“Cut off your right hand” is a Bible verse that means you should separate yourself from any sin that may keep you from inheriting eternal life in the age to come.
This excerpt is derived from a passage in Matthew 5:29-30, which says
“And 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.”
The context in which Christ Jesus spoke these words was when he was addressing the issue of lust. He told his listeners that adultery begins when a man looks at a woman and then lusts for her. When this happens, that man will have committed adultery in his heart even before he physically sleeps with the woman (Matthew 6:28).
In other words, Jesus is teaching us to deal with the lusts of the flesh if we want to inherit everlasting life. He is instructing us to give up those sinful lusts and lead holy lives.
There are two kinds of lusts that we must contend with in our daily lives. They are identified by the apostle John in the book of 1 John 2:15-17. The scripture says
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
How can you deal with the lust of the flesh?
As believers who are keen on inheriting everlasting life, we should learn how to deal with the lust of the flesh. In order to overcome the flesh, the apostle Paul teaches that we should always walk in the Spirit. He instructs us that when we choose to walk in the Spirit, it will be impossible to fulfill the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
According to scriptures, the works of flesh include adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, and revels (Galatians 5:19-21).
So according to Jesus, if you cannot put off the identified works of the flesh, they are going to cost you eternal life, and you will therefore miss the kingdom of God. This simply means that as a believer, if you don’t renounce adultery, contentions, dissensions, drunkenness, envy, fornication, hatred, heresies, idolatry, jealousy, murder, revels, selfish ambitions, uncleanness, and wrath, you are on your way to hell!
How can you deal with the lust of the eye?
As believers, we need to learn how to deal with the lust of the eye. In the Garden of Eden, Eve ate the forbidden fruit because of the lust of the eye. This is recorded in Genesis 3:6 as follows:
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise, she took its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”
So the desire of her eyes caused her to rebel against God’s instruction.
In the same manner, most believers rebel against God’s word by choosing to act on the desire of their eyes. After seeing something, they can’t simply get that thing out of their minds until they get it by whatever means.
A story is told of how on one evening King David was at home and decided to go and rest on his balcony. When he got there, his eyes fell on a woman who was taking a bath a small distance away. The woman was very beautiful and got the attention of David. The woman’s name was Bathsheba. David could thus not get his mind off what he had seen. To cut a long story short, David sent for her and lay with her. So by so doing, David committed adultery (2 Samuel 11:1-5). This was the first sin.
Then, David was told that Bathsheba had become pregnant for him. So King David got Bathsheba’s husband, named Uriah, killed. So now David committed murder (2 Samuel 11:6-18). This became the second sin.
The lesson we learn here is that it all began after David’s eyes fell on the woman while she was taking a bath. The desire to have sex with Bathsheba was too overwhelming for David to bear, and thus he called for her and slept with her. So your eyes can ignite such a strong desire in your heart, which, if not properly handled, may drive you into sin.
Therefore, you need to tame the lust of the eyes before it gets you into trouble. And the only way to do that is by walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16).
In Romans 1:24, we read of individuals whose actions were driven by the lusts of their hearts. Therefore, God gave them over to sexual perversions where men lusted after fellow men and committed abominable acts with each other.
In Ephesians 3:20-24, the apostle Paul teaches that believers can overcome lust by putting off the old man and putting on the new man. This is because the new man is created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness.
The Bible also teaches that the desire to be rich drives many into foolish and harmful lusts that ultimately drown them in destruction and perdition (1Timothy 6:9-11). Meaning, if you lust for riches, you will do anything and everything to gain them. This may likely include use of un-Biblical means to obtain the wealth. It is for this reason that the Bible cautions believers against the love for money. This is because the love of money is the root of all evil, and it causes many a faithful person to go astray (1Timothy 6:9-11). So do not allow the lust for money to keep you from entering the kingdom of God.
Young people are also advised to flee youthful lusts so that their hearts can remain pure (2 Timothy 2:22).
The Bible also teaches us that the grace of God has appeared to all men to enable them to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts (1 Titus 2:11-12). So at all times, rely on the grace of God to overcome all your lusts.
In conclusion, it is better to denounce your lusts so as to inherit the kingdom of God. This is because worldly lusts are temporary and will be done away with in the coming age. So learn to focus your attention on spiritual things, which are both permanent and everlasting. May the following words from James 1:21 help you in denouncing worldly lusts and pursuing righteousness:
“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflowing wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”
I hope this is helpful. Shalom.
‘Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.’ (Revelation 1:4-6)
Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/
Also Read: Kinds of people who will not enter heaven
Related Post: Meaning of eternal life
My name is Nicodemus. I'm a Kenyan by birth. I got saved over 30 years ago while in high school.
I love studying scriptures in order to enhance my comprehension of God and His plan for mankind.
I have an MBA degree in strategic management and a BSc degree in botany and zoology.
I’m married to a loving lady called Leah. God has gifted us three sons: Wayne, Salem, and Michael.
(cellphone no.: +254 723 753820 or email: nolilo76@gmail.com)
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