Matthew 5:27–30
I. MISUNDERSTANDING THE PASSAGE — SURFACE VS. SPIRIT
- Jesus wasn’t commanding self-mutilation or just using shock value.
- He was showing that external fixes don’t solve internal sin.
- Matthew 5:28 says looking lustfully is already adultery in the heart.
- Mark 7:20–23 says sin comes from within — from the heart.
- Cutting off a hand or gouging out an eye won’t cleanse bitterness, lust, or pride.
- The issue is not our body parts — it’s our heart.
II. THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE HEART
- Every sinful act is the fruit — the heart is the root.
- Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is deceitful and beyond cure.
- Proverbs 4:23 says everything flows from the heart — so it must be guarded.
- You can’t amputate your way into holiness or censor your way into righteousness.
- You need a new heart.
III. GOD PROMISED TO SOLVE THE HEART PROBLEM
- Rules and effort won’t fix a sinful heart — but God promised regeneration.
- Ezekiel 36:26 promises a new heart and spirit from God.
- Psalm 51:10 — David cries, “Create in me a clean heart.”
- The gospel is not self-help — it’s divine heart surgery.
- When Christ saves you, He replaces your heart, not repairs the old one.
IV. CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT TRANSFORMATION, NOT MODIFICATION
- Moral effort can modify behavior but can’t produce true holiness.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 says in Christ we are a new creation.
- Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by renewing our minds.
- Without heart change, modification leads to:
- Hypocrisy (Matthew 23:25)
- Frustration (Romans 7:24)
- Failure (Galatians 3:3)
- Heart transformation leads to:
- Joyful obedience
- True holiness
- Lasting change
V. ONLY JESUS CAN CHANGE THE HEART
- The command to “cut off sin” pushes us toward desperation.
- John 3:3 says you must be born again.
- Titus 3:5 reminds us that He saved us through regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
- We can’t fix ourselves or obey our way into salvation.
- We must come broken, aware of our sinful heart, and trust Jesus to give us a new one.
CONCLUSION — THE REAL RADICAL AMPUTATION IS SURRENDER
- Jesus wasn’t calling for self-mutilation — He was pointing to the sinful heart as the root.
- The good news: You can’t change your heart… but Jesus already dealt with sin at the cross.
- When you surrender to Him, He gives you a new heart now and will perfect it in eternity.
- Stop focusing on fixing your hands — start surrendering your heart.
INVITATION / ALTAR CALL
- Are you still trying to modify what Jesus wants to transform?
- Have you been cutting the fruit while ignoring the root?
- Today is the day to come to Him for a new heart.
Full Message: