Sometimes we are led to think that God doesn’t want us to have the pleasure of sex because He has set up all kinds of rules and regulations around it. Why doesn’t he allow pre-marital sex? Why does He say lust is a sin? Because He is saving sex for you.
Inspired by Joshua Harris’ ‘Not even a Hint’
Deny lust to save sex
It’s everywhere
We live in a sex-saturated world where lust is very rampant even with Christians. Pre-marital sex is branded as “okay” as long as it’s safe, and “exciting” when it’s not. Lust is pleasurable, yes. We have that established. But then everything the Bible calls sin is also instantly pleasurable to some degree. After all, if sin is so repulsive, who will want to fall into it’s clutches? As it is, sin is intriguing, exciting and pleasurable – to some instantaneous and temporary degree.
But what does the Bible say about Lust?
“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.” – Job 31:11-12
Job knows the consequences of the instantaneous but temporary pleasures of lust.
“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed because these are improper for God’s holy people” – Ephesians 5:3
Hear that? Not even a hint. It means that lust cannot be found anywhere near your thoughts, feelings, actions, expressions, etc.
Now we ask the question
Why? Is the Bible a kill-joy? Does God want to keep the little temporary pleasures from us?
Heck no. God created sex. He knows how sex should exactly be done. He set the boundaries for sex for us to enjoy it in it’s fullness. He is protecting sex by denying lust.
Take a basketball game for example. What do you think will happen if we break the physical-contact rule? It would suddenly become a bloody, elbow-frenzy game. Is it still a game? Yes. But is it played the way it’s supposed to be? No. Would we like it? Definitely not. The finesse of the game would be gone since we can abuse the physical aspect of the game.
That’s just a far-fetched analogy but do you get the picture? There are rules and boundaries set for the game’s full beauty to be enjoyed. It’s the same with sex. God has set boundaries for His creation of sex for us to enjoy it’s full beauty – inside marriage.
Sex is the most pleasurable physical and spiritual act a man and woman can ever have. It also brings the most devastating consequences should it be tampered with. And the Devil is doing exactly that – perverting it’s primary purpose and pleasure to a malicious design. Don’t give in. Protect and save sex by denying lust in your life.
Okay, how about doing it alone? I'm sure, you've got this question a few times already.
— How about doing it alone— masturbation?
hi charles, been reading this blog occassionally when i have time since it started… if i may "butt-in", about your question, i got another set of questions for you: do you think the purpose of sex is for just one person? would you really enjoy having "sex alone"? how about intimacy with the person you love the most?
and btw, guys and girls, what do we mean by lust? is it just really about doing the deed? if i may add, i remember one time from one date talk last 2007, i believe a pastor told us this about lust. he described it as getting something for yourself at the expense of others. more of so like the opposite of love which gives unconditionally at the expense of self.
Good insight. I would describe lust (again, from Joshua Harris book) as looking at a person in a sexual way and lingering on that thought for your own pleasure.
Sex was created by God to be enjoyed by man and woman in marriage. =)
I'll be painfully blunt, masturbation is a sin
First: You need to lust before you accomplish the deed
Second: It defies God's blueprint for sex (done with the opposite sex inside marriage)
And the list goes on and on from those two things….
Hope I answered your question somehow Charles!
Hmm.. Okay I have to think of new questions pa about sex.
Was this because of AIDS news all over?
What?
Haha! Charles I don't get it.
AIDS has nothing to do with the boundaries set by God. God's blueprint for sex has been there way before AIDS was manifested.
Great Idea Sean! I am wondering how about those same sex marriage? It is accepted in the US. Did God create that too?
Hello Marvin 🙂
Nope same sex marriage is not created by God. In fact, it is called an 'abomination' to God. I'm being painfully blunt here. The world's standards are not God's standards. Same sex marriage is, in fact, a Sin even if it is accepted by human law, it doesn't mean God has to put up with it.
@charleschan…. hmmm…
One of my former classmates in the seminary which has been my mentor also had his sort of thesis about masturbation. In his thesis, he is saying that masturbation is not a sin provided that you are not lusting. Controversial isn't it?
Granted that it is true, a huge questions will surface to the top. Is it possible to masturbate without lusting? Is it possible to do it without sinning?
Going to that direction is a dangerous road. It's up to you to think now. Can you do that without lusting?
Hey Sean! You hit the nail on the head once again! PRAISE GOD!
I remember the verse that says: “Whoever looks at a woman with lust in his eyes, has already committed adultery in his heart.” God’s standard is just that HIGH, but I know it’s all for the best.
And since yer quoting Josh Harris, i’m gonna do the same and remind you of what he said that “the joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment.” Sex isn’t wrong- sex is good! As long as it is within the walls of marriage, of course. I believe that marriage was created for sexual pleasure- so that we humans could satisfy this craving- without dishonoring God, and at the same time sex was created for marriage so that the love between two people may be fully expressed.
Reading the Leviticus 18 and Romans 1 would be really good reminders. GOOD JOB, SEAN!
Hey Deb!
Praise God 🙂 we have to set our standards high – high enough for us to push ourselves to jump. Glad you got something out of this Deb
Yes we’d like to believe this lust is a sin thing and i know it is a sin. But lets be honest here. Ok and i think jesus would appreciate some honesty. If you place a starving dog in a room with dogfood cans all around him whats he going to do? He’s going to go for the cans of food. Similarily if you place women around men and have them dress in explicit fashion and have adverts, t.v, internet saturated with symbols of sex then its a pretty high standard your keeping of yourself not to have lustful thoughts. I know its wrong but we all do it and anyone who says they don’t is a liar.
The thing to keep in mind is that we can only do our best and theres no perfect standard. If you were to tell me you would never think lustful thoughts towards a woman i’d tell you you are a liar. That in itself is a sin because your lying to yourself. If you said i know its wrong and i will try and prevent myself from doing it but i need some help from god also then i’d have much more respect for you. This idea that you cannot have lustful thoughts ever in your life or try to prevent them is plain wrong and very misleading for people. No human can do this. Thats why god created us and died for our sins. He knows we are sinful by our nature but he forgives and as long as you make an effort to react to lustful thoughts by saying no or make the effort to avoid them as much as is humanely possible you will have gods support and love.
Brother, you should read this: https://h3sean.com/mans-1-enemy-lust-featuring-gods-word/
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified that you should avoid sexual immorality that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-6)
Learn to control your own body – by setting your thoughts on God. You are right in saying the Christian life is impossible – apart from God. So keep yourself rooted in Him and don’t focus on the do’s and don’t’s
hi Truthseeker, i want to apologize for it took a year for me to read this article by Sean,(by the way Sean, it is a good one!)..it pushed me to reply on the dog example, hehe..well, to be superficial enough, all our dogs (askals as they are) will never eat our food even if you put the food on the floor as long as it is in a plate..when you placed the food directly on the floor or on their own food plates, that gives them a signal that the food is for them to enjoy…no kidding, as i have said, just to be superficial enough & relative with your example..same with us, and in fact in and as higher being of rational creations, everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial, it is the attitude and the upbringing, i believe..God bless you more bro..
Prove to me that masturbation is a sin. Did you know that men must do this for health reasons and that if they do not, they is a high risk of infertility? Look it up. So, does your god want infertility among men? And sex before marriage– in the bible, there were no legal and church marriages. Marriage was and is created to just legalize a commitment of people so that theyd avoid infidelity? Prove me wrong.
Again, this is not whether masturbation causes infertility or not. This is what about what sin is and what it can do to you.
Sean thank you!!!, I have read 3 of your articles that deal with sexual immorality and they were all excellently written. May God bless you with more wisdom and understanding.
Thanks Theo! So glad they make sense to you bro 🙂
Hi Sean, thanks a lot for sharing posts like this. I’m also a Bible believing Christian and I also have my own share of personal struggles particularly with homosexuality. It’s really difficult if you have this struggle especially if there is no one to talk with because even our pastor never knew about this. But by God’s grace I’ve overcome it though not totally. I know it’s a long process but I’m determined to live my life in accordance to God’s will and not to conform with the standards of the present world.Your posts were truly a big help for me in dealing with my struggles in life as a Christian. God bless to you and keep it up
Praise God for men like you Ken. Keep fighting the good fight and set an example for the glory of God!