April 10 | Lust

Series | The Wisdom of Proverbs, Part 1

Scripture | Proverbs 6:25, “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes…”

Lesson 10 | Lust

For the first nine chapters of Proverbs King Solomon contrasts the call of wisdom to the temptation of the adulteress woman, Prov. 2:16-22, 5:1-23, 6:23-35, 7:1-27, 8:1-9:18.  Solomon continually makes mention of the many pitfalls and devastating consequences of adultery such as, “adultery arouses the angry and fury of the woman’s husband,” “the one who commits adultery will never have their shame forgotten in this life,” and “adultery will cost a man much of his wealth.”

The primary way Solomon described adultery is that of a married man cheating on his wife with a married women acting as a prostitute.  However, Jesus stated in Matthew 5:27-28, “27 You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”  Therefore, according to Jesus “all lust” is now considered adultery.  Lust simply means, “to desire someone sexually that you are not married to.” 

Paul also wrote in Ephesians 5:3, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity.”  As a result, the above proverb can be understood for us in the New Covenant as a warning against all lust.  God only ordained sexual union to be between a married man and woman (ex., Adam and Eve).  Jesus also reinforced this concept of monogamous heterosexual marriage in Matthew 19:5. 

Therefore, anything sexual outside of one man and one woman in marriage is considered sin, Galatians 5:19.  It is literally a “perversion” of God’s original version.  Also, lust is not only a one-time sin; it also leads to many other sins.  Such as, masturbation, pre-martial sex, pre-material oral sex, pornography, sexual fantasies about someone other than one’s spouse, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, polygamy, polyandry, polyamory, bi-sexuality, molestation, rape, and incest which are all considered impure, perverted, and sinful, 1 Corinthians 6:9.

Take some time today to guard your heart from lust because God has a better way for you!

Reflection | When was the last time you lusted? 

Action | (1) Ask Jesus to purify your heart from all lust and perversion. (2) Be wise in your sexuality to guard yourself against temptation.  For example, download accountability internet software, don’t watch unclean TV shows or movies, and guard what magazines/books/music your read and listen to. (3) Lastly, ask God to give you a spouse to fall in love with!  And if you're already married, ask God to only give you eyes for your spouse. 

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24, Luke 13:22-14:6, Psalm 79:1-13, & Proverbs 12:26. Click here to read online.