Matthew 5:27-30 Lust

"You have heard that it was said, 'You  shall not commit adultery';  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.  If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. [Matthew 5:27‭-‬30 NASB]

In the kingdom of God, lust is the same as adultery. In our society, pornography is ubiquitous. With the internet, it is readily available and free. I have no idea what the statistics are in terms of number of men or women who look at pornography. I do know that frank talk with other men reveals it to be a serious and common problem. Most of the Christian men that I am aware of either are currently struggling with, or have at one time struggled with pornography.

The people of the world - non-Christians - don't generally have a problem with it. Non-Christian men that I have spoken to are quite open about enjoying pornography. If you watch much TV, you will see popular characters watching pornography, and even joking about it. Hollywood presents it as if it is normal and healthy. Christians must not adopt the attitude of the world.

Of course pornography isn't the only outlet for lust. There's just good old fashioned "girl watching" or "boy watching". I have spoken to Christian men who recognize that pornography is wrong, but have no problem eyeing girl who is walking by. The attitude that I have heard expressed is "It's okay to look as long as I don't touch." Wrong. Jesus didn't set degrees of lust, as if it's not sinful lust if she has her clothes on.

The most important thing to know about lust is that it is a condition of fallen flesh. The natural man can embrace lust as it is a part of his fallen nature. The Christian, who is born again but still alive in the flesh, feels guilty about lust because it is against the Spirit of God.

I have often heard men quote Romans 7 to justify giving in to lust, or watching pornography. When Paul said, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want," [Romans 7:18-19 NASB] he was not giving us an excuse for bad behavior. He was not bemoaning his own sinful state. When read in context, what he is saying is that it is impossible to overcome the flesh by doing works of the Law (or by trying to follow rules).

Following the rules is the very thing the Pharisees did so well. But Jesus said, ""For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 5:20 NASB] Following the Law (and any set of rules you follow to guide your own behavior is your own Law) is an act of the flesh, and you cannot be made righteous by an act of the flesh.

After Romans 7, Paul went on to say, "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." [Romans 8:3-4 NASB]

There is freedom from the bondage of pornography and lust. You won't find that freedom by "white knuckling" it. You won't find it by the strength of your will. You will only find freedom by surrendering to the Spirit of God. When you find yourself tempted, turn your thoughts towards Jesus, and seek Him with all of your mind. He has promised that He will deliver you, and He is true to His promise.