Pastor Talks Boldly Against Sexual Immorality

[Fez]

Jesus said if we even look at another women with a lustful eye we are guilty of committing adultery. That's pretty harsh. Is there no difference between thinking lustful thoughts and acting on them? I would hope so otherwise a lot of us are screwed.

It does seem harsh, yes. But being married, and then thinking about another man's wife, daughter or sister, to say nothing of the "object" of your lust, or what your wife might think (I am also married), kind of puts it in a new perspective. Much of the stuff Jesus told us not to do has very practical, besides spiritual application.

[Tinky]

God equates lust with actually committing the act of adultery, because God judges with complete righteousness.

[nebula]

ndibiru - That's the devil speaking to you.

[stevethewriter]

Jesus said if we even look at another women with a lustful eye we are guilty of committing adultery. That's pretty harsh. Is there no difference between thinking lustful thoughts and acting on them? I would hope so otherwise a lot of us are screwed.

This is a big big question. I have recently begun ministry studies with an eye towards a ministry focused on sexual purity.

I truly believe the scripture referenced here keeps a lot of men from even trying to reach out to Jesus simply because they believe there's no possible way to do what He's asking them to.

I'd like to make a few points on this. First, noting that a woman is physically attractive is in my opinion NOT a violation of this scripture because it is possible to appreciate a nice looking woman walking by without automatically thinking of other more inappropriate things. You may disagree, but I know for me I can look at a woman, say "that's a nice looking lady" and keep my thoughts from entering into inappropriate territory. Unfortunately it only takes an INSTANT to cross the boundary from acceptable to unacceptable in this area. Staying on the right side is a learned habit more than anything else.

Sex is EVERYWHERE in our culture. I know for a lot men (and women too), the battle against Lust/immorality seems to be almost hopeless because of the constant barrage of provocative material out there. Even if you avoid R rated movies and limit your TV viewing and web browsing, you're not immune. I had to leave a pool I was swimming in awhile back because there were too many skimpy swimsuits around. It was tough, I hated having to bail but it was the right thing because it kept my mind on the right things.

If you're trying to deal with this, bear in mind you won't get it perfect on day one.

A skyscraper is not built in a day.

A student doesn't start classes one week and get a PhD the next.

An entry level employee probably won't be CEO in six months time.

Growth takes time. Development takes time. Learning takes time.

Some people get it in their head that God has a certain limit of sins we are allowed to commit before He won't care about us anymore. It's a very human way of looking at things. We live in a world of limits, a world of "x number of chances and that's it". God's love for us has no limits. It is boundless and unending.

Rather than getting wrapped up in numbers, it's about where your HEART is. You may fall 3 times, 13 times or even 30 times but if you truly are seeking Jesus and truly are of the mindset that you have a problem that needs to be addressed and faithful that God won't give up on you then you're going in the right direction. When starting my journey towards controlling my struggle with lust, I had many falls and setbacks, but I didn't STOP WORKING AT IT. Go back to the school example. Just because a student bombs a test or fails an assignment doesn't mean he won't graduate when the day comes.

I do believe it's past time for the Church to get real about sex. The lust struggle is one of the most pressing issues facing the Church today. In fact, I can't think of a single Christian I know who hasn't dealt with this in the past couple of years or so. It's that widespread and unfortunately Churches are doing a poor job of equipping believers with the tools to deal with this. That's why I've felt called to this area of ministry.

Edited October 29, 2012 by stevethewriter