Is Normal Lust a sin? Scripture please.

[Misty Minister]

I can find no biblical scripture that teaches that normal sexual lust is evil or a sin. Can you provide any? Can you find any legitimate scripture from any Major Abrahamic religion?

 

[ElijahSK]

Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

 

[beechy]

What's "normal" lust?

 

[Miss Shelby]

I can find no biblical scripture that teaches that normal sexual lust is evil or a sin. Can you provide any? Can you find any legitimate scripture from any Major Abrahamic religion?

When you say 'normal lust', do you mean the way a husband would desire his wife & vice/versa?

Michelle

 

[faster_jackrabbit]

Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

So it's okay for women to lust after a man then.

 

[gengwall]

So it's okay for women to lust after a man then.

Ha, ha, ha!

 

[gengwall]

I can find no biblical scripture that teaches that normal sexual lust is evil or a sin. Can you provide any? Can you find any legitimate scripture from any Major Abrahamic religion?

I also would like to know what "normal" lust is. Quite frankly, it would be helpful to define lust in general as you see it in the context of your question.

 

[Prophetable]

Pocket Oxford Dictionary Definition

lust 1 Sensuos appetite regarded as a sin; passionate enjoyment or desire of; lascivious passion 2 Have passionate longing for.


Sexual lust within marriage is normal and healthy.
Outside of marriage, people will be sexually tempted. Temptation is not a sin. However it becomes a sin when we entertain it and begin to fantasise. Ie: We become an adulterer or fornicator in our heart.


Keeping this in mind its important to avoid temptation, and to pray (as in the Lords prayer), for God to keep us from it. This is why New Testament epistles encourage women to dress modestly.


Sin hardens the heart, and we need to guard our heart.
Some people might think, "Hey, this won't hurt a little, it's not really sin to look and fantasise a bit". However one thing leads to another. Feed your appetite and it will grow.


Let's keep pure and remember the sexually immoral will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

[gengwall]

Pocket Oxford Dictionary Definition

lust 1 Sensuos appetite regarded as a sin; passionate enjoyment or desire of; lascivious passion 2 Have passionate longing for.


Sexual lust within marriage is normal and healthy.
Outside of marriage, people will be sexually tempted. Temptation is not a sin. However it becomes a sin when we entertain it and begin to fantasise. Ie: We become an adulterer or fornicator in our heart.


Keeping this in mind its important to avoid temptation, and to pray (as in the Lords prayer), for God to keep us from it. This is why New Testament epistles encourage women to dress modestly.


Sin hardens the heart, and we need to guard our heart.
Some people might think, "Hey, this won't hurt a little, it's not really sin to look and fantasise a bit". However one thing leads to another. Feed your appetite and it will grow.


Let's keep pure and remember the sexually immoral will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Great job Prophetable. Now, does the OP follow this reasoning? Does Misty subscribe to this definition and also support the notion that "normal" is the intramarital variety? Those are the questions we need answered to see if your response covers the original query adequately.

 

[Miss Shelby]

Pocket Oxford Dictionary Definition

lust 1 Sensuos appetite regarded as a sin; passionate enjoyment or desire of; lascivious passion 2 Have passionate longing for.


Sexual lust within marriage is normal and healthy.
Outside of marriage, people will be sexually tempted. Temptation is not a sin. However it becomes a sin when we entertain it and begin to fantasise. Ie: We become an adulterer or fornicator in our heart.


Keeping this in mind its important to avoid temptation, and to pray (as in the Lords prayer), for God to keep us from it. This is why New Testament epistles encourage women to dress modestly.


Sin hardens the heart, and we need to guard our heart.
Some people might think, "Hey, this won't hurt a little, it's not really sin to look and fantasise a bit". However one thing leads to another. Feed your appetite and it will grow.


Let's keep pure and remember the sexually immoral will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

I disagree up to a point, I think that the phrase 'normal lust' is an oxymoron. I think that lust is always wrong.

I do not disagree that a husband and wife should desire each other in the way that God intends, but I think even between married people there are lines that shouldn't be crossed.

I guess it's the usage of the term lust as something normal that I would disagree with. I know some people don't view it as always being a bad thing, so I am willing to consider how others use the term. This is just my own opinon.

In reading Song of Solomon, I don't see anything there that would be considered lust. (in the biblical usage of the term)

I'm not sure what the OP means, though. She might be trying to ask something completely different.

Michelle

 

[gengwall]

Good points Michelle. Let me look at it a different way and see what your take is.

One time I was up deer hunting, on the day before the opener, I was walking down a logging trail and a big buck walked out in front of me. It was during the rut and it was quite clear that this big ole fellow was on the trail of a doe. He was grunting and all stiff legged and, most importantly, he didn't even notice me walking noisily 15 feet behind him. Now, what I saw in that buck was lust. No doubt about it.

I believe that is how God wants me to pursue and desire my wife. So much so that not even the most tempting of distractions can take my heart, mind, and eyes off of her. In that aspect, I think God not only approves of but requires me to lust after my wife.

Notice Jesus in the Matt passage does not condemn lust per se, but lust directed in a specific way (away from ones wife)? Is this a confirmation that some lust is "normal" and blessed? That is the way I take it. My 2 cents.

 

[Miss Shelby]

gengwall, I don't see where lust is ever described as a holy thing in the Bible. It's always used in reference to something that is unholy. So, I dunno, perhaps I am splitting hairs and being nitpicky, I really don't know. I see true holy devotion in your admiration and committment to your wife. I just would not refer to it as lust. Even when speaking in very personal terms about your relationship.

Michelle

 

[gengwall]

gengwall, I don't see where lust is ever described as a holy thing in the Bible. It's always used in reference to something that is unholy. So, I dunno, perhaps I am splitting hairs and being nitpicky, I really don't know. I see true holy devotion in your admiration and committment to your wife. I just would not refer to it as lust. Even when speaking in very personal terms about your relationship.

Michelle

Yes - and it may just be a symantical thing too. I might have to take a look at the original language in the Matt passage and Job's covenant with his eyes not to lust to see what is really being talked about. Sometimes, our English translations cause us problems as well

 

[gengwall]

This is just a quick review.

The two words translated "lust" and "lustful" are the verb epiqumeo and it's derived noun epiqumia. Although "lust", "desire for what is forbidden", and "covet" are some of negative descriptive terms in the definitions, these are not wholey negative terms. They are indeed fairly benign - meaning the numerous variations of "desire" or "longing". Indeed. sometimes they are used in very positive contexts (Luke 22:15, 1 Titus 3:1, Heb 6:11 are some examples.) So, it is possible that the desire Jesus talks about could have a positive side, at least in theory.

The old testament is quite different. It has some words whose meaning is specifically and universally negative - generally dealing with harlots (and images of them) and their actions. In other words, in most cases where the OT talks about lust it means lust in the most negative sense all the time.

Interestingly, the Job verse (31:1) talking about not lusting or gazing after a virgin is not one of these words. The word used in Job basically would translate, in that context, "leer". It is more about focused looking than about sexual thought.

 

[levi501]

thou shall not covet thy neighbor's goods... that includes her body.

 

[Misty Minister]

Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

By m5:28 apparently it isalso ok for a woman to look on a woman with lust in her heart?

 

[Misty Minister]

What's "normal" lust?

I was thinking of things other than adultry and the other sexual prohibitions listed in Leviticus. I was not considering the life hating doctrines of the gnostic influencers.

 

[Misty Minister]

When you say 'normal lust', do you mean the way a husband would desire his wife & vice/versa?

Michelle

That seems pretty normal to me. So normal that as human hormone levels drop and sexual desire falls people have sought ways to boost it for since before history.

 

[Misty Minister]

I also would like to know what "normal" lust is. Quite frankly, it would be helpful to define lust in general as you see it in the context of your question.

Normal as in not prohibited in Leviticus. God was very thorough in the list.

 

[Misty Minister]

Great job Prophetable. Now, does the OP follow this reasoning? Does Misty subscribe to this definition and also support the notion that "normal" is the intramarital variety? Those are the questions we need answered to see if your response covers the original query adequately.

I was thinking of things OTHER THAN the sexual prohibitions listed in Leviticus as being normal.