Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
In the verse above Jesus gives example of eyes used to commit sin.
Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Then Jesus teaches that if the eye is the offender then get rid of the eye and save the body.
Matthew 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Then Jesus teaches that if the right hand is the offender then get rid of it and save the body.
Matthew 5:31-32 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: but I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Then Jesus gives an example of the use of the right hand writing a divorce that leads to commuting adultery.
It isn’t a coincidence that the right eye and right hand examples are bracketed by two corresponding examples.
I consider this literary device God uses, a parenthetical. Which means that the verses are bracketed and are to be understood in the of context of those parentheticals.
It is a profound method of instruction because, as in the above example, it allows Jesus to argue that if man thinks sin is caused by the body then, sacrifice the body, at the same time Jesus reveals that the heart is the true cause of sin. For even in the hand example we know that Jesus taught that God allowed divorce because of the hardness of men’s hearts who sought divorce rather than forgiveness and reconciliation.
By use of the parenthetical examples Jesus proves that the heart is the cause of sin, and that the body is corrupted by that heart of sin.
Jesus also shows that the law can be used to justify sin. That is, that a hardened, unloving heart, corrupts man’s understanding and use of the law.
The examples Jesus gives of cutting off of the eye and hand to save the body teaches us that the true cause of sin must be literally sacrificed for the sake of one’s salvation.
And since Jesus teaches that the heart of man is the offender we are doomed because we must lay down our own lives to escape hell and it’s to late for that since he proved we are rotten to the core.
The parenthetical horns of the dilemma.
The conclusion is that our literal need for salvation requires us to have the body put to death and for us to be born again with a new heart.
Only Jesus Christ is able to save us from the condemnation of the law while providing us salvation by making a new man.
And this shows that salvation although true now in the spirit, is not yet true in the flesh and soul. Salvation is promised us, and our faith assures us God’s word is true. But, we a left behind on earth to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling till Jesus returns.
What does working out our salvation mean?
It means believing on the one whom God sent to save us, Jesus Christ.
To do that we must remain faithful to Jesus and love not our lives unto death through all tribulation.
It is the grace of God that secures us not our faithfulness. For we stumble in our faith being yet weak. But we are not castaways because the strength of the faith of Jesus keeps us safe in his hand. But, we fear and tremble lest our faith be found wanting.
Stand therefore in the grace of God by faith in Jesus.