Adultery in his heart

[Soyeong]

The same heart I have that God granted to me that opened my eyes to see I was a lost sinner that needed a Savior is also the same heart that is sickened when I sin...heck, these days I feel guilty swatting flies...I am the LAST one who wants grace to abound as I go on sinning...I find NO pleasure in sin now that I have been born again....why can’t people grasp that? Seriously!

Then why do you speak against obeying the Law that was given to reveal what sin is?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the Torah, won’t his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 Indeed, the man who is physically uncircumcised but obeys the Torah will stand as a judgment on you who have had a b’rit-milah and have Torah written out but violate it! 28 For the real Jew is not merely Jewish outwardly: true circumcision is not only external and physical. 29 On the contrary, the real Jew is one inwardly; and true circumcision is of the heart, spiritual not literal; so that his praise comes not from other people but from God.

13 For it is not merely the hearers of Torah whom God considers righteous; rather, it is the doers of what Torah says who will be made righteous in God’s sight. 14 For whenever Gentiles, who have no Torah, do naturally what the Torah requires, then these, even though they don’t have Torah, for themselves are Torah! 15 For their lives show that the conduct the Torah dictates is written in their hearts.

 

[Soyeong]

26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the Torah, won’t his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 Indeed, the man who is physically uncircumcised but obeys the Torah will stand as a judgment on you who have had a b’rit-milah and have Torah written out but violate it! 28 For the real Jew is not merely Jewish outwardly: true circumcision is not only external and physical. 29 On the contrary, the real Jew is one inwardly; and true circumcision is of the heart, spiritual not literal; so that his praise comes not from other people but from God.

13 For it is not merely the hearers of Torah whom God considers righteous; rather, it is the doers of what Torah says who will be made righteous in God’s sight. 14 For whenever Gentiles, who have no Torah, do naturally what the Torah requires, then these, even though they don’t have Torah, for themselves are Torah! 15 For their lives show that the conduct the Torah dictates is written in their hearts.

Those are good verses, but it is not clear to me why you posted them or think that they disagree with what I've said.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

When John says that any man who lusts after a woman has committed adultery in his heart, does he mean to say that it is the same as committing adultery in the traditional sense? If so, are we not all adulterers for eternity?

I feel that there must be some distinction.

Any light on this topic would be appreciated.

+++

Matthew 5:28 - the two words "lust upon" comes from paints the picture of burning with passion upon someone, though it is common to look as a biological function, the act of burning with passion upon is willful, so it is the same.
.
To God the image and the likeness represent the same thing, and the two are one being. Jesus taught this because in the new covenant we can be cleansed inwardly, the same applies to the 1st John saying about hating being equal to murder (1 John 3:15) indicates that these sins of the soul need confession (1 John 1:9) just as much as the obvious ones.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Matthew 5:28 also has echoes in Job 31:1 and Proverbs 6:25

 

[Kenny'sID]

As far as it being same as what they always knew as adultery, on a worse sins basis, I'd say it's definitely is not the same/as bad. However, it's bad enough. and something we need to repent of and do our best to get control of.

Even if it doesn't lead to worse things, I think things like that haunt us, where we, deep inside, just can't be quite right with God if we continue in them. The penalty may be much worse than that if we choose it as a lifestyle. Not to mention it's just another thing that can turn into an addiction/get control of us...not something I need. It was way too much trouble to get control of it the first time for me, and now that I have, for the most part anyway/comparatively, I don't need to let it back in, nor want to go through that again.

 

[Blood Bought 1953]

Then why do you speak against obeying the Law that was given to reveal what sin is?

I am all for keeping the law.it is great.it is,in fact perfect. It was given to us for our own good.when we are wise enough to obey it—-WE benefit.....when we break the law....WE pay the price.it DOES reveal what sin is! How would I know I need a Savior from sin if I did not know what sin WAS?
So now let me ask you a question...Paul says the Law was given to take us by the hand and lead us to Christ who freely forgives and declares usI “Not guilty!” By
The authority of Jesus and Paul the law is dead.."it now has no power....it has been all condensed to this.".Love God and love your neighbor.ill say it again...theLaw is great""...but it does not save. “ saved by faith,,not by the works of the law
Here is what I think you fail to see to see—-keeping the law is not the standard,,but if it were the standard.,,a person like me who does not worry about it like a big sword hanging over my head ready To kill me and damn me because I can’t keep it.."I do a better job of keeping the law than the person who frets about it because he thinks his eternity is at stake."...like Paul said,, if you have faith ,you will FIND yourself keeping the law.."you don’t understand it because you have not experienced it....why not give it a shot?.....let go and let God! God bless you!

 

[hedrick]

I assume the OP is asking about Mat 5:28. There are a couple of things to note about that passage:

1) It's a comment on the law against adultery. Jesus says the people commit adultery in their hearts. So quite likely Jesus is thinking specifically of married people who are interested in someone not their spouse. If it were about non-married people it would be fornication in their hearts.

2) The term translated "lust" is normally translated "covet." In non-sexual contexts it means wanting something you're not entitled to. So this is really about a married person with the desire to have sex with someone who isn't their spouse. It's not about anyone who admires a good-looking guy or gal.

 

[dreadnought]

When John says that any man who lusts after a woman has committed adultery in his heart, does he mean to say that it is the same as committing adultery in the traditional sense? If so, are we not all adulterers for eternity?

I feel that there must be some distinction.

Any light on this topic would be appreciated.

+++

We will conquer the adultery in our hearts.