Not Even a Hint of sexual immorality. Not even a little tiny bit. Not the smallest little tiny though, or action, or feeling. None. That is God’s standard.

I have to admit that often times “Not Even a Hint” seems like a very unrealistic goal. It seems so far off. It seems so unattainable. It seems like a nice idea but seems like a battle I will always have to fight. If I had to rate my chance of realist it seemed on a scale of 1 to 10 I think it would hover somewhere around 3-4. It seems impossible.

I think of all the images I’ve seen. I think of all the movies I’ve watched. I think of all the messing around I’ve done and being free from lust and not having to battle it anymore seems so far off. Sometimes I feel defeated before I even start.

Like most things, it’s not so much how realistic I think the goal of “Not Even a Hint” is. It’s much more about how much I desire it. As I think about how much I desire to get rid of lust I tend to think in terms of my actions. Actions tend to show the amount of desire that you have for something. It’s our desires that drive us to do things. We all do exactly what we desire. Using that as the judge of my desire I would have to say that I really don’t desire to have lust out of my life.

How do I show my desire to get rid of lust? It’s shown by reading books, listening to sermons, reading scripture, and seeking accountability. From that standpoint there is some desire.

But I still find myself asking do I really want lust gone. Do I really want it out of my life? Yes scripture tells me that it’s wrong. Yes scripture says that it does not please God. Yes I know it’s wrong…I guess I questions how much I really believe that. There are others sins like drinking, or anger, or murder where I can see a very clear cut correlation between the action and the results. With lust and sexual sin that is not the case. Lust is a very private matter.

I’m not trying to justify it. I know it’s wrong. Scripture says it’s wrong. I’m just trying to deal honestly with how much I want lust out of my life.

It’s at this point that I find Piper’s work on the issues of sex very helpful. He points out that when Christ is at the center of our lives and when we know and understand him how we should, sexuality will fall into it’s proper place. I think that so often I spend far too much time thinking of sex, lust, and all the related matters. Sometimes it seems like I get so off track trying to fight lust that I forget to seek after Christ.

Perhaps part of why I struggle with having a strong desire to have lust out of my life is that I feel so defeated. I feel like I have fought the battle and lost. I feel like I am doomed to fail again. I feel that it will have to be the thing that I always struggle with.

It’s a tough battle. But that is where faith comes from. It comes in trusting in Christ to do what is impossible. So in some ways I do want to be delivered from lust. But I know I can’t do it. Only Christ can. He is truly my only hope in the matter.
Lust vs Sexuality

Here is a simple definition of lust. Lust is desiring sexually what God has forbidden. I think this is a helpful definition. This comes from one of the books I am currently reading called “Not Even a Hint.” Lust is a desire. Lust is a passion. It is desiring something sexual that God has told us we cannot have. Often times we will use lust in a non-sexual way. I know that I have often times “lusted” over cars, or new apple products, or other such things. In reality that is not lust. There is no sexual desire when I want those things.

I don’t know if there is much I would change in the definition of lust. I think that defining it and viewing it as desiring what God has forbidden is a healthy way to define it.

This is however a difference between lust and sexuality. We see that distinction drawn out in scripture. Take a look at the following verses.

Ephesians 5:3 – But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

Colossians 3:5 – Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 – For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor

In each one of those verse we see that we are avoid and abstain for all forms of sexual immorality. We are to put those things to death. Those are things that are not even to be named among Christians. It has no part in our lives. Yet when we contrast those verse on lust with other verse that deal with sexuality we see some of the differences come out.

Genesis 2:25 – And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed

Proverbs 5:18-19 – Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated always in her love.

1 Corinthians 7:2-5 – 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

In those verses we see the goodness of sex. We see the goodness of God and the provision he offers for us. While lust is wrong and to be avoided, sexuality is a gift from God and is to be enjoyed. But like all gifts, if we are not allowed to have it just yet…we are desiring something before it is ours, we are lusting for it.

God is not simply calling us to avoid sex for the sake of being stoic prudes. He is not asking us to avoid lust simply for the sake of doing it. It fits inside his bigger plan. It is really a matter of trust and belief.

When I give into lust, I doubt God. I doubt his provision. I doubt him to provide for me. When I give into lust I am turning away from God. Yet when I resist lust I am trusting God. When I control myself and my thoughts I am showing by my actions that I believe God and I don’t believe the lies of Satan and this world.