S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

The dictionary definition of lust is "1) intense or unrestrained sexual craving, or 2) an overwhelming desire or craving." The Bible speaks of lust in several ways. Exodus 20:14, 17 (NLT), "Do not ...

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July 01 2013 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Grant Abbott Supporter Child of Father, Follower of Son, Student of Spirit

Lust is any desire that is born of human flesh, which is controlled by our sinful human nature. This nature is manipulated and controlled by the evil forces that drive the culture of our world. 

Any desire that is born of God will lead to thoughts, words and actions that are pleasing to God, that result in holy and righteous living, according to the standards that God has laid out in the bible.

James 1:14-18 says:
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Lust is sin that leads to death. The death of dreams, ambitions, plans, relationships, health, love, joy, peace, hope, faith, etc.

Godly desire leads to the firstfruits of righteous living that glorifies God and results in eternal life and rewards.

Let’s examine a couple of the most common and powerful lusts that impact people, including Christians, and draw some contrasts with godly desires, that can protect us from these temptations:

Lust of Sex
This desire is fueled by the pornofied culture we live in. Sexually explicit imagery is everywhere we go. Desires are aroused and we pursue their satisfaction through pornography or sexual relationships outside of marriage. 

But how would God have us deal with this desire? The bible talks about us fleeing from temptation, but sexual imagery is everywhere. I think a better solution is to fight evil with good. When we encounter an image that arouses a sexual desire, we need to begin to pray, thanking God for creating the physical beauty that we enjoy looking at, and asking God to help the person we are seeing, to honour God with their body. We cannot have evil thoughts while we are praying to God, so we keep on praying until the desire passes. Keep praying wholesome and healthy outcomes to overcome evil with good.

Lust for Popularity:
This lust is fueled by the desperate loneliness that many people live with. The number of likes on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram our YouTube posts affirm that we matter and people care about us. But many of these likes come from people we have never met, or whom we haven’t had a personal conversation with for a long time. Their affirmation is hollow and deceptive. It feeds our desire so we become captivated by social media.

But how would God have us respond? I believe he would have us pick 3 or 4 people we would like to become good friends with. Then focus our time and energy on personal connections, conversations and activities with these people. I believe we will discover that these relationships will affirm our self worth and identity, in ways that are much more fulfilling and satisfying, than chasing likes on social media. Overcome the traps and slavery of social media but investing our lives in a few other people. Overcome evil with good.

June 19 2019 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

What is lust? What does the Bible have to say about lust?

"You’re In Trouble" {I found this sermon illustration online}: 

While my wife and I were shopping at a mall kiosk, a shapely young woman in a short, form-fitting dress strolled by. My eyes followed her. Without looking up from the item she was examining, my wife asked, “Was it worth the trouble you’re in?”

Drew Anderson, (Tucson, AZ), Reader’s Digest

Epithumia (lust) is used most frequently of the Greek words for “lust” in the New Testament, and means a longing for the unlawful, hence, concupiscence, desire, lust. The following references hold the idea, not only of sinful desire known as "fleshly," "worldly," as opposed to "spiritual" "heavenly," "the will of man" as opposed to "the will of God," but also the sensual desire connected with adultery, fornication; verb in Mt 5:28; Jn 8:44; Gal 5:16,17,24.

Too many, Lord, abuse Thy grace,
In this licentious day;
And while they boast they see Thy face,
They turn their own away.

I had much trouble with lust before I met Jesus! I was "on the hunt for sex, sex, and more sex—insatiable, indiscriminate, promiscuous." Now I follow Galatians 5:16 and Galatians 5:24.

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace. —2 Timothy 2:22

According to Greek mythology, sirens (sea nymphs) inhabited certain Mediterranean coastal areas. As ships passed by, the sirens sang such enchanting songs that the sailors, drawn by the music, would jump overboard and drown.

Odysseus was on a ship that had to pass that way. Aware of the powerful allurement of those songs, he ordered that he be bound with ropes to the mast and that the crewmen’s ears be sealed with wax to block out the tantalizing music of the sirens. Having taken such precautions, Odysseus and the rest of the crew were able to sail past without yielding to the lure of the sea nymphs.

As Christians, we should be prepared to resist any temptations to evil. We must hate sin and be so serious about not giving in to its allurements that we are determined to deny our desire to participate in it.

Are there recurring sins in your life that have been defeating you? Drastic measures must be taken. You must keep away from any enticements that you know would play into your weakness. The best protection against temptation is to heed the warning Paul gave to Timothy: “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness” (2 Timothy 2:22). That was good counsel then; it’s still good today.

It's wise to flee when tempted—

A fool is one who'd stay;

For those who toy with evil

Soon learn it doesn't pay. —D. De Haan

The best way to escape temptation is to flee to God.

ICB
"Don’t give in to lust like people who do not know God." -- 1 Thess 4:5

I was weeping in the most bitter contritition of my heart, when I heard the voice of children from a neighboring house chanting, “take up and read; take up and read.” I could not remember ever having heard the like, so checking the torrent of my tears, I arose, interpreting it to be no other than a command from God to open the book and read the first chapter I should find. Eagerly then I returned to the place where I had laid the volume of the apostle. I seized, opened, and in silence read that section on which my eyes first fell: “Not in revelry and drunkenness, not in licentiousness and lewdness, not is strife and envy; but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” No further would I read, nor did I need to. For instantly at the end of this sentence, it seemed as if a light of serenity infused into my heart and all the darkness of doubt vanished away. - Augustine

June 18 2019 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report