Breaking Free From the Power of Lust
Scripture Reading — Matthew 5:27-30
“Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
—Matthew 5:28
We live in a sex-saturated culture. Billboards, magazines, best-selling novels, and blockbuster movies bombard us with images meant to tantalize, tease and, tempt. The adult entertainment industry rakes in billions of dollars each year. Lust has a vice-grip that holds countless people helpless in its grasp. Jesus clearly warns us of the dangers of both adultery and lust. He calls us to flee from the trap of sexual sin.
This is so important because the consequences of sexual sin are painfully and tragically destructive. Marriages have been destroyed because of it. It can enslave people in habits that create deep shame and self-loathing. Lives come apart when lust is allowed free rein. God’s design for sex is far superior to the ways we degrade it. Human sexuality is to be a source of delight and intimacy matched only by our intimacy with Christ. Lust and sexual sin eat away at God’s purpose for sexuality.
At the root of lust lies a spiritual hunger for joy and fulfillment. We are mistaken if we believe sex can fill that longing. The good news is that God meets this need in his Son, Jesus. When we receive the supreme love and affirmation that God freely offers us, we can be free from the destructive power of lust. As lust loses its power, we become free to enjoy God’s delightful gift of sexuality within the bounds he sets for it.
Savior, forgive us for twisting what you intended to be beautiful. Fill us with joy and delight in knowing that you can break us free from the power of lust. Amen.
About the author — Rob Toornstra
Rob Toornstra has served as pastor of Sunnyslope Christian Reformed Church in Salem, Oregon, since 2006. When not busy with pastoral duties, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Amy, and their three children.
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