WHAT IS MEANT BY "IF THY RIGHT EYE OFFEND THEE PLUCK IT OUT"? (MATTHEW 5:29).
The whole verse is "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." This means that whatever would cause us to stumble, sin, and be lost needs to be put away. We just don't realize how terrible it is to be cast into hell. The Word "hell" is "Gehenna" here and refers to the everlasting fire, and everlasting punishment that awaits sinners who die in their sins. To be forgiven of sins every sinner must repent and be baptized by the authority of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38). To repent is to change the mind about sinning and it always results in quitting those sins that are causing us to be lost.
1. THIS TEACHES US THE VALUE OF OUR SOULS.
The body is the tabernacle of the soul (2 Corinthians 5: 1). The soul directs the body members. When enticed by some lust the body acts at the direction of the soul. The body is not for fornication (I Corinthians 6: 18). Neither is it for engaging in any of the sinful lusts of the eyes, lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life. Man cannot destroy the soul but God can and also the body in Gehenna (Matthew 10:28). We should be willing to put off any sinful actions and obey the Lord in baptism as well as follow his teachings in the gospel for the rest of our lives. "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 7:1).
2. THIS TEACHES US THE DANGER OF SINFUL LIVING.
Sin causes us to be lost forever and forever. If man had not been the object of God's love and the willing obedience of Christ, who laid down his life for us, none of us could be saved (John 3:16; Romans 5:8,9). Sins caused the antediluvians to perish in the flood (Genesis 6,7). Sin brought destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18, 19). Sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34). Sin causes trouble for people while they are on earth and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Sin results in spiritual death (I Timothy 5:6). If not forgiven sinful living will result in eternal separation from God as well as punishment in hell for eternity. This is called the second death (Revelation 21:8). There is a way to be forgiven which is pointed out in Proverbs 6:17: "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil" The mercy and truth are provided by God through Jesus Christ. The departing from evil is what men must do. Sin is not something to be proud of but we need to "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (I Thessalonians 5:22). We need to "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." (Romans 12:9). In obedience to the Lord "our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." (Romans 6:6). We would recommend that you die to the love of sin by faith, die to the practice of sin by repentance, and die to the guilt of sin by baptism. Then the old man is crucified with Jesus Christ and you no longer serve sin. (Romans 6: 1-6).
3. THIS TEACHES US THAT THERE IS A WRATH TO COME. The Lord is coming one "day "in flaming fire taking vengeance of them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." (2 Thessalonians 1 :8,9). Knowing God is not only believing that He exists but having a knowledge of how He thinks and what he requires. Obeying the Gospel is Accepting Jesus Christ as Savior which is a five step process of hearing, faith, repentance, confession, and baptism. Holding on to Jesus is to continue to live a pure life, taking advantage of worship and Bible study, and using whatever service for the Lord we have the ability to do. Only in this way can we escape the wrath to come. Jesus also said, "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark 9: 47). The same thing is said of the foot or the hand. We should not want to live our lives out listening to the devils advice and living by it then have to suffer eternity with him in a burning hell (Matthew 25:41). God took thousands of years to give us a way to escape the guilt of our sins and go to heaven instead of hell. Why not turn to Christ today?
4. THIS TEACHES US THAT WE HAVE TO DISCIPLINE OUR LIVES IF WE WANT TO BE SAVED. The apostle Paul is a good example of one who learned this lesson. He said, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." (1 Corinthians 9:27). There is much putting away necessary to go to heaven. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice" (Ephesians 4:31). "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:6). "But now ye also put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds: and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Colossians 3:8-10). There is much putting on also necessary to going to heaven. We need a lot of replacement parts in our spiritual lives. "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body: and be ye thankful." (Colossians 3: 12-15). A large percent of the New Testament teaches us a discipline program where we are operating on our spiritual hearts and cleaning up our lives. Some people say, "that's a works salvation and not grace". It’s works all right - GOD'S WORKS - but it is still a matter of grace. When we have done all we are still unworthy and depending on God's grace. C.D.