The Problem with Lust!
Pastor Bill Nichols - January 31, 2010Introduction
A couple of weeks ago Luther commented on the topic of love. He correctly stated that there are three primary words in the Greek language that are translated love in the English language. Agape, the highest form of love is the kind of love that God has for man, and that man is to have for God and for others. Philo, which basically means to like someone like a brother. That is why Philadelphia is called The City of Brotherly Love. And then there is the word Eros, which is the root word for the word erotic. When you use the word lust you are speaking of Eros.
Much of the advertising that is done today to try and entice you into buying something deals in Eros, whether it be a sexy car or hairstyle or clothing product, etc.
When I counsel a young couple that is planning their wedding, I like to talk to them about the different kinds of love. One of the things that I tell them is that when most couples first meet, they fall in lust. In other words, it is usually a physical attraction to one another that brings them together. Real love is something that grows over time. I believe that this is one of the reasons that many marriages end in divorce. If the lust wears off before true love kicks in, the marriage is in trouble. Instead of working on the love aspect, lust finds its fulfillment in someone else.
Matthew 5:27-30 (NIV)
"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
Matthew 5:31-32 (NIV)
"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery."
I. Adultery
Once again we see Jesus challenging the crowd, especially the religious leaders concerning their righteousness. "You have heard that it was said"
refers to the teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees. They liked to espouse the letter of the law, while ignoring the intent of it. Adultery is the second "do not" of the Ten Commandments as they relate to human relationships among one another. God considered the sin of adultery to be so heinous that it was punishable by death. Leviticus 20:10 says
"If a man commits adultery with another man's wife-the wife of his neighbor-the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death."
In John 8 Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders when they bring to Him an adulteress. John 8:3-5 (New International Version)
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"
According to Leviticus, when a man and women were caught in the act of adultery, who was to be put to death? Both of them! Who did the Pharisees bring before Jesus to have Him pronounce judgment on? Where was the man? Do you see their hypocrisy?
I believe the reason God hates the sin of adultery is two fold. First, it breaks the "one flesh" relationship that God designed for a man and a woman in marriage. Second, marriage is a picture of our relationship to God. In Matthew 9:15 Jesus refers to Himself as the bridegroom. In Ephesians 5 men are instructed to love their wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. The first of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 is "You shall have no other gods before me."
And when the Israelites chased after other gods they were called an adulterous people. Hosea 7:4, Jeremiah 23:10.
One final word about adultery, adultery is sin, but Jesus died to pay the penalty of all man's sin, including the sin of adultery. If you, or someone you know has committed adultery, know that forgiveness is available from God, and it should be equally available from those who call themselves Christian.
II. Sexual Lust = Adultery
In this passage, Jesus does not even really address the subject of adultery except in passing as a means of getting to the real heart of the matter, and once again that is the attitude of the heart. Just as Jesus previously equated anger to murder, here he says that if you have sexual lust towards another woman, it is the same as if you actually committed the physical act of adultery.
The word translated lust in this passage means "longing for what is forbidden" and "passionate sexual desire." Now having a passionate sexual desire is healthy as long as that desire is towards your husband or wife. The problem arises when that desire is directed at someone other than your spouse. Then it becomes the "longing for what is forbidden."
Turn with me once again to Exodus 20:17. Not only does God address the topic of adultery in verse 14, but in verse 17 He says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife."
The word covet in Exodus means to "delight in" and the Greek word basically means to lust after. So God actually addresses the subject of lust for another woman (other than one's wife) even in the Ten Commandments.
Jesus here contends that this is so serious that you should take drastic actions to overcome it. Speaking metaphorically he says if your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out, and if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off. But we all know that it isn't the eye or the hand that causes us to sin. It is our thoughts, and it is the condition of our heart.
Sin, all sin, is serious with God. It affects our relationship with God. It affects our relationship with each other. It affects our own spiritual well being. Un-confessed sin drives a wedge between us and God and it eats away at our heart.
Conclusion
How are we to deal with sin in our lives? We have to get to the real root problem, and that problem is our relationship with God. There are two things I want you to understand about sin this morning.
- The only sin that is unpardonable is the sin of unbelief. John 3:18 states
"Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
It does not matter what sin you have committed in your life, when you accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life, God wipes the slate clean. You are forgiven and you are declared righteous in God's eyes. - When you sin as a Christian, it grieves the Holy Spirit of God who lives in you. Unconfessed sin interferes with your prayer life. Unconfessed sin interferes with your worship. Unconfessed sin interferes with you relationship with both God and man. Unconfessed sin affects how you feel about yourself. 1 John 1:9 (NIV) says,
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."