Chapter 19: Myth—Sexuality Doesn’t Matter
Page 17
associated feelings of love or affection.” You can’t be guilty of lust for simply thinking a sexual thought. Many men, including myself, might look
admirably upon a physically endowed and shapely woman. This, however, is not lust or immorality in God’s perspective. That doesn’t mean various churches would not condemn it. Consider carefully the words of Jesus.
Jesus said: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28
The meaning of Jesus’ words is, “lusting for her in your heart!” If you are walking with God, the gatekeeper stops all lustful thoughts from entering the heart. If you are not walking with God, most likely the thoughts still do not go down into the heart. It takes a lot of sexual energy to get from the mind to the heart. The mass majority of men can ogle a woman without
getting lustful for her in their heart. Even if the act of ogling a woman is in itself a suggestive act. Exactly how do you think that male and females begin any relationship except by carefully eyeing one another first? I’m sorry, but ogling does not rise to the level of a mortal sin. In fact, it is
questionable as to whether it even rises to the level of a sin albeit it could.
The mere visual or even mental thought that a woman is beautiful and physically looks good also does not rise to the level of mortal sin. Nor does
the instant thought that it might be nice to have sex with her, since that is not a matter of the heart unless some action actually accompanies it. Mental thoughts in this sense are not a sin. If they were, 100% of all males would be doomed to the lake of fire. Instead, it is quite a normal male activity to
check out the opposite sex. In fact, males are equipped to do so by design.
That doesn’t mean that mental thoughts cannot doom a person to a life of sexual immorality, as they can. But those thoughts have to get lodged in
the heart and not just the mind. Consider this Bible verse.
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. ‘Eat and drink!’ he says to you, but his heart is not with you.” Proverbs 23:7
Copyright 2005 Edward G. Palmer, All Rights Reserved. Book of Edward—Chapter 19