7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! 8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.
Jesus dealt with the subject of this passage (vv.7-9) in 5:29-30.
18:7
Woe [alas-a lamentation] to the world because of offenses!
People are culpable for their sins.
For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!
Jesus explained that it is inevitable that we will offend God. There are spiritual forces out there that seduce the believer.
18:8
“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire.
“Enter into life” here is when a person becomes a believer. This does not deal with the actual point of entering into heaven here. The only time when we can become a believer is in time, not eternity. A person begins eternal life at the point of salvation:
John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
It is necessary to take drastic action to deal with sin. Jesus used hyperbolic language to describe how we must deal with the gravity of sin. It is better to surgically cut off our hand if the hand causes us to sin. The idea is to deal with sin decisively. This does not teach self-mutilation.
18:9
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life [eternal life] with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.
The foot, hand, and eye are not the true source of spiritual temptation. They are hyperbolic illustrations of spiritual warfare. Temptation comes from within. Spiritual surgery is necessary to deal with sin.
The “offense” in this passage is the unbeliever expressing his unbelief. Although only unbelievers are in danger of eternal hell fire, the believer must deal with sin radically as well. God always deal with sin in judgment, either on Christ or on us.
PRINCIPLE:
In order to overcome temptation, we need to deal with sin severely.
APPLICATION:
To toy with sin is to invite spiritual collapse. Spiritual Christians must deal with sin decisively. This may mean going into the head wind of prevailing opinion. Eternal values take priority over temporal values.
This scripture was given to me by the Holy Spirit. I left an abusive husband. I am so weak, as he is a narcissist, Where he is concerned. I say what he wants to hear. I lie. I blocked him but he was calling me with other numbers. I finally changed my phone number. The Temptations to call him sometime is it very great. I kept praying and praying and God gave me the scripture and I realize I had to completely cut off all communication to protect myself from sin.