Guarding 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. 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.
Matthew 5:27–30
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Guarding the Heart
Jesus teaches us that the Sixth Commandment reaches deeper than outward actions. Sin begins in the heart, where desire can turn a person created in God’s image into an object for our own gratification. His severe language about removing whatever causes us to sin emphasizes that we should take temptation seriously and flee from it rather than nourish it. Yet this command exposes more than the sins we can see. It exposes the sinful heart we cannot cleanse by our own efforts. We need more than better habits; we need a Savior. At the cross, Christ bore the guilt of our impurity, lust, and every violation of God’s holy Law. His blood cleanses sinners who confess their sin and trust in Him. Therefore, repent of sinful desires, guard what you see and entertain, and cling to Christ. In Him there is forgiveness, and by His Word and Spirit He daily teaches us to honor our neighbor and live in chastity and purity.
Matthew 5:27–30
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Guarding the Heart
Jesus teaches us that the Sixth Commandment reaches deeper than outward actions. Sin begins in the heart, where desire can turn a person created in God’s image into an object for our own gratification. His severe language about removing whatever causes us to sin emphasizes that we should take temptation seriously and flee from it rather than nourish it. Yet this command exposes more than the sins we can see. It exposes the sinful heart we cannot cleanse by our own efforts. We need more than better habits; we need a Savior. At the cross, Christ bore the guilt of our impurity, lust, and every violation of God’s holy Law. His blood cleanses sinners who confess their sin and trust in Him. Therefore, repent of sinful desires, guard what you see and entertain, and cling to Christ. In Him there is forgiveness, and by His Word and Spirit He daily teaches us to honor our neighbor and live in chastity and purity.
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2026
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