The folly of sexual indifference? How surrender to lust keeps us from true happiness

The folly of sexual indifference? How surrender to lust keeps us from true happiness.

As we have been studying the Ten Commandments these last several weeks when appropriate, we now come by sequence to the seventh commandment, “Thou shall not commit adultery”. Over the years I have seen that throughout scripture sexual sins tend to have a distinctive repulsiveness to God. As I have tried to understand this I have thusly collected the following notes. I hope that they become a useful tool to us all.

Seemingly, sexual temptation is not just a reality for males, but more and more it seems that women are engrossed is such cages. Worldliness and world values tend to know the axiom that “Sex Sells”. Unfortunately this is the wrapping of marketing from automobiles, books, films, and hamburgers. It seems that nothing is without a perverted twist. (Perverted means twisted out of proper shape) But the world is not solely responsible, for even those in monasteries have had like Augustine wished to emasculate themselves in order to stem the tide of lust. The issue is the heart. I hope that we can be educated by God’s word and moved by the Holy Spirit to gain that freedom that Christ purchased upon the cross for us. The battle may never be over on this earth, but we can become renewed and pure, the hope of Romans twelve, verses one and two.

What I present here is the negative voice of sex. Perhaps in some future allotment time will permit for me to write in the positive. So please think of these postings as chapters and appendices, not a more complete education.


So herein what follows are notes taken while studying….

Author=s Intentions
As I write, I intend to have less “I” in my life and more of God. Growing up selfish has great detriment to the self later on. As we look into the scriptures with intensity and an open heart for change, we begin to see not just a set of rules, but God. I want to see Jesus. He is the only one bigger than self. If I can see God then self will decrease. This is not about accomplishments or being better than someone else. It is about a right relationship with God, abiding in Him. So in this commandment and all the others, may I or rather we find and know God.


Selected Texts for Comments

"You shall not commit adultery.
(Exo 20:14 NASB)
Plain and simple. No room for adultery and its implicated manifestations. One of the first things that God wants in His people is a Holy Life. Respect for the marriage covenant is to reflect the glory of God and His nature. That is why God hates divorce, what He has joined together man should not separate.
Adultery is the very word God uses to describe how His people treat Him when they go after other gods. In the context of the Ten Commandments it is talking here about marriage. We see that three verses later it indicates further that you shall not covet your neighbors wife. The book of Leviticus (20:10-20) goes into a detailed synopsis of what to do in cases of rape or fornication.



"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. (Mat 5:27-30 NASB)

This deep passage should make us tremble. For it deals with the heart and not just the act. For if the heart is bad the sin is present. The looking here implies to a looking with desire, curiosity and fantasy. Are not the realities of God greater than the fantasies of man? Whatever we desire we worship. What we behold and call beautiful or long for makes it a treasure. God alone is to be the Christian=s treasure.

The Greek word here is not the word for a simple mechanical transaction, (G1492). It is βλέ?ω. Blepo, which means to look at with a perceiving regard.

A mechanical transaction would be such that a person walks by and you recognize that it is a person, male or female. The lustful look considers the desirability of the person. It need not be a lengthy look relative to time. It involves the reason behind the look.

So here we have the standard spelled out. If we have a habit of lusting with the eyes then radical amputation needs to occur. Now this does not indicate we actually remove our eyes or cut off a hand. It means we do those things that prevent wandering eyes. We add internet filters. We get rid of the television. We not only mechanically prevent situations, we seek to change the source of the problem, the heart. (See chapter on changing habits)

Adam Clark states AMany would abhor to commit one external act before the eyes of men, in a temple of stone; and yet they are not afraid to commit a multitude of such acts in the temple of their hearts, and in the sight of God!@ Jesus is reflecting on the heart of man, not just the actions. For actions only reveal what is already within the heart.

Let us consider how the eye leads to the heart. They eye makes us aware of a temptation. This is then interpreted by the brain. It goes against memory, presupposition, calculates value and risk as well as a host of other functions. All of this affects the heart. IT leads to pondering, inquisitiveness, and reactions that come from the nature, whether sinful or good.

A great risk comes here. I call it Spiritual LSD. Like the psychotropic drug of the 60's fame, LSD opens you to unexpected recurrences of the trip. Lusting with the eye fills the mind with images that may be triggered at any moment.
Pornography builds upon itself in curiosity and fantasy. It requires more. Once a visual is caught it no longer satisfies, and another one is sought out. The lust of the eye places oneself upon a throne of fantasized worship. Where the object of the fantasy or actual act becomes the servant of the beholder.

Sending or perishing to Hell is referenced here, as in this sin may indicate the lack of saving faith.



The next posting will look at the method in which seduction often comes.