"The Heart of Lust"
Matthew 5:27-30
Rev. Min J. Chung
(Friday Night Large Group,March 24, 2000)
"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, 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. And if your right hand causes you to sin, 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." Matthew 5:27-30. NIV
I.Introduction
A.You might have some questions about this subject. Or maybe some of you are like Jesus and are so pure in your thoughts that you don't struggle.So you're listening for the purpose of counseling. (!)Some people say to me, "My roommate has this problem."Then I find out they don't have a roommate. ! What is lust?If I sin in my mind, is it harmful?Is it harmful to my marriage, to my future? Will I lose my eyesight? Does anything like that happen?Is there a consequence to emotional attachment?There are many questions like that. Homosexuality-is that from birth? Is there a reason for it? Masturbation? Why am I addicted to pornography or why do I struggle with emotional attachment?I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Now, I'm not sure you'll be here the next time I speak. Next week is Missions Weekend. It's about the heart of missions. The weekend after that I'll talk about lust. Today is about general principles of lust in this passage. Then next time (in two weeks) I'll talk about specific examples of lust: masturbation, sexual immorality, homosexuality.Masturbation is sex with oneself. Sexual immorality is illegitimate sex with others. Homosexuality is sex with the illegitimate gender. Those are uncomfortable topics. (Is it uncomfortable to listen to? Well, how about trying to speak? Let's switch places.) So those topics will be covered in two weeks. Don't get mad if you come next week and think what's going on?It'll be an exciting Missions Weekend.Today we'll talk about five lessons on lust. If you really listen, it'll help you. I wish I had heard these things when I was younger. It would have saved me a lot of trouble.
II.Body
A.Lust Is an Illegitimate Desire
1.Verse 28 says, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a womanlustfullyhas already committed adultery with her in his heart." In English, the wordlustconnotes lurid, sexual fantasies. It is closely associated with mental pictures of naked bodies to which males are drawn. In Greek, lust simply means desire. As such it is used positively and negatively. It is used positively in Luke 22:15, when Jesus wanted to eat the Passover meal with His disciples."I have eagerly desired (lusted) to eat this Passover meal with you."It's passion and love in a positive sense. Obviously in this context, it is negative.
2.The same Greek word is used to render the Hebrew wordcovetin the Ten Commandments. In Ex. 20:17,do not covetincludes your neighbor's wife. Thinking of those two things-coveting your neighbor's wife in Exodus and lust in this passage-we can define lust asan illegitimate desire either for awrong objector in thewrong amount. Your neighbor's wife is a wrong object of your desire. Having sex more than with your wife is in the wrong amount. Sometimes it might be the right object, like food, but if there is too much, it is a negative lust. It becomes lustful and hazardous, even though we desire good objects. It can become negative if we get obsessed over something, because it can cause our hearts to become divided. The process is firstattraction, thendissatisfaction, thenfixation, thenobsession. When we are obsessed over something we become ungrateful and discontent. We do anything and everything to get it, if not in our actions, at least in our minds. Sometimes we desire even a right object too much, at which point it becomes the object of our worship. We talked previously about the dynamics of idolatry. When we have an inordinate desire for things, they control us. The dynamic is that even though idols control us, we use them to get what we want. It's ultimately self-worship. Lust isI want blank. OrI need blank. OrI needmore than the protective limits of God. When we want it too much that desire becomes lust, even though it might be the right object.
a)It's like a child who wants a knife. Daddy says no, because he wants to protect his child. It is lust because it's a wrong object.
b)It can also be lust when it crosses God's guidelines. When my older daughter, Ruthie, says, "I want that ball," when Hannah is playing with it, it's an illegitimate desire. It crosses the guidelines of sharing with and loving your neighbor and people. She's crossing the line.
3.I wantis the problem.I want. I desire. It's an illegitimate desire sometimes for a wrong object, sometimes in an inordinate amount.Richard Exley said, "Lust is not the result of an overactive sex desire; it's not a biological phenomenon or the by-product of our glands. If it were, then it could be satisfied with a sexual experience, like a glass of water quenches thirst or a good meal satisfies appetite. But the more we attempt to appease our lust, the more demanding it becomes.There is simply not enough erotica in the world to satisfy lust's insatiable appetite.When we deny our lustful desires, we are not repressing a legitimate drive. We are putting to death an aberration.Lust is to the gift of sex what cancer is to a normal cell.Therefore we deny it, not in order to become sexless saints, but in order to be fully alive to God, which includes the full and uninhibited expression of our sexual being within the God-given context of marriage." The lust itself,I want,is the problem. It's the status of lust, not necessarily the object. I want too much. I want the wrong things. Lust is an illegitimate desire.
B.Heart Lust Is the Source of Behavioral Lust
1.When you want something sexually, it's never just about physical appetite. It's from the heart. Otherwise we wouldn't be spiritual beings. Look at verses 17-20. Now the context is that Jesus is preaching the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Jesus is describing how kingdom citizens ought to live. He says in chapter 5, blessed are the .... Then He teaches us how we need to fulfill the law in verses 17-20. He talks about the Pharisees who fulfilled the law so faithfully, with a near impeccable obedience. Verse 20 says, "unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees." This is tough if you're thinking about external behavior. What does He mean when He says, "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees"?Jesus is saying, "When I talk about obedience, it's never just about the behavior. It always comes from the heart."One act of obedience from the heart is more important than all the external acts of obedience without the heart.This is heart obedience. So one act of obedience that comes from a heart for God and love for people is more important than all the Pharisaic-teachers-of-the-Law-obedience-without-love-for-God-and-His-people. Then He talks about heart sins. You can commitmurderon the outside, but it really comes fromhatredin your heart. You can commitadulterybut if youlustin your heart, you've committed adultery in your heart. What does that mean? Is it the degree? Is lust the same degree as adultery? Then you may think, "Well, I lust all the time. So I might as well go a little further and commit adultery!" Thus it cannot be talking about equal degree. When He talks about lust in your heart and in your mind, He's talking about thesource. Heart lust is the root. Then mental lust and adultery and behavior are the results. If you commit adultery externally, you've already committed it in your heart. It's the source of it.
2.There are three kinds of lust mentioned in this passage. "No, there are two, Pastor Min." Well, I think there are three. Look at it very carefully. The first kind is adultery. That'sphysical lust. It's lust that is expressed in your actions. The second kind of sin mentioned is mental orrelational lust. Verse 28, "But I tell you..."When you look at a woman lustfully, you've already committed sinwith herin your heart. When you look at a woman lustfully, it's talking about mind sin or relational sin. "With her." That's the second kind. Then there is a third, a different kind of lust. "Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has committed adultery with herin his heart." Physically in your action.Then relationally in your mind.Then in your heart,the motive. It's the basis of all sin. So a physical level, a relational or mental level and a heart level are mentioned. So what does it mean? Basically it's saying this.When you commit heart lust, it's the root. Anything on top of that, mental or behavioral lust, is rooted in your heart.If you commit sin on the outside, you've already committed sin on the inside, in your heart, motive, and desire. It seems a little confusing because in verse 28 it says, "Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has committed adulterywith herin his heart." But that doesn't mean heart sin; it means mental sin.Then, though it doesn't actually say the word lust,in his heartis referring to heart lust. If you've committed adultery in your behavior or in your mind, you have already committed lust in your heart because it's the source. That's what the verse means. If you keep lusting in your heart, you'll commit it in your behavior and mentally.
3.Lust is roughly the heart motive lust as well as mental and behavioral lust.
4.How serious is lust?It's a violation of the first and greatest commandment and what it means to be a Christian. "Love the Lord your God with all yourheartand all your soul and all your mind." The basis is yourself, because these objects give you what you want. It's a violation against the first and greatest commandment. Then when you commit mental and behavioral lust it's roughly a violation against the second greatest commandment-love your neighbor as you love yourself. We must have a theocentric view of sin. A lot of times we focus on our feelings and guilt. We must remember all our sins areagainst God(though, of course, some are also against people), and we must understand how serious it is. Lust is one of many sins, but it is a sin that violates the first and second greatest commandments.
5.Thomas Costain's history,The Three Edwards, described the life of Raynald III, a fourteenth-century duke in what is now Belgium. Grossly overweight, Raynald was commonly called by his Latin nickname, Crassus, which means "fat." This man was fat. After a violent quarrel, Raynald's younger brother Edward led a successful revolt against him. Edward captured Raynald but did not kill him. Instead, he built a room around him in the castle and promised him he could regain his title and property as soon as he was able to leave the room. This wouldn't have been difficult for most people since the room had several windows and a door of near-normal size, and none was locked or barred. The problem was Raynald's size. To regain his freedom he needed to lose weight. But Edward knew his older brother, and each day he sent a variety of delicious food and delicacies. Instead of losing weight, Raynald gained it.When people accused Duke Edward of cruelty, he had a ready answer: "My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills." Raynald stayed in that room for ten years and wasn't released until after Edward died in battle. By then his health was so ruined he died within a year ...a prisoner of his own appetite. Desire is the problem, the source of his imprisonment. I thought about this brother and how Satan works like that. Satan can never cause us to sin, but he can use and stimulate our desires. If we can overcome lust, we can overcome the power of Satan and the world. Our heart is the problem. Only the power of God can change our desires so we can get out of this prison. Is that possible? Yes. An enthusiastic yes! I believe a lustful man can be free. A homosexual man can change. I believe in desire change, otherwise I'd quit ministry.We might have to fight against the struggle all our lives, but I believe desires can change and I believe in the power of the gospel.
C.There are Different Levels of Lust
1.
2.Physical lust [at the top] is just one part of the many lusts we have. It's the superficial level.Relational lust [in the middle] happens when you commit it in your mind and lust in your heartwith her.Heart lust [at the bottom] is basically your heart motive. Adultery, looking at wrong things, masturbation, these are all physical lusts. Everything comes out of our heart motive. Then there's relational lust. In this text, it doesn't just say, "You sin." It says, "You sinwith her." Even though it's just a mental thing, the damage is done when you think about her in your mind. Others get hurt even then. Why?Because when you lust after a male or a female, you're not loving them. You're being selfish. Obviously you're not praying for them. Or when you desire to have sex with them or become emotionally attached, there are consequences. You have less purity and love to give to your spouse. People always ask, "Does masturbation have consequences?"I can't believe that some Christians say it's OK.We'll talk about this next time.
3.We are habitual beings. Something about lusting after others lessens the desire you have for your spouse or the ones you should have desire for. When you think about this, it's fascinating. If you're a respect-me-person (your heart lust is respect), when you lust after someone, you desire respect from that person. If you're an I-want-to-be-popular-person, when you lust after someone, you want to be liked by them or others. If you're a love-me-person, when you lust after someone, you want to be loved. If you're a perfectionist, when you lust after someone, either you want to control him or her or he or she is someone who will contribute to your perfection. When you physically lust, it's not just that. It's relational as well. You want something. Why do youhaveto think about them?When you look at pornography, why does that feeling come?It's relational lust. It's also heart lust. All the time you want respect, popularity, love, or perfection. That's what drives everything you do.Even though people are divided among these categories, they all basically come from one lust in our hearts. You have an illegitimate desire, you lust after them rather than love people."I lust; I want," so you can be worshiped, honored, and glorified. Your will comes before anything else.
4.In order to deal with lust, you gotta deal with more than just the physical aspect. Of course, get some fruit out. For example, watching videos or using your computer; control these things. But also, work on your relationships. When you deal with people, you desire something from them. See a couple of different fruits there and work on them. If you know your heart motive, every time you see this fruit and repent and fight against it, it reminds you of that heart motive. You need to comprehensively work at all three levels in your heart in order to overcome. That heart lust is not only causing physical lust but relational lust and everything-you-do-in-your-life-lust. So there are different levels of lust. You need to work on every area. You need to get rid of this desire. A desire change needs to take place. Don't be discouraged by temporary failures. You'll have to fight all your life. But keep fighting, not only physical lust, but every aspect of your life. Fight your basic heart motive. If you don't know your basic heart motive, talk to the other pastors because my schedule is full. Ask them to help you detect your it.
D.Lies and Lust Are Linked
1.We've been talking about lust, but there is a relationship between that and lies. There's a relationship between lust and the wrong beliefs you have. Verse 27 says, "You have heard that it was said."Then in verse 28 it says, "But I tell you."Jesus is correcting everything wrong that people have heard about sex and lust. "You've heard, but I'm going to correct it." A lot of times when we believe falsehoods or have wrong beliefs, they stimulate you, affect you, and give you excuses for your sins. Wrong beliefs can have an effect on our desires. "You have heard," "but I tell you,"-he's correcting their thoughts, the lies. How many of you sitting here (it might still apply to some of you) have sinned in high school? If you knew the permanent consequences you'd have because spilled water cannot go back in the cup, and the teachings you've learned in this church, how many would still have sinned?Why? We often sin because of wrong ideas and beliefs. We have misunderstandings about sex and say that it is just a physical thing with no consequence. But the Bible says that there will be permanent consequences in your marriage until we see Jesus face. We can be forgiven but there are consequences. How about now? What are some lies that justify your sins?