Lust and the pleasures of sex

"Ray teaches that lust in the heart is a sin. Lust is a biological impulse, not a freely chosen activity." Chris Blanchard

Before we look at the issue of whether or not lust is a sin, let's define the word. Lust is "unlawful" desire. It is not to be confused with the sex drive. God gave us the pleasures of sex, but it came with an instruction Book. The Bible tells us that it is to be confined to the institution of marriage. That's the rule. All around us we see privileges that come with rules. If you have the privilege of driving a vehicle, the rule in the United States is that you stay to the right side of the road. Drive on the left and you will cause big problems. Think of the marriages that have been destroyed because the rules were broken. Think of the STDs that plague humanity because the rules were broken.

Adultery begins in the mind. It is an unlawful desire. The thought precedes the deed, and God Himself says that if you desire to commit adultery you have as much as done the deed. He also warns that if you hate someone, you have as good as killed them.

The Scriptures tell us that we share our thought-life with the One who gave us a brain. He sees what He created, and He destroyed an entire generation "because the imagination of their heart was continually evil." So pleading that you couldn't help lusting will not exonerate you from moral responsibility and its terrible eternal consequences.

However, repentance and faith in Jesus will.