What is lust or how do we determine if a desire is lustful?
Let’s get at this first with a definition. I have written a definition before saying that “sexual lust is wanting and using something or someone for own sexual desires without proper permission, position or concern for the person or object.” But, I like John Piper’s definition as well where he gets to the very heart of it:
“Lust is a supreme disregard for God and people that fails to honor both with a desire that is otherwise meant for good.”
So to put it bluntly, sexual desire that does not take into account God’s desire for holiness, is evil in His eyes. Therefore if someone does not know God, their desires are going to be tainted and lacking at best or destructive at their worst.
How do we determine if something we desire with our life and body is leaning toward lust? As some may ask in another way, “so are all my physical desires for the opposite sex bad?” To help us filter this out we should ask ourself this great question: Is this desire holy and honorable to God? Similarly, does it have in view God’s design for that desire or is it purely selfish or dishonoring to another person?
For more on sexual lust and pornography go here.
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