Question 1

If lust does not involve actual physical behavior, why is it wrong?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.Once lust takes up residence in our minds, it tends to consume our thoughts, eventually leading to lustful actions.Deuteronomy 17:17“The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.”1 Kings 11:3He [Solomon] had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.Allowing sexual desire to dominate our thoughts and actions (Solomon had recognized relationships with 1000 women!) will negatively change our behavior and turn our hearts from God. Solomon’s lust eventually led to idolatry and his disrespect of God.Matthew 5:28“Anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”Mark 7:20-22Then he [Jesus] added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.”Luke 11:33-36“No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is unhealthy, your body is filled with darkness. Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”James 1:14-15Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.Left unchecked, wrong thoughts will eventually lead to wrong actions. If we continue to think about having sex with someone who is not our spouse, our hearts will begin to convince our minds that what we want to do is all right. The Bible says that the heart is “desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). In other words, we cannot trust our emotions to tell us what is right and good. Instead, we need to trust God’s word, for it comes from God’s heart, which is good and perfect.

Question 2

What is the difference between lust and love?

Accepted Answer

2 Samuel 13:1-19David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her. . . . as she [Tamar] was feeding him, he [Amnon] grabbed her and demanded, “Come to bed with me, my darling sister.” “No, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel. . . .” But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. Then suddenly Amnon’s love turned to hate, . . . “Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!” So the servant put her out and locked the door behind her.Love gives unselfishly to others and never takes what is not freely given. Lust takes what it wants regardless of another’s needs or desires.1 Corinthians 13:4-7Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.Love is patient and kind. Lust is impatient, rude, and cruel.

Question 3

How can I keep my thoughts from becoming lustful?

Accepted Answer

2 Timothy 2:22Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.We can keep our desires from becoming lustful by avoiding places and situations where we know we will be tempted.Job 31:1“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.”Matthew 5:28“Anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”We can prevent lust from taking root in our thoughts by avoiding that second look.Philippians 4:8Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.When we fill our hearts and minds with what is pure and good, it leaves no room for lust.Proverbs 5:18-20Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman, or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?When we focus our sexual desires toward our spouse within the marriage relationship, lust for others has less room to grow. We should make sure, however, that those desires and expectations are pure and healthy.

Question 4

Besides physical pleasure, what else can be the objects of lust?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 20:17“You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”Job 22:24-25“If you give up your lust for money and throw your precious gold into the river, the Almighty himself will be your treasure. He will be your precious silver!”Lust can have many objects, including power, wealth, and material things. Putting God first in our minds and hearts is the best antidote for any sort of lust.