Understanding Sexual Sin: What Is It?Sample

LUST VS. NORMAL SEXUAL DESIRE

For some of us, the sheer power of sexual attraction and temptation raises a nagging question: why would God plant within a man the urge to look at every attractive woman he sees and then say, “Oh, by the way, lust is adultery and adultery is sin. So good luck struggling with that for the rest of your life!” If lust is a sin, why did He create us with uncontrollable sexual desires?

Perhaps the word “uncontrollable” is key to the answer. It’s easy to understand how Christians might feel discouraged and frustrated if they’re having trouble controlling their sexual desires. But this doesn’t mean that it’s reasonable to blame God for our struggles or to accuse Him of setting us up for failure.

Here’s why. It’s a mistake to confuse normal sexual attraction with lust. Sexual attraction is natural. When a good-looking female walks by and a man “takes note” – a routine occurrence that takes place with a fair degree of regularity – this is not necessarily the same thing as “lusting after a woman.” 

That’s because true lust involves a choice and an act of the will. To a certain extent it’s a conscious decision to pursue the desirable object instead of simply allowing it to pass by. It’s a willingness to give in to the natural impulse. That’s what happened when David, after seeing Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop, went the next step by sending messengers to inquire after her and bring her to his palace (2 Samuel 11:3, 4).

The Bible makes it clear that there is such a thing as personal self-control. That’s the good news here. A man can learn to allow such sensory stimuli to bounce off him without taking root in his mind and heart. In other words, he can practice the principle expressed in Martin Luther’s maxim that “it’s one thing to have a bird land on your head, but quite another to let it build a nest in your hair.” That’s what it means to overcome lust. 

Naturally, this requires a certain degree of commitment and discipline – perhaps more in the case of the male than in the female. But then struggle, discipline, commitment, and growth in the virtue of self-control are all part of what it means to live as a Christian in this world. That’s what the process of sanctification is all about.