July 18, 2019
David, what did Jesus mean when He talked about plucking out your eye (Matt 5:29-30; Mk 9:43-48)?
SUMMARY: It is better to be a believer who suffers a loss to stop sinning than to be a whole unbeliever thrown into hell.
In this passage, Jesus is addressing His disciples with the multitude listening in. He is not telling His disciples that if they continue to sin, they will lose their salvation. He is certainly not suggesting if people stop sinning, they will avoid hell. He is telling his disciples that discipleship demands a radical effort to avoid a serious sin like the sin of adultery that He mentions (vv. 27-28). Of course, plucking out the eye and cutting off the hand are metaphors for a radical commitment to not sin.
As followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to take drastic measures to avoid sin. Sin misrepresents the Lord, despises His grace, and can cause less mature believers to sin, injuring their walk with the Lord.
Source Used
Bing, Charles C. Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship: How to Understand Some Difficult Bible Passages. Grace Theology Press, 64-66.