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To: FearlessFreep; little jeremiah; paudio; USFRIENDINVICTORIA; John 3_19-21; bvw

Seeing women who are attractive to you is not adultery.

That’s not what Christ meant when He said looking at a woman with lust in your heart is adultery.

James 1: “13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

It starts with temptation. Temptation, if not stopped, turns into desire. Desire gives birth to sin (the temptation is not sin). Sin gives birth to death.

1 Corinthians 10: “12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

So every believer who is tempted is guaranteed a way out—before it turns to desire and gives birth to sin. Lust is not temptation. Lust is an intense craving or overwhelming desire for something.

Matthew 5:28 is often misinterpreted and used by unbelievers to create an impossible standard. Their purpose? To ridicule the faith and put believers back under the law.

In fact, Christ understood human nature VERY well, better than any of us. Matthew 5:28 is entirely reasonable and a good way to measure what’s in your heart. If you understand the steps that lead to sin (steps that are NOT sin themselves), you can avoid them.

So, it’s possible to look at naked women and not desire or lust after them in your heart. Doctors do it every day. By the same token, it’s possible to look at a fully clothed woman, allow her beauty or natural attractiveness to grow into a desire to have her, and then give way to sin.

Christianity makes sense. It’s not unreasonable!


32 posted on 09/25/2009 7:49:43 PM PDT by CitizenUSA
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To: CitizenUSA
Thanks for the insightful post.

Just to be clear — I wasn't suggesting that Jimmy Carter be a source of advice on morals, or biblical interpretation. I was just trying to point out the hypocrisy of the MSM reporters, who venerate Carter, at the same time as they mock religious people (well, Christians and Jews, at any rate).

47 posted on 09/26/2009 10:33:25 AM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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