Mentoring Men: Lust

Whether you're married or single, lust is a constant battle that needs to be fought by men of God. The dictionary definition of lust is "1) intense or unrestrained sexual craving, or 2) an overwhelming desire or craving." The Bible speaks of lust in several ways. Exodus 20:14, 17 (NLT), "Do not commit adultery. . . Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else your neighbor owns," or Matthew 5:28, "But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Job 31:11-12 (NLT) sums up lust quite nicely: "For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. It is a devastating fire that destroys to hell. It would wipe out everything I own."

Lust has as its focus pleasing oneself, and it often leads to unwholesome actions to fulfill one's desires with no regard to the consequences. Lust is about possession and greed. The Christian faith is about selflessness and is marked by holy living. The goal of each person who has put his/her faith in Jesus Christ is to become more and more like Him each day. This means putting off the old way of life of which sin was in control, and conforming one's thoughts and actions to the standard put forth in Scripture. Lust is in opposition to this ideal.

This is typically where I get the questions; "So, where's the line? How far is too far?" Bad question!!! The right question is, "At what point does this not become worship?" Sex, kissing, foreplay, oral and all other types of things that can bring sexual peasure are designed to remind us of how wonderful Jesus is, as the creator of such pleasures. So, if you can't worship Jesus while engaging in sexual activity, then it's sin. Am I saying to abstain from everything until you're married? Maybe! Personally, passionate kissing always tends to lead to sexual thoughts for me. Thats OK, because I'm married to Beth. For the single person, dwelling on sexual thoughts is sin and needs to be repented of.

Questions:
1. In what ways have you seen lust in your own life? Be specific and not vague.
2. Most of us know each other pretty well. In what ways have you seen lust in each others lives?
3. Can "You" personally worship Jesus and masturbate at the same time?
4. How can we fight lust and sexual temptations "together"?

Memory Verse for the week:
Job 31:1

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