I thought this passage won’t speak to me anymore because I’ve read this countless times before. However, I am surprised to glean from it anew. I am also grateful because I asked God to help me learn something new and He did answer it.

“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” v. 28

God is telling us that to lust for a person in his mind is already a sin. However, that does not give us the license to do it. Just because we know that the thought of it is sin doesn’t mean that actually committing the sin won’t be any worse. God hates both.

I like what the enduringword.com commentary said:

“We may not be able to control passing thoughts or feelings, but we certainly do decide where our heart and mind will rest.” enduringword.com

Sometimes temptations or negative thoughts flood our minds but we have to choose not to entertain them. I learned that we can choose not to let it affect us. We have control over our thoughts. It says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 verse 5 that we should take our thoughts captive.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” – 2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭4-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And when it’s hard to do, we have to ask God to give us good and godly thoughts, to remind us of His promises for us, to give us strong minds, to fill us with the Holy Spirit.

This passage does not only refer to sexual sin but anything that we lust upon. It can be riches, fame, etc.

“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.” v. 29-30

We should not take these verses literally. It’s not asking us to maim our bodies so we would sin no more, because even without eyes or hands, we can still sin in the mind. We may not sin physically but we may still commit sin in the mind.

“Mutilation will not serve the purpose; it may prevent the outward act, but it will not extinguish desire.” – Bruce, enduringword.com

Imagine being married to someone who constantly daydreams about someone else. He/She is with you physically but his/her mind is with someone else. He may not necessarily be acting upon the thought but just thinking about another person when you’re married is already adultery. Having an unfaithful spouse is heartbreaking.

I would rather be alone than be with someone who isn’t loyal to me. I won’t force myself to someone who is into someone else. I don’t like that stress in my life.

“The salvation of our souls is to be preferred before all things, be they ever so dear and precious to us; and that if men’s ordinary discretion teacheth them for the preservation of their bodies to cut off a particular member, which would necessarily endanger the whole body, it much more teacheth them to part with any thing which will prejudice the salvation of their souls.” – Poole, enduringword.com