27Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29And 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.
30And 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.
Matthew 5:27-30
King James Version (KJV)
Merriam-Webster online gives us definitions of lust which include: pleasure, delight...intense or unbridled sexual desire; an intense longing; craving. Exodus 20:14 is the Commandment not to commit adultery. Jesus here, broke it down. Nothing physical has to happen in order to commit adultery. Simply lusting after someone = adultery. We have to understand that lust is an issue. 1 John 2:16 gives us two sets of lust: (1)lust of the flesh & (2)lust of the eyes. The lust of the flesh is "preoccupation with gratifying physical desires" (KJV Life Application Study Bible).j The lust of the eyes is "materialism-craving & accumulating things" (KJV Life Application Study Bible). Lust takes us out of wanting to please God to wanting to please ourselves. Therefore, we commit spiritual adultery through lusting. We have to not literally pluck out our eyes or cut off our hand. Rather, we need to drop kick things to the curve. We have to get rid of things that are distracting us-that are harming us spiritually & physically. If you want to get rid of lusting, you have to STOP participating in the thing that is causing the issue. Doing this my friends, is an example of putting on Christ & walking in the Spirit. FYI: Lust is of the world & the world will pass away, along with lust. We Christians are not of the world & should not be dominated by this.
No comments:
Post a Comment