This morning while I was on my way to work I asked God what He had to say to me about being pure and Mark 9:47 came to mind which says, “And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.”
What does this have to do with being pure?
As was said before, purity begins in the heart. It is much more than moral behaviour.
Matthew 5:28 tells us that, “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart.” That verse greatly expands on the seventh commandment against adultery, and following it is a surprising statement that seems to encourage self-mutilation: “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.” (verses 29-30)
As I was reflecting, I asked myself this question, “can your eye or your hand actually cause you to sin?” No! Sin starts in the mind and the heart. Removing our eye or hand wouldn’t prevent sinful thoughts. “One might put out his eyes without in the least quenching the lust to which they ministered,” as the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary explains.
And there are no examples in the Bible of people of God cutting off their hands or plucking out their eyes. Consider this example of sexual sin: David was plagued by lust that led to his adultery with Bathsheba, but he didn’t blame his hands or his eyes. Instead, he repented and asked God to cleanse his heart. (Psalm 51:7-10)
What must we really cut off?
God wants repentance — real change in our thinking and actions — not penance or self-punishment. What He really wants is for us to strike at the root of such unholy dispositions, as well as to cut off the occasions which tend to stimulate them. Sin is evil. Once it’s not dealt with, it corrupts your entire being. It makes you unrighteous before God. It causes death… eternal death. To make it possible for us to live, Jesus Christ gave His own life! He hates sin and loves us that much.
Talking about plucking out eyes and cutting off hands should impress us with the need to “deal radically with sin” (Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary). Turn to God for the help to cut off the old man—to turn our eyes away from sin. Cut out habits, entertainments, relationships, conversations, addictions—whatever contributes to sin.
Do you know what helps, too? Abiding in the word of God. In order for sin to not have control over us, we must turn to God! We must repent, ask for His forgiveness, and abide in Him.
Like disease corrupts the body so does sin corrupts the soul to become evil. Being pure is all about not being mixed or adulterated with the things that are not of God – the things that are unholy and unrighteous before Him. So, if your eye causes you to sin against God, pluck it out!
Heart Check:
- Spend some time with the Lord. Really humble yourself, and ask Him what things you need to “cut off”.
- Start working on the things you discovered.
Angelisa is a Jesus enthusiast, Worship leader & Christian youth leader. She considers herself to be the old-fashioned type of girl who loves spicy food and belly bottom laughter. Among her passions are singing, working with children, and encouraging others.