If a character examination test was given to a room of study participants and they were to rank the 7 deadly sins they commit in order of most guilty to the least, envy would perhaps take the second to last in the list. (Of course, you can guess which would take the ‘lust’ place)
A Warm Welcome To Earth
Where God Himself had to come down to warn us, yet again, about the perils of lust, noting its insidious journey from lustful eyes [1].
We now know that those eyes eventually wander ‘innocently’ to the secrecy of masturbation and blossoming into occasional casual sex with that person you’ve been infatuated with.
However, in our modern society’s love affair with ‘sexual liberation,’ the routine gets stale, and the pursuit of satisfaction takes bizarre turns.
Movies, comedy shows, and social media glorify infidelity, making regular, monogamous sexual practices boring, awful, and exceedingly unsatisfying.
This birthed the sparking curiosity in the rainbow agenda, rich cougars, and sugar daddies.
Social media thirst traps are enough to make a recovering sex addict go back to his own vomit.
OnlyFans is Forbes quickest way to buy a sports car, and why settle for two when your best friend can join the sex party?
20th-century prostitutes can get inspo from some of today’s modern women’s fashion trends.
Body counts rival the number of times a person has ever worked out.
Kidnappings end up into horrifying murderous gang rape, and if arrested, they are welcomed into dens of unnatural lusts called prisons!
High schoolers dream of step-moms; content creators thrive on sexual uploads, “Serving my boyfriend breakfast with Nothing On! Must watch!!”
Children are no longer singing Baa Baa Black Sheep; most marriages are sexless or/and promiscuous.
Pastors never cease to surprise us with their escapades; and comedy isn’t comedy until you mention something spicy!
As far as I know, massage posters don’t advertise massage.
Everyone’s fluent in the love language of skin-to-skin physical touch; the only best thing for a girl with a male best friend is best between them.
And we’re all aware of what it takes for Instagram models to end up in Dubai, flaunting thongs on a yacht!
Marriage: God’s First Institution For Man
Today, we confront another perplexing sin—lust (the intense, unrestrained sexual craving), that has found its cozy spot in the beating heart of our culture.
Consider that in the beginning, God, in all His divine wisdom, decided to kick things off with marriage as the OG institution [2], complete with a foundation rooted in the steamy stuff – sexual intimacy [3].
Could the Devil peacefully sit and watch God’s plan for mankind?
He was working overtime to have a grand plan of turning the principle of holy matrimony into chaos.
The scheme was deceptively simple—picked up the gig of a mixologist and concocted a confusing cocktail around the sanctity of sex.
The result? Chaos in romantic connections [4], threatening the very essence of families as a divine social unit [5] designed to draw humanity closer to the divine.
So, are we ready to declare that this juicy tale of tangled bedsheets is the root cause of all the world’s troubles today?
Lust Pop Quiz
Everyone’s dipped in the pool of lust [6] at some point.
So, to jog your memory and remind you that we’re all in the same fishbowl of temptation, here’s a little test to show you just how much you need a lifeguard for your soul.
Satan’s Million-Dollar Strategy
Satan has got us thinking we’re all subscribing to a set of beliefs that are out of sync with what’s good for us.
“How can God create man with a sex drive yet restrict him? Isn’t that ridiculous?”
As a solution, he came up with these two golden rules to rule the bedroom game:
- Sex is no longer an intrinsic good but a mere instrument.
- If it’s consensual, it’s a no-harm, no-foul situation.
So, the big plan was to toss God’s beautiful blueprint of sex out the window and instead reduce it to orgasms, a fun time, baby-making, job security, promotions, just business [7], fame, exquisite lifestyle [8], rent, fish [9], grades, etc.
Over time, the new-age view on sex has become:
The Deeper Issue With Lust
Perhaps this hypersexualized culture reveals a much deeper issue.
Exploring Jesus’ parable of the empty house [10] or biblical miracles where empty vessels are filled with oil [11] reveals a universal truth.
Like vessels, we all crave fulfillment — whether by demons or God’s Spirit, air of emptiness, or oil of use [12], depending on the Biblical story.
Turns out, our ancestors knew a thing or two [13].
They said that man can’t survive without joy, so if you strip away the spiritual joys, he’ll dive headfirst into the pool of carnal pleasures.
Now, in this increasingly godless society, is it evident that many would rather choose to fill their hearts with very accessible sexual pleasures?
How The Entertainment Industry Is Keeping You Hooked
Entertainment wasn’t overflowing with steamy content back in the day—just some trendy sensual songs on cassettes and soap operas that teased with a kiss before a commercial break.
Then came the internet, and suddenly, it was like Satan took the developer’s seat.
Forget about cassettes and soap dramas; accessing ‘spicy’ content became easier over time.
Those once-pricey sensual magazines from the early 2000s ditched paper, went online, and turned into a free-for-all incognito circus through CDs and DVDs.
And thus, the infamous term “porno” was born!
X-rated content turned achieving a quick orgasm in the privacy of your room into a common thing.
As our culture soaked itself in this digital wave of sensuality, it quietly seeped into the music industry.
While there were once limits on how much naughtiness could be shown, those boundaries have almost become non-existent.
And here we are, talking about the drastic shift our culture has taken as the godless void gets filled.
Satan whispered into society’s ear, transforming what was once seen as sinful lust into “innocent fun for the whole family” content.
Now, it’s everywhere—from mainstream media to advertisements and even in so-called family-friendly cartoons. Go figure!
Is The Problem That Sex Is Everywhere?
Interestingly, that’s not the heart of the matter.
On a side note, the Bible discusses sex roughly 105 times [14], and it explicitly communicates to believers that God designed sex to be a top-notch, A-grade, intrinsic good.
It’s a heavenly tutorial on understanding the ABCs of self-sacrificing love, the beauty of giving one’s all, and the joy derived from shared emotions – that is, requited love.
The aim is to help humanity reflect the love of Christ, our eternal love, within the sacred union of marriage, passing this understanding through generations for eternity.
The real deal here is the secular sex doctrines causing a stir not only in Christian circles but also among those non-Christians who’ve tried to maintain their ethical standards [15].
If you’ve been a long-time resident in this world, you must’ve noticed society’s wild obsession with unnatural lust [16].
I mean, back in history, sure, ancient heathen kingdoms had a thing for it, but never in the recorded history of humanity has it been paraded so openly, even targeting the tender ears and eyes of naïve children [17].
Scripture openly condemns such tendencies [18] (unless some ministers opt for a sugar-coated version), which tends to agitate those hopeful that this new-age philosophy will always direct everyone’s attention.
Scriptural guidance on matters of sex, relationships [19], femininity, masculinity [20], and the like is now labeled as traditional moral approaches, prompting society to urge such individuals to keep their opinions to themselves.
They are deemed burdensome to others unless, of course, you’ve conveniently tagged your content as comedy [21] to catch a break.
Regarding Sexuality, the Undeniable Truth Lies in God’s Word
Though we live in a world where sinning is easier than choosing righteousness, [22] the Bible’s moral truth has never been a burden but a gift ensuring human wholeness and well-being.
Instead of following divine principles, some educators, churches, and the media have distorted God’s design, making it feel more like a dull obligation than a beautiful experience.
Now, picture the life of a kid growing up without a dad in the house, most likely due to a divorce, or the prevalent issue where the term ‘single mom’ is commonplace.
Add to that the agony of patients dealing with STIs—all the repercussions of some rather lustful behavior.
The Bible could wave a big banner saying, “Hey, maybe my standard of purity was onto something, huh?”
Why Lust Fails To Identify As A Deadly Sin
The uniqueness of Lust among the deadly sins is that it spreads quickly!
Remember your first exposure to sensual content?
What was once shocking became intriguing over time.
The initial guilt and shame, guided by your moral compass, were replaced as you repeatedly engaged with such content.
This process, known as Systemic Desensitization, gradually made what was once unacceptable seem normal.
Repeated exposure diminished the sense of secrecy, leading you to accept it, influenced by peers, media, or even family.
As it became routine, the struggle to see it as wrong grew.
This internal conflict creates emotional reasoning, making many wonder, “How can lust be wrong when it feels so right?”
Here’s How You Can Deal With Lust
We’ve explored the depths of sexual intimacy, God’s design for sex, Satan’s sweet deception, the dangers of Lust, and society’s shift toward sexual freedom.
Despite all the information available, Lust remains a sin that’s hard to ignore—it’s right in our faces.
With many resources and programs available, you might already have strategies for dealing with lust.
This discussion aims to encourage you to overcome it in your journey.
Here are a few practical tips to help you move forward:
1. To Heal The Mind, Heal The Body
Lust can shake up your thoughts, memory, and behavior, often leading to emotional reasoning instead of logical thinking.
Although lust promises pleasure, it’s usually short-lived and leaves you feeling unfulfilled.
This battle is a direct biochemical assault on the brain.
Although it may seem challenging, research shows that physical strategies can help restore mental health, shifting focus from emotional to logical reasoning.
Allow me to throw some direct tips your way to bulk up your recovery toolkit:
- Swap junk food for healthy options and drink plenty of water.
- Wake up early to watch the sunrise.
- Enjoy sunsets.
- Use an analog alarm clock instead of keeping your phone by your bed.
- Get into a gym routine, or start running in the mornings and evenings.
- Grab a copy of a brain-teasing book. I’d suggest The God-Shaped Mind by Dr. Timothy Jennings or The Lost Art Of Thinking by Dr. Neil Nedley.
- Socialize with trustworthy friends.
2. Meet Jesus Christ, Your All-Time Remedy
I might not have highlighted the subtle ways lust has crept into your life.
It may have all begun when you turned down your boyfriend’s advances, and the heartache from that rejection pushed you to believe that men are only after one thing.
So, you ventured down that path, hoping it would numb the feelings you once had.
It’s possible your heartbreak came from your girlfriend who criticized your performance in bed, prompting you to hop from one woman to another in search of validation or maybe even revenge.
If multiple episodes of infidelity left you with a bitter taste, you might have decided to put a stop to the tears and kick off your payback tour.
Maybe you’re a survivor of sexual assault, trapped in the belief that you’re just an object to be used, succumbing repeatedly to the clutches of lust.
Or you could be grappling with depression, and your chosen self-destructive behavior is engaging in a spree of casual encounters.
It’s even conceivable that someone betrayed you by not disclosing their HIV status, and now you’re on a vengeful mission to spread infection.
Countering the grip of this sin can feel incredibly challenging in today’s world for several reasons:
1. Shame around sex has vanished, and everyone seems to be parading it.
- When faced with the truth, you might feel shame about your secret habits, but being in a world that seems unaffected can diminish those concerns.
2. Society’s seemingly arch-nemesis unwanted pregnancies has a remedy.
- We’re told not to fear! The strong belief in safe sex methods has given many a false sense of freedom to indulge in their lustful activities.
3. Easy access to sexual experiences.
- Whether on the web, social media thirst traps, escorts, or even generous offers by everyone nowadays.
Despite these challenges, Christ Jesus has a special promise for His faithful.
He whispers, “Lay down, My weary one; lay down your head upon My breast.”
He says to you today:
- My love for You is greater than your lustful addictions.
- I left Heaven and lived a righteous life to show you that overcoming is possible.
- I died for your sins, including lust, and rose again to offer you new life.
- I will always stand by your side, in your weakness, and in My strength.
- Share your heart’s longings with me, and I will present them to the Father.
- I will erase your shame, heal your hurts, and replace lust with a deep love for the life I’ve given you.
More Resources & Assistance
If lust has deeply affected you, a friend, or a family member, and you’re looking for detailed guidance, check out Scott Ritsema’s 6-episode series on YouTube.
While knowledge alone doesn’t lead to salvation, it can help you understand God’s love and inspire a hopeful response to your calling.
INSPIRATION
1. What Your Counselor Never Told You by Dr. William Backus
2. Addicted To Purity by Scott Ritsema
3. Character, Strengths, and Virtues by Christopher Peterson & Martin E. P. Seligman
4. King James Bible
