" THE HARM OF LUSTING "

In today's world there is nothing that we can take for granted, in other words Leave To Chance. It seems to me everywhere we turn it's violence and or some type of self gratification that is in the news. I for one have a broken heart when ever I turn on the news, my ears bleed so to speak and then it makes me weep. This weeks topic is Lust, as the weather gets warmer it seems that our mind-set turns into this direction. " 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 "(Matt. 5:28). Now old testament law said that it is wrong for a person to have sex with someone other than his or her Spouse (Exodus 20:14). But Jesus said that the desire to have sex with someone other than your Spouse is Mental Adultery and thus Sin. Jesus emphasized that if the act is wrong, then so is the intention. To be Faithful to your Spouse with your Body but not your Mind is to break the Trust so vital to a Strong Marriage. Jesus is not condemning Natural Interest in the opposite sex or even healthy sexual desire, but the deliberate and repeated filling of one's mind with fantasies that would be evil if acted out. Now, some are of the school of thought that if Lustful thoughts are sin, why shouldn't a person go ahead and do the lustful actions too? Acting out sinful desires is harmful in several ways: (1) It causes people to excuse sin rather than to just stop sinning; (2) It destroys marriages; (3) It is deliberate rebellion against God's Word; (4) It always hurts someone in addition to the sinner. Sinful Actions is more dangerous than sinful desire, and that is why desires should not be acted out. Nevertheless, Sinful Desire is just as damaging to righteousness. Left unchecked, Wrong Desires will result in Wrong Actions and turn people away from God. Until Next Time... Jim,