Matthew 5 (ESV)
20 For I (Jesus) tell you, unless your
righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will
never enter the kingdom of heaven.
The only righteousness that God
will accept is purity of the heart.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You
shall not commit adultery.’
28 But I say to you that everyone who
looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in
his heart.
Jesus focused on the source of
sin, and not it's manifestation. The source of sin is the heart.
Purity is not what you do, but what is in your heart that will ultimately
manifest.
There is a difference between
noticing that someone is attractive verses fixing your eyes upon them.
The source of all your sin is in your heart.
The further you drift from your
relationship with Christ. The more sin will consume you.
The heart
is the soil where the sins of my heart will grow. A sin is what you place
in front of your relationship with God.
2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV)
22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness,
faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a
pure heart.
1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)
...For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the
outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
Proverbs 6:32 (ESV)
32 He who commits adultery lacks sense;
he who does it destroys himself.
he who does it destroys himself.
29 If your right eye causes
you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one
of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to
sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your
members than that your whole body go into hell.
Jesus is speaking in symbols. The right hand symbolizes
strength. The right eye symbolizes priority. There is nothing more
important in your lives than walking with Jesus in purity and holiness.
Sin is like a trap to be escaped from. Eliminate that which tempts you to
sin. Like the T.V. shows that you watch, or your internet viewing habits.
1 Corinthians 6 (ESV)
18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other
sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral
person sins against his own body.
All sin separates us from God, but some sins have a greater impact on us.
Colossians 3:5 (ESV)
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in
you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which is idolatry.
1 Corinthians 6:20 (ESV)
20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify
God in your body.
1 Corinthians 6 (ESV)
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will
not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually
immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were
sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by
the Spirit of our God.
We can
be set free of sin even sexual sin if we surrender to Jesus. Jesus wants us
to despair of our own righteousness, and submit to His.
1. Ask
God to evaluate the motives of your heart.
2.
Ask God to reveal any areas of your life that compromises your relationship
with Him.
3.
Remove situations that tempt you.
1 John 1 (ESV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Psalm 103 (ESV)
12 as far
as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Darryl Craft, Whitesburg Baptist Church
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