Sermon On The Mount: Lust

You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Matthew 5:27-30 (NKJV)

The King’s Words about lust are hard to read, because lusty thoughts are easy to feel.* Steamy hookups and provocative clothes are so common now

Naughtiness used to lurk behind closed doors. But not anymore. It struts like a sensual Goliath… in an open assault on modesty.

'She's hot' is a desirable tribute. While daring teens play the Show-More-Skin game, human traffickers smile. It helps their work.

American media embraces the same theme that ad men embrace: SEX SELLS. The result? Rather than 'Rivers of living water' (John 7:38), people splash around in dirty hot tubs.

But Satan is sly. He seldom throws them in boiling water. (The screams for help are bad publicity.)

  • So, he starts with a ‘warm’ invitation.

  • Most of them know his tub’s a bit shady,

  • But it’s decked out with bling and cool people.

  • Slowly, they descend into the wet warmth.

  • Slowly, he raises the temperature.

  • By the time it's boiling, they're used to it…

  • Because their senses have become deadened.

God's prescription for lust seems quite harsh: Pluck it out! Cut it off! If God's 'Eyes are too pure to look upon evil' (Habakkuk 1:13), then Christians are wise when they copy Him.

King David said, 'I will set nothing wicked before my eyes' (Psalm 101:3). So PLUCK lusty sights away from your face.

Even worse, if your best friend (your right hand) leads you into evil, CUT HIM OFF, too. These are amazingly hard Commandments, but God's penalty for unrepentant, willful, repetitive lust is harder. 

Actors, models, and talent for Christ: Please consider the following advice:

  • Do be stylish, but don’t show too much skin.

  • Don’t obsess with bling and self-adornment.

  • Don’t stare at anything that inspires lust.

  • Don’t get tight with a loose and lusty crowd.

  • Do be aware of your best friends’ values,

  • Because your closest friends influence YOU…

  • For better or worse. MAKE SURE it’s better!

You can’t avoid lust in this mission field, but you can avoid lust in your own life. How? When work ends, hang with God and godly friends.

P.S. Don’t judge others who don’t know what you know (or more to the point, who don’t know Jesus.) Always be gentle, gracious, and friendly. Show them love, but NEVER fall into lust.

Sermon On The Mount: Lust (Part 10)

* ‘Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things’ (Colossians 3:2).

* ‘Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things’ (Philippians 4:8).

NOTE: This is a 2023 update of a 2013 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.

Carey Arban