I CAN T KEEP MY EYES OFF OF YOU Matthew 5:27-30 In Matthew 5:21-48 we have six illustrations of RIGHTEOUS RELATIONSHIPS that Jesus gives. The first one we looked at last week based on the 6 th Commandment, ultimately deals with the SANCTITY OF LIFE. This week, we look at the SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE, based on the 7 th Commandment, which is the prohibition of ADULTERY. Matthew 5:27 You heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery. But as for myself, I am saying to you, everyone who is looking at a woman in order to indulge his sexual passion for her, already committed adultery with her in his heart. Wuest Jesus makes it clear that though the commandments speak of actual acts, the SPIRIT of the law goes much beyond the acts to the intentions of the heart. Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. NKJV Our outwardly righteousness might justify our righteousness on the basis that we have not physically committed murder or adultery, but inwardly, through anger and lust, we are guilty of breaking both commandments. When we are angry or hate, we commit murder. When we lust sexually, we commit adultery. Jesus affirms God's law of purity, and then explains that the intent of this law was to reveal the sanctity of sex and marriage, and the sinfulness of the human heart. That s the good news. The bad news is that just as with ANGER and MURDER, IF WE COME TO A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SAVIOR S WORDS, we will see that all of us have been, are, or will be guilty of committing adultery. Every person has experienced temptation to anger and to sexual sin, and every person has at some time and to some degree given in to those temptations. Because of that fact, every person is guilty before God of murder and of adultery. Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. NKJV Sexual impurity begins in the desires of the heart. LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR Jesus is not saying that lustful desires are identical to lustful deeds. If so, some people might just try and rationalize this and say, If I am guilty of adultery when I have lustful thoughts I might just as well go ahead and commit adultery. The desire and the deed are not identical, but, spiritually speaking, they are equivalent.
I CAN T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU Page 2 of 6 Let s look at what Jesus said and meant. You heard that it was said, Verbal tradition: TRADITIONALISM Thanksgiving Christmas Easter ILLUS: Family cooks ham by cutting off the end... But as for myself, I am saying to you, The pronoun I is emphatic, indicating that Jesus puts His own word above the authority of revered rabbinic tradition. - This would call them to attention and make them think. 'You shall not commit adultery.' Everyone who is looking at a woman in order to indulge his sexual passion for her, already committed adultery with her in his heart. Wuest looking is a present participle and refers to the continuous process of looking. In this usage, the idea is not that of an incidental or involuntary glance but of intentional and repeated gazing. "with a view to The "look" that Jesus mentioned was not a casual glance, but a constant stare with the purpose of lusting. It is possible for a man to glance at a beautiful woman and know that she is beautiful, but not lust after her. The man Jesus described looked at the woman for the purpose of feeding his inner sensual appetites as a substitute for the act. It was not accidental; it was planned. lust epithumeo (ep-ee-thoo-meh'-o) epi to set upon thumeo passion or desire to set the heart upon (Also translated COVET.) A person is looking, gazing, staring at another person in order to lust after them, to possess and dominate the other person completely, to use them for their own pleasure. MacArthur It is not lustful looking that causes the sin in the heart, but the sin in the heart that causes lustful looking. The lustful looking is but the expression of a heart that is already immoral and adulterous. The heart is the soil where the seeds of sin are imbedded and begin to grow. The man who casts lustful looks is an adulterer to begin with. The sin is already "in his heart" and only comes out in his lustful look. If the heart were pure no lustful look would be possible. Our very hearts and nature must be so changed by divine grace. James 1:15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. NLT Lust-Sin-Death the most dangerous form of LSD, and that s how it happened for David, a husband was killed and a baby died as a result. Men are very visual creatures, and Jesus said we can commit adultery with just a look so we must set up
I CAN T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU Page 3 of 6 serious safeguards: James 1:15 MSG Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. MSG Job 31:1 I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman. NIV Men, we all need to make some covenants: The television, the computer, magazines, coworkers, neighbors, complete strangers! I CAN T KEEP MY EYES OFF OF YOU. Oh be careful little eyes what you see! APPETITE LEADS TO ACTION 2 Peter 2:14-15 14 Every time they look at a woman they want her, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into the trap of sin, and they have taught their hearts to be greedy. God will punish them! 15 These false teachers left the right road and lost their way, NCV I. When You Look Upon Something It Can Bring Condemnation. A. EVE IN THE GARDEN. Genesis 3:6 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. NKJV She looked and she took and she lost her place in the garden. JOKE: Speaking of Adam and Eve, someone has suggested that they had an ideal marriage. He didn t have to hear about all the men she could have married--and she didn t have to hear about the way his mother cooked. B. LOT S WIFE. Genesis 19:26 26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. NKJV And she wouldn t even have been in that wicked city of Sodom except for the look that her husband Lot gave in that direction when he selfishly chose the best land when given the choice by Abraham. C. ACHAN Joshua 7:21 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them..." NKJV
coveted set heart upon, greatly desired, LUSTED D. DAVID & BATHSHEBA. I CAN T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU Page 4 of 6 2 Samuel 11:2 Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. NKJV That beginning look can take us down a slippery slope. EXAMPLE: Man skiing the Eiger. Once you point the skis downhill, your gone. A good way to keep from going down the wrong path is not to even look in that general direction! II. When You Look At Something It Can Bring Justification. The children of Israel in the wilderness were being judged for their sin, griping, murmuring, and lack of faith. Numbers 21:8 The Lord said to Moses, "Make a bronze snake, and put it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, that person will live." NCV John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, And all who look to Jesus can live! They mustn t look at the wrong thing only looking to the serpent would spare their lives. Sadly, today: MANY ARE LOOKING TO A CHURCH MANY ARE LOOKING TO CHURCH ATTENDANCE MANY ARE LOOKING TO THEIR MORALITY MANY ARE LOOKING TO THEIR SINCERITY But they look in the wrong direction unless they look to Jesus! Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith Condemnation, justification III. When You Look At Something It Can Bring Sanctification. Peter, James, and John, the inner circle among Jesus disciples were taken aside to a high mountain where they saw the transfiguration of Christ in other words, they saw Him in His glory, shining as the sun.
I CAN T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU Page 5 of 6 Matthew 17:8 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. NKJV They saw the Truth. They saw the light. Just as we find salvation when we look to Jesus, the Christian can then go on unto sanctification when we take our eyes off of the temporal things of this life and keep our eyes on Jesus! ILLUS: When Peter walked on the water he began to sink when he saw the winds and waves around him, but when he looked to Jesus he was alright! What s the first thing you look to each morning? Yourself, newspaper, news on TV 2 Corinthians 4:18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. NLT Psalms 5:3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. NKJV Daily sanctification is just a look away! Then enter your day, and look at it differently Not only justification and sanctification, but also... IV. When You Look At Something It Can Bring Glorification. 1 John 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and we have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. But we know that when Christ comes again, we will be like him, because we will see him as he really is. NCV THE CURSE WILL BE LIFTED. DEATH WILL BE SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY. THE POWER OF TEMPTATION and SIN WILL LOSE ITS GRIP. ALL SICKNESS WILL BE ELIMINATED. DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISCOURAGEMENT WILL EVAPORATE. ALL LUST, GREED, MALICE, JEALOUSY, AND HEARTACHE WILL BE GONE FOREVER. Think of these last days we are living in when reading the newspaper is like reading the book of Revelation!... Luke 21:28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!" NLT How do we get victory? By purifying the desires of the heart and disciplining the actions of the body.
I CAN T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU Page 6 of 6 Titus 2:12-13 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. NLT 2 Cor. 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. NLT Romans 13:14 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 4 We fight with weapons that are different from those the world uses. Our weapons have power from God that can destroy the enemy's strong places. We destroy people's arguments 5 and every proud thing that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ. NCV How do we get victory? By purifying the desires of the heart and disciplining the actions of the body. Romans 13:14 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. 1 Corinthians 9:27 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. NKJV Hebrews 12:1-2... let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. NLT I CAN T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU, JESUS!