Do Not Lust — Part 1
Lust is a matter of the heart. This is what makes lust so serious. What we set our hearts upon determines the course of our lives.
Where this command is found:
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Have you ever considered the consequences of adultery? What about the staggering effects it has on the relationships of those involved? As significant as these things are, the act of adultery and its consequences are only a byproduct of a problem that lies much deeper within a person’s heart.
When Jesus addresses adultery in Matthew 5:37-40, He quickly cuts to where the real problem lies: lust in the heart. Lust is setting the heart on, and having a burning desire for things outside of the bounds of what God has intended. When we harbor lust in our hearts, lust becomes sin and sin leads to death (see James 1:15).
So what is the cure for a lustful heart? The Cross of Jesus! By putting to death our sinful nature, Christ’s work on the Cross set us free from the bondage of lust (see Romans 6). In order to walk in this freedom that Christ has given us, we must daily engraft these truths found in God’s Word by hiding His Word within our heart.
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Lust is a matter of the heart. This is what makes lust so serious. What we set our hearts upon determines the course of our lives.
Moral freedom is not a status to be obtained, it is a Person to be depended upon. And that Person’s name is Jesus!
Galatians 6:7 says, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” One key to overcoming lust in our lives is to realize that every thought we think is a seed planted, and it will bear fruit.
Nate and Gabe share from the example of Achan how lust plays out in our lives. In life we will be faced with things we can’t always control, but by the grace of God, we don’t have to turn our heart toward those things. If we let Him, God can train us to look away from those things to Him! This is the way of victory!