Lust: Part One
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. -1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Lust and sexual temptation are tough topics most people shy away from. Why? These are two temptations and evils that the greater majority of us deal with on an everyday basis. We may not want to admit it, or even realize it, but we are fighting the sins of the flesh on a daily basis.
There are the beer commercials during football games, the love scenes in movies and on television, the lingerie ads in the mail and the men’s magazines advertising beautiful women in very little clothing. We are assaulted everywhere we turn.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 6, Paul handles the topic of sexual immorality. That’s exactly what it is. It’s immoral. You might think, “There’s nothing wrong with admiring a hot girl in a bikini, or a hot guy with a six-pack,” and I’d think you’re wrong. In saying such a statement we are giving in to temptation; we are dishonoring God by looking upon His Creation with such physical scrutiny and unholy lust.
Men especially, are charged throughout the Old and New Testament to lead serving lives to honor God. We are charged with the responsibility of honoring our Christian sisters by straying from sexual immorality. Job, for example, went so far as to make a covenant with his eyes to never look lustfully upon another woman, ever again (Job 31:1). Imagine the difficulty! Yet, he remained faithful to his covenant with God and served humbly.
We should follow Job’s example and honor those around us with our minds and hearts. We are not doing so by “messing around” with girls, or dishonoring them with harmful talk behind their backs, or dirty jokes in their presence. Men, as Christians, we are given the job of taking leadership roles in our households and everywhere we go. We must lead as strong, faithful, Christian men. But we must also serve. A harmless kiss? Just a one night stand? It didn’t mean anything? How is pressuring our Christian sisters into positions that dishonor them or cause them to give into temptation help us prove ourselves as worthy of God’s grace? A kiss doesn’t hurt anyone? You might be right, but is it serving God’s purpose? Not really? Then it hurts you.
We’ve all given into these temptations at one time or another. All of us have stumbled and struggled at some point. What matters most is what you did after you stumbled: Did you continue in your ways or did you get on your knees and ask for God’s forgiveness? Take the opportunity today to start anew and realign your thoughts and actions with God’s purpose. We are not our own. Our very existence was bought with a sacrifice. Honor that sacrifice with your fight against lust.
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