The meaning of Matthew 5:29 is that disciples of Jesus will be cast into hell if they fail to stop lusting after women with their eyes. That’s a strong statement, I know. And it runs contrary to the doctrine of unconditional eternal security, or the doctrine of once-saved-always-saved, which you may believe. But this truth remains anyway. Disciples of Jesus will end up in hell if they never forsake their sin of lusting after women with their eyes. You have Jesus’ word on this.
See for yourself. This teaching in Matthew 5:29 is from the famous sermon that Jesus delivered on a mountainside at the start of his ministry. You and I know it as the Sermon on the Mount. So, who is the audience for this sermon, who does the sermon apply to? You learn this from the first verse in the chapter: “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying . . .” Notice the audience–“his disciples”–that’s Jesus’ disciples. Here is what Jesus tells his followers:
You have heard that it was 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. 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 5:27-30
Notice our verse, Matthew 5:29: “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.” So, how do we explain Matthew 5:29?
Well, notice the context. Jesus is talking about the sin of you being a follower of Jesus who lusts at women with your eyes. Jesus says this is adultery. Then, Jesus gives you the remedy for this sin. Or, to be more precise, Jesus gives you the defense against this sin: “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you.”
Now, Jesus doesn’t mean that you are to literally pluck out your right eye. What Jesus is teaching is that, as a Christian, as a believer, as a born-again disciple of Jesus, you must eliminate all sources of visual, sexual temptation from your life. You must identify the people, places and things that cause you to sin by looking at women to lust after them, and you must remove these from your life, and do so permanently. This is why Jesus says you must both pluck out your eye and throw it away. The steps you take to prevent lusting after women with your eyes must be drastic, costly, and permanent.
For example, you cancel your subscription to Sports Illustrated. You install porn-blocking software on your phone. You throw out those filthy DVDs. You move your computer to a public place in your home. You chuck your TV into the dumpster.
Now, notice the warning that Jesus has for His disciples: “for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Here we get to the primary meaning of Matthew 5:29. If you are a born-again disciple of Jesus, and if you look at women to lust after them, and if you fail to take adequate steps to permanently prevent yourself from lusting in this way, your whole body will be cast into hell. End of story.
You see that Jesus gives you zero exceptions. He doesn’t say that, if you are eternally saved, then you can look at women with lust and not be cast into hell. He doesn’t teach you that, if you are once-saved-always-saved, then you can look at women to lust after them, and commit adultery in the process, and still get to heaven, guaranteed. No. Jesus is direct, clear, unequivocal: If you are a disciple of Jesus who looks at women to lust after them, and if you don’t obey Jesus by taking the costly and permanent measures needed to prevent your sin, then you will be cast into hell, no question.
Notice also that Jesus is not being abstract with his disciples here. He is not speaking in theoretical terms. He is speaking to His disciples as individuals. He is speaking to YOU as a disciple of His. This teaching is for every disciple, then and now. This teaching is for “WHOEVER looks at a woman to lust for her.” Notice Jesus’ language: “for it is more profitable for YOU that one of YOUR members perish, than for YOUR whole body to be cast into hell.” Jesus wants you to take this teaching of His personally.
So, here’s the good news. If you are a professing Christian who is guilty of this sin, when will you be cast into hell? As soon as you die. Are you dead yet? No. Which means you have time right now to forsake your sexual sin and to turn to Jesus for forgiveness. You have time, today, to pluck out your right eye and to cast it from you. So, be warned. Some disciples of Jesus who think their salvation is eternally secure will be cast into hell for their ongoing sin of looking at women with lust. You don’t have to be one of them.