Matthew 5:27-30 | The Truth About The Mind, Trespass, Sin, and Scandalize
Memory Verse
You have heard that it was said, do not commit adultery. I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with the purpose to strongly desire her, already has committed adultery in his heart. And if your right eye scandalizes you, take it out and cast it from you; for it is together profitable to you in order that one of your members should perish and not your whole body cast into Gehenna . And if your right hand scandalizes you, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is together profitable in order that one of your members perish and not your whole body is destroyed in Gehenna (Matthew 5:27–30).
There is a major error based on these passages that is propagated in Christianity today by false teachers. These verses are used to support the false teaching that you can sin in your mind. This claim is strengthened by many mistranslations in our English versions of the Bible, which were intentionally modified to support it. That statement may seem a bit harsh, but let’s look at what this passage actually states in Scripture and context so you can make a determination for yourself.
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states the laws of His kingdom to the Jews. There are no Christians at this time, nor has any revelation been given that there will be a Church. If Satan and the leaders of this age knew what would happen by putting Christ to death, they would never have crucified the Lord (1 Corinthians 2:8). Jesus is only addressing Israel; therefore, it cannot be applied to Christians. What Jesus states in His message is not meant to change, explain, or clarify the meaning of the Mosaic Law. He has already stated that He did not come to lose the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). Not one jot or tittle will be removed from the law until it is fulfilled (Matthew 5:18). Therefore, when it comes to Christ’s statements in the Sermon on the Mount, “You have heard, but I say to you,” He is not giving His insight into the Mosaic law; he is laying down a new law.
In Jeremiah 31:33, the prophet foretells of a time when God will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. Under this new covenant, His law will be written on their inner parts, upon their hearts. When this happens, no one will need to teach his neighbor about God, for everyone will know the Lord (Jeremiah 31:34). Since covenants cannot be modified once they are made (Galatians 3:15), the only way to remove the Mosaic law is for the testator to die (Hebrews 9:16–17). Once the law is removed, it is not revised and added again. The Mosaic law is a rational law (Romans 7:14). It was given so that through it we could learn about our sin nature and our inability to work out righteousness because of its control over us (Romans 7:7). Christians are not under law, yet adultery for a Christian is still a sin because it is an act contrary to God’s standards for the Church (Romans 6:14). Therefore, it is reasonable that during the Millennial kingdom, adultery will still remain a sin. However, Jesus does not say, “If you commit adultery, you have sinned.” Rather, He addresses what is going on in the mind.
Sin is an action; an act of lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Sin is always exterior to the body (1 Corinthians 6:18). For sin to come out, a determination must occur in the mind to fulfill the strong desire that is contrary to God’s expectations of conduct. James explains the process we go through that produces sin in James 1:14–15. We are tempted, determine to give in to temptation, and then commit sin. The acceptance of the temptation as our own, joined with the determination to fulfill it, is a trespass that happens within the mind and is described as conception. Sin is then born from this trespass. Jesus’ statement does not change this process. The man is looking at a woman for the purpose of strongly desiring her. This is a trespass, not a sin.
In Ephesians 2:1, Scripture reveals that trespass and sin are distinct. In Romans 5:12, Adam’s sin brought physical death to all humans. In Romans 5:17, Adam’s trespass resulted in spiritual separation from God for all men. A trespass is an aspect of unrighteousness, but it cannot be sin since we were dead in both our trespasses and sins. Yet, all sin is unrighteous (1 John 5:17).
When Jesus stated, “everyone who looks at a woman with the purpose to strongly desire her, already has committed adultery in his heart”, He is not changing what a trespass or sin is; rather, He is changing where the bar is set for judgment. God is not imputing trespasses to men today (2 Corinthians 5:19). However, in Christ’s kingdom righteousness will rule (Hebrews 1:8–9; Isaiah 32:1). Therefore, all who scandalize and all who practice lawlessness will be punished (Matthew 13:41). God will impute their trespasses to them because the environment has changed. Satan is bound, the world system is destroyed, and God’s law is written on their hearts (Revelation 20:2; Psalm 2:8; Ezekiel 36:26-27). These are not conditions we face today.
When a man looks upon a woman with the purpose to strongly desire her, he is committing a trespass, not a sin. In the Millennial Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Heavens, since God’s law is written on the heart and therefore known, this man has to intentionally violate what he knows is God’s standard to even permit the thought of desiring another man’s wife to take hold. This is then a blatant trespass, for which he will be held liable. For the Christians, as sons, we are to train our senses to discern what is proper and what is wrong (Hebrews 5:14). Since our mind is to be framed on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, not on the things of this earth, when a man looks at a woman for the purpose of committing adultery with her, he is unrighteous and not framing his mind correctly (Colossians 3:1–3). Adultery is a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19). When a Christian is walking by the Spirit, he will not fulfill the desires from the flesh (Galatians 5:16–17). Thus, this type of mindset is not one of maturity and is to be rejected by the grace believer. Although today God is not imputing trespasses, when a Christian determines to do something against God’s standards, he is in an unrighteous state. This state of mind will lead to sin unless he takes the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).
In the Millennial Kingdom, a man who determines to violate God’s law is held accountable for that decision, even before it becomes a sin. Unlike today, since the Jews in the Kingdom of the Heavens will know God from their youth, having his law written on their heart, such a determination in the mind will scandalize them. Out of an act of mercy, God permits that man to remove the offending part, lest he be cast with it into Gehenna (Matthew 5:29–30). In direct contrast to this, the Christian is to confess his sin, not trespass, and take the way of escape (1 John 1:9). Confession is agreement with God that his action is sin. When the temptation is still in his mind, even if he has determined to perform it, he is to take the way of escape before he works out the desire to produce sin (2 Corinthians 10:4–5).
Learn about ways to escape temptation and overcome sin at TheChristianLife.org. Victory over the sin nature: Know, reckon, yield. Overcoming Satan: the armor of God. Crucified to the world: We live in it, but are not of it; therefore, we do not abuse it.