april 21, 2024
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"Handling Sexual Temptation" (Matthew 5:27-30)
Matthew 5:27-30
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
The Greek word translated as "lust" is epithumeo. "Epi" means focused or intensifying, and "thymos" means passionate desire. He's talking about intense passionate desire.
Jesus' teaching on lust and "adultery of the heart" applies to everyone - young and old, single and married. Any type of sex outside a marriage between one man and one woman is either adultery or "sexual immorality" (the Greek word porneia from Mt. 15:19).
This teaching, along with the entire Sermon on the Mount, helps us see our need for a Savior. We will never measure up to God's standards on our own.
1) Bounce your eyes.
When your eyes fall on something that simulates sexual desire (other than your spouse), train yourself to "bounce your eyes," or immediately look away.
This isn't our natural reaction. Our natural reaction is to do the opposite - to stare longer.
We must do what Job did as recorded in Job 31:1: "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman."
Our motivation must be to honor God, not to keep ourselves out of trouble.
According to an article by Psychology Today, the top-ranked porn site in 2023 had 700,000,000 more visits each month than Amazon, 900,000,000 more visits than TikTok, and 1.3 billion more visits than Netflix.
Those who visit pornographic sites are 80% male and 20% female. Of the 4.4 billion site visits each month, 880,000,000 of them are women.
2) Take drastic action.
Jesus says to gouge out our eye or cut off our hand if they lead us to sin.
We should stay as far from the line of sexual sin as possible. The right question isn't, "How much can I get away with and still honor God?" The right question is, "How can I create the type of boundaries that will honor God?"
When we sin, our first response should be to confess it to God. Our next step should be to confess to another believer for encouragement and accountability.
Click the button below for a great resource to install on electronic devices. It helps mitigate temptation toward pornography.
If you're struggling with sexual sin, you aren't alone. We want to help! Click the link below to request prayer.
A Prayer to Trust in Jesus
If you've never placed your faith in Jesus, pray this prayer to God:
Jesus, I believe in You. I confess that I’m sinful… but I thank you for dying on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. Right now I turn away from doing things my own way and I place my trust in You. I surrender to You as my Lord. I give my heart to You right now. Thank you for accepting me into Your family. I’m Yours completely. Amen.”
Did you place your faith in Jesus? Click the link below to let us know.
