Walking in the Way: Lust is at the forefront of sin

Monday, July 15, 2013

Lust is at the forefront of sin

If you could sum up in one word what is keeping most of this world from coming to Christ, what would that word be? Perhaps you would say “unbelief,” or “rebellion” or “sin.” True, but I believe “lust” is at the forefront of sin. The Bible says that the corruption we see in the world has its roots in lust (see 1 Pet.1:14). It is the shining light for Hollywood, soap operas, the Internet, magazine covers, TV programs, car advertising, clothing, popular music, and much of contemporary culture. In 2 Pet. 3:3 we are told that men mock God because they love their lust. So, what would make any sane man turn from lust’s powerful pleasure? Two things: One is that we can never separate lust from death. If we embrace lust, we embrace death, because lust brings forth sin and sin produces death (see James 1:15). A realization of that eternal truth should cause common sense to kick in. No sane man wants to embrace death and, on top of that end up in hell.

The second reason a man turns from the pleasures of lust is knowing what it cost the Savior for our forgiveness. If my father sold everything he had to raise money to pay a fine for me to avoid prison, what sort of wretch would I be to go straight back into crime, because I enjoyed it? The prodigal son made a sensible choice: he “came to himself” (Luke 15:17). That is the point to which we are trying to bring the lost. We want them to exercise common sense (now there is an oxymoron). We are saying, “Come to your senses and call on the name of the Lord. He will not only change your unclean desires, but He will also save you from death and hell.” When the power of the gospel changes a sinful, lust-loving heart, no amount of atheistic arguments or evolutionary silliness comes close to making a Christian even slightly doubt the reality of God.