p.81,82
3. MacArthur Jr. p.238
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