Keeping the Sixth Commandment
1 Grace is a new life in the heart of all those who love God. It not only acts differently, it simply is different. We are salt and light because of God's grace in us. We have been converted from our old sinful nature into something entirely new. We are a new creation.
2 If grace enables us to truly keep the fifth commandment, then what about the sixth? "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Deuteronomy 5:18 What did Jesus have to say about this?
You have heard that it has been said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28
Jesus is talking about the purposeful staring gaze of a man who has adultery on his mind and in his heart. Any man, or woman, on the hunt like that is already guilty of adultery. The sin is already in the heart and comes out in the lustful look. Lust is a wrong desire that cannot be fulfilled in righteousness. Anyone can be guilty. An unmarried man or woman can be just as guilty as those who are married. This adultery also includes fornication. Near adultery -- or near fornication (arousing passion or self gratification) is also sin. Lesbianism or homosexuality are also sin. Any sex outside of marriage is sin. A person on the hunt for those things is already guilty.
If the heart was pure, without adultery, no lustful looking would come out of it. The sixth commandment really calls for a pure heart which keeps even the eyes pure. Such a pure heart can only be the result of healing grace. The Pharisees could not produce it.
3 It seems that the Pharisees and their followers were offering excuses.
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. Matthew 5:29-30
The excuse that "my eye made me do it", or "my hand made me do it" is lame. The excuse is ridiculous, but the cure is ridiculously correct. If a man had an infected limb that was endangering his life, he would not hesitate to cut it off. The hypocrisy of the Pharisees can clearly be seen. If it really was your eye or your hand that caused you to do it, why did you not cut it off? But it was not the eye or the hand -- it was the heart. If it was the hand you could cut it off, but then what would you do with the other hand? Jesus had a sense of humor, and satire. He was satirizing {poking fun at} the Pharisees' hypocrisy.
Should the heart then be removed? Yes, it should! The person needs a new heart -- needs to be converted. GOD can change a person's heart...
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;
I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes,
and you will keep My judgments and do them." Ezekiel 36:26-27Giving a person a new heart is something God can do. That is how the sixth commandment can be - kept.
4 Jesus was using a well known form of teaching called kal-ve-chomer (light & heavy). This method contrasted two stages of sin, the light and the heavy. The idea was to nip a sin in the bud (cut it off), while it was still in the light stage thus preventing it from ever reaching the heavy stage. Jesus was a master of the teaching practices of His times. By using this "light and heavy" method Jesus hoped to humorously expose the Pharisees' hypocrisy to themselves -- and lead them to repentance. Jesus loved the Pharisees.
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