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Love
vs. Lust
by Angie Lewis
There is a great contrast
between love and lust. Lust is more of a sexual or greedy feeling, while love is
more of a secure and content filled feeling we get from giving and receiving.
Lust does not have to be something sexual, it can be a greedy desire for more
money and power, etc. But for this article, I am using it in its sexual context.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 sums
up the common traits and variances of love and lust.
LOVE is kind = considerate,
caring, giving, thoughtful, understanding
Lust is envy = jealous,
greed, spite, resentment,
LOVE is not proud = humble,
submissive, meek, modest
Lust is self-seeking =
selfish, rebellious, rude, egotistical, hateful,
LOVE rejoices in the truth
= God is love, Love is God = Wisdom, Holy Spirit,
Lust delights in evil =
Satan, sin, wicked, iniquitous, immoral, dishonest
Whoever does not love does
not know God, because God is love.
1John 4:8
AND
Dear friends, since God so
loved us, we ought to also love one another.
1 John 4:11
The world has a superficial
and selfish view of love, which has contaminated our understanding of what REAL
LOVE is. The culture believes that
love is something that makes us FEEL good and that it’s acceptable to
sacrifice moral principles to obtain such love.
But in doing so this culture IS NOT obtaining the love characteristic but
the lustful ones.
Love involves unselfish
acts. Faith is the foundation of God’s message. By putting our complete faith
in God gives us the freedom to love others completely.
Matthew 5:27-28 says,
“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 hand 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 you
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.”
When Jesus said to throw
away you right hand or gouge out your eye, he didn’t mean in the literal sense
because even a blind person can lust. Jesus’
thinking was that if that were the only choice, then it would be better to go
into heaven with one eye or one hand then to go to hell with two hands or two
eyes.
Acting out lustful desires
is very harmful in four ways:
- Lustful
desires destroys marriage
- Lustfulness
is rebelliousness to God
- Lustfulness
always hurts someone
- Lustful
acts leads to premarital sex
Jesus said the desire to
have sex with someone other than your spouse is mental adultery. Therefore, If
lustful desires are in our thoughts, then they most likely will come out in our
actions!
“For where you treasure
is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34
In essence, it’s in what
we THINK. What we crave and lust
for in life shows our values and morals. What
we think in our heart and mind comes back out in our actions.
Lustful thinking can turn
into:
- Adultery
= divorce
- Premarital
sex = genital diseases = lack of sexual interest with spouse
- Sin
= death
Sexual immorality is a
temptation we all must face on a daily basis. God doesn’t forbid sexual sins
just to be difficult. God knows its power to destroy people lives physically and
spiritually. God wants to protect us from damaging ourselves with immoral sexual
desires. Sex outside of the
marriage relationship always hurts someone.
It hurts God because it shows that we care more about our own lustful
desires than Him.
Paul said in Corinthians,
“Do you no know that your body is the a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in
you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a
price (Jesus Christ death freed us from sin). Therefore, honor God with your
body” 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20
Many people believe they
have the right to do whatever they want with their own bodies.
And they think this is freedom, but really, they are enslaved to their
own lustful and sinful desires – they are in bondage and slave to their
desires.
When we become
Christian’s (Christ ones) the Holy Spirit lives in us and fills us up, and we
no longer own our own bodies, but we belong to God.
Do you love others like God
wants you to love?
Whoever loves his brother
lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 1 John 2:10
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Copyright 2006 Angie Lewis ~ Heaven Ministries
Article may be reprinted by citing the author, copyright, and website, thanks!
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