The Dangers of Lust and How to Avoid It
Matthew 5:27-32
Introduction.
In 2017, Time Magazine named the women of the #metoo movement as their 2017 Person of the Year.
This movement shined a light on the sexual harassment and abuse that is so prevalent in the world.
It made women feel not alone and made good men have a greater understanding of their struggles.
It also made evil men fear that their predatory behavior would be exposed (Num. 32:23).
A FB quote from a friend: “Women shouldn’t be sexually exploited? Christianity was there 2000 years ago. So entertainment industry, you would have known that and had it had you not discarded it.”
The entertainment industry has discarded Christianity in so many ways.
They often treat women as objects to be used: “eye candy,” even “sex objects.”
It is no surprise that such things were happening behind the scenes, too.
We will look at what Jesus has to say on this very issue: Reality, Reminders, & Rejoining.
Body.
Reality of Lust (vs. 27-28).
Jesus quotes from Exodus 20:14, but let’s look at vs. 17.
“You shall not covet.”
One’s wife is placed along here, too.
Coveting one’s wife is also called lust.
What does it mean to objectify a woman?
To treat her as an object to be used and not a person with a mind and a soul—reminded of Amnon and Tamar (2 Sam. 13).
This is done in many ways:
In so-called entertainment: TV, music videos, movies.
In certain kinds of modeling.
In pornography.
When a woman purposely dresses a certain way to attract attention.
Unfortunately, even when a woman does not desire attention.
Sometimes men find it very difficult not to do this.
This is largely due to hormones.
Also habits develop over time.
Self-control is needed to overcome these natural tendencies (Pt II).
This demeans the woman, even if she desires the attention.
It encourages men to treat women as objects.
Some even have consciences so seared, they will take advantage of women not desiring their advances.
This leads to sexual harassment, assault, and rape.
Reminders as Solutions (vs. 29-30).
There is nothing we can do about what is filmed or shot or what women outside your family wear.
We can, however, choose not to watch those things for ourselves.
We can encourage our women and girls to dress modestly so as not to attract such attention and be objectified in the minds of the men and boys around them (1 Tim. 2:9-10).
This will not solve the problem, but it may help mitigate it.
Jesus offers another solution: a reminder that there is a hell! (vs. 29-30).
Of all the people in the Scriptures, Jesus talks about hell the most.
Hell is the penalty for our sin—we are all deserving of it.
Jesus’ sacrifice was to spare us that fate, but if we live in sin after having become a Christian, our salvation is forfeit.
Jesus uses exaggeration to show the gravity of an eternity in hell.
An eye is used to look upon a woman with lustful thoughts, so pluck it out.
The hand is used in acting upon those lustful thoughts, so cut it off.
If you do, you will be reminded that there is a hell.
We really do not want to remove body parts, so let us have the self-control against lustful thoughts (objectifying women).
Paul offers a solution, too (1 Tim. 5:1-2).
Timothy is a young preacher at the church in Ephesus.
The church contains older and younger men, older and younger women.
Paul tells him to treat them like family—because they are the family of God.
Younger women, he says to treat like sisters.
Some celebrities talk about how bad they were, womanizers.
Then they had a daughter and everything changed.
Paul says you shouldn’t have to have a daughter to treat women like people rather than objects.
Then Paul says to do so “with all purity.”
This explains what Paul means to treat a young woman as a sister.
Do not have impure thoughts concerning her.
She is your sister in Christ.
If you love them as a sister, you will not treat them as objects to lust after.
Men, if we treat all women in this manner, not as sisters in Christ, but as sisters in humanity we will:
Look away when a woman is dressed provocatively.
Not watch things with salacious material in it.
Not look at pornographic material.
Not engage in catcalls, sexually harass or assault anyone.
Treat them as human beings and not as objects to be used.
Rejoining in Marriage (vs. 31-32).
God designed us as sexual beings to have sexual attraction for the opposite sex.
He also designed marriage as the outlet for our sexual urges.
Lust can endanger the sexual relationship that exists between a husband and a wife.
Adultery begins in the heart with lust, a desire for someone sexually.
One does not engage in adultery without thinking about it first, without dwelling on it.
This is a selfish desire, not considering the impact on your wife or family.
This desire alone also has the potential to make one unhappy in their marriage by wanting something he cannot have.
This objectifies your wife (the one you are commanded to love, Eph. 5:25) and the one you lust after.
Divorce is not permitted because the grass is greener elsewhere.
The OT (Deut. 24:1) authorized divorce because “she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her.”
Some interpreted that to mean divorce for any cause (Mt 19:3).
Jesus says that divorce is only for “sexual immorality” or fornication.
Fornication is defined as an illicit sexual relationship.
This not only includes adultery, but homosexuality, bestiality, incest, etc.
Divorcing for any other reason causes the other to commit adultery and the one whom she ends up remarrying.
This is selfish in the extreme!
Let us love our wives, not disposing of them as objects when we desire someone else.
The unmarried also have these desires.
They are to keep themselves pure as Timothy was advised.
And if they lack self-control, get married (1 Cor. 7:8-9).
Some have no right to marry (divorced for something other than fornication), and they have the toughest duty of all—remain celibate (Mt. 19:11-12).
Do not treat women as objects to be used—consider their souls!
Conclusion.
Jesus has set the standard for how women are to be treated.
It is a shame that so many have ignored Jesus on this matter, women and men.
He did this 2000 years ago, and people haven’t yet figured it out.
It is good that the #metoo movement has taken hold, but Jesus preached this so long ago.
Women, remember what the Bible says about modest dress.
Men:
Remember that there is a hell
Think of these women as family
They are somebody’s daughter, sister.
Marriage is the institution established by the Lord for our benefit—let us not pervert it.
If you struggle with this and want the prayers of the church to help overcome it, please come forward.