The Heart of Lust

Today’s scripture:

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own.” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV)

There are four terms I would like to bring into reality of what they really mean so we can understand what we will be learning here. From Easton’s Bible Dictionary…

1. Lust: “sinful longing; the inward sin which leads to the falling away from God (Romans 1:21). "In Mark 4:19 "lusts" are objects of desire.”

Strong’s Bible Dictionary says lust is to set the heart upon or to covet.

2. Adultery: An adulterer was a man who had illicit intercourse with a married or a betrothed woman, and such a woman was an adulteress. Adultery was regarded as a great social wrong, as well as a great sin.”

Strong’s Bible Dictionary says adultery is figurative to apostatize and to break wedlock.

3. Temple: “first used of the tabernacle, which is called "the temple of the Lord" (1 Samuel 1:9). In the New Testament the word is used figuratively of Christ's human body (John 2:19 John 2:21). Believers are called "the temple of God" (1 Corinthians 3:16 1 Corinthians 3:17). The Church is designated "a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:21). Heaven is also called a temple (Revelation 7:5).”

Strong’s Bible Dictionary says Temple is a dwelling place and a sacred place.

4. Dwell: God "dwells in light" (1 Timothy 6:16 ; 1 John 1:7), in heaven (Psalms 123:1), in his church (Psalms 9:11 ; 1 John 4:12). Christ dwelt on earth in the days of his humiliation (John 1:14). He now dwells in the hearts of his people (Ephesians 3:17-19). The Holy Spirit dwells in believers (1 Corinthians 3:16 ; 2 Tim 1:14). We are exhorted to "let the word of God dwell in us richly" (Colossians 3:16 ; Psalms 119:11).

Strong’s Bible Dictionary says Dwell is also to settle into or to marry.

Today’s scripture says that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Since our body is a temple which is a dwelling place for the Lord and to dwell is meant to remain with or to marry, then that means we are committed to God as a wife is committed to her husband. To lust after isn’t just a sexual thing like we tend to think of; rather it is what your heart is set on.

Lets look at the seventh of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.” – The mercy found here is of protection for your relationship with God and your marriage and your relationship with others. It is also to keep the Lord’s temple undefiled from sin. But, also you are to do mercy to your spouse by saving yourself for her by not gratifying your flesh. Even if you have never met the person who will be your spouse yet. You can do mercy for him or her by keeping your body pure.

Adultery is a heart issue. Jesus says that even if you look at a woman with lust in your heart, you have committed adultery (Mat 5:28). As you read 1 Corinthians 6:18 out of your bible you will see the importance of this sin in its context. Every other sin committed is from outside the body but this one goes against the body and because it sins against something that the Lord holds so precious as part of an intimacy with another, the implications run very deep into a persons soul.

Don’t take this as a light thing! This is a very serious matter of your relationship with your Lord as well as your marriage! The solution to this is staying honest and confessing your sin to God and to another in authority about your thought life.

Reflection:

If you are a christian then your body is Jesus’ home. And not just the place where He dwells but a holy place, a sacred place that doesn’t belong to you, it belongs to Him. And for you to sin against this holy place where Jesus dwells, not only do you become one with another person as you commit this sin but you are also joining Jesus with them in a very defiling way!

Challenge:

When you are tempted to lust after another, take the thought captive by praying mercy for that person’s soul. Once you do this, it forces you to start to see that person as a human being with needs and not as an object to satisfy your selfish desires. God allowed those thoughts to enter for a reason. Use those thoughts for His glory!

-Doug McGowan