‘God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. ‘ 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5(NLT)
‘Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. ‘ 1 Corinthians 6:18(NLT)
‘The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.’ 1 Corinthians 10:13(NLT)
‘But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ‘ Matthew 5:28(NLT)
If we look at the Ten Commandments to see what they says about sex, most people breathe a sigh of relief because it says “don’t commit adultery.” Almost everyone entering marriage would say that is a line they will not cross. Their intent and desire is to be faithful to their spouse “till death do them part.” Then a few thousand years later when Jesus came to this earth, He took it up a notch—a big notch. Jesus said that if we even look at a woman lustfully in our heart that is the same as committing adultery. That changes the definition. We go from the “faithful” line to the “committed adultery” line—not a good move at all.
Jesus has a way of changing things and it’s not because He wants to make things difficult for us. That’s not it at all. What He wants is for us to live full, abundant lives and to have full, abundant marriages, and he knows lust has no business in either.
You may be saying to yourself, “Okay. I get that but how? How do I keep my thoughts and mind pure in this culture? It seems almost impossible.” You know what? I agree. In fact, I’ll take it one step farther. In our culture today it is impossible—without God’s help. The good news is that He does help. He will help you keep your thoughts pure. He will help you keep your sexual desire for your spouse only. He will remind you to look the other way when you need to. Jesus in no way gave us that new interpretation of adultery without giving us the ability to keep the command. Your role? Give that area of your life over to Him. You will be amazed what He will do!
Today’s Challenge:
What are paths that “honor your marriage” when it comes to lust?
Going Deeper:
1. How is “lust” viewed in our culture today?
2. How do you define lusting in your heart?
3. Dr. Kim says the best sex ever is in the context of a Christian marriage. What does he mean by that?
4. If lust is an issue for you, will you take a first step toward healing today?
from Seven Deadly Sins And Your Marriage by Dr. Kim Kimberling