They are as close to us as our own skin, the triad of lusts described by the Apostle John: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). These excessive and forbidden desires. Are the sinner the source of sin, as James points out to us in teaching that God does not tempt us to sin?All, however, are tempted when attracted and seduced by their own lust; then concupiscence, having conceived, gives rise to sin; And sin, consumed, begets death?(James 1: 14-15? AA).
The natural man is captive of his own lusts (Romans 3:10-18), but in our conversion, because of our union with Christ, we are freed from the realm of concupiscences:?Therefore, sin does not reign in your mortal body, to obey its lusts; neither do you present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness; but present yourself to God as the redeemer of the dead, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness; for will sin not dominate you, for you are not under the law, but under grace?
- God.
- However.
- In his unsinkable wisdom resolved to leave in his sons and daughters a remnant of sin; and remains in the lusts.
- Therefore.
- The same Apostle who announced that we die in the dominion of sin.
- Recorded his struggles: “For I know that in me.
- That is.
- In my flesh.
- He dwells in none good.
- For the desire for good is in me; but not to do so; Why don’t I do the good I prefer.
- But the evil I don’t want.
- What do I do?(Romans 7: 18-19).
We are all well aware of the fight against the heinous sins of our lusts. They come in different outfits, including materialism, power and pride, but here I will focus on the problem of sexual lust. Sin is an epidemic in today’s church. Barely a week goes by, we don’t realize another church leader who has been denounced for adultery, fornication, homosexuality, or pornography.
Sexual temptations are everywhere; bombard us with sexual temptations through clothing (or lack there is), television, billboards, songs, suggestive language and Facebook invitations. Let’s take, for example, pornography. Is a person no longer required to go to a store and buy pornographic material?It’s as close as the privacy of your computer screen, and it’s powerfully addictive.
But should we succumb? The answer, as noted above, is no, we are not under the dominion of sin, however, we must take daily precautions. Basically, our families and churches need to cultivate a culture of chastity, emphasizing sexual purity in thought, clothing, language, and behavior. Such a culture begins with parents at home and leaders (pastors and other leaders with their wives) in the congregation.
Should we use carefully the means of public grace, preaching, prayer, sacraments, fasting, and private and family worship?Above all, we must hold on to Christ.
We also need to develop habits that help us maintain our hearts. In the Impure Lust pamphlet, John Flavel gave seven instructions to deal with concupiscence:
Ask God for a pure heart, renewed, and sanctified by saving grace. We must always begin with our hearts, for he is the source of everything else (Matthew 15:19), and God promises to answer our prayers as we pray according to His will (John 14:13-14). We must seek the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost.
2. Walk in fear of God all day and with the feeling that your omniscient eyes are always upon you. How often our behavior is dictated by which it is observed. We forget he sees everything.
3. Avoid obscene corporations and unclean corporations; are pimps of lust. Bad business corrupts good manners. Remember that this statement includes not only our personal contacts, but those found in movies, music, books, magazines, and computers.
4. Exercise your call diligently; it will be a great way to prevent such sin. Have you heard the saying: “Empty head is the devil’s workshop.
5. Limit your appetite: don’t eat too much. This instruction does not mean that we cannot enjoy God’s good gifts of food and drink and the pleasure of partying with friends, but it is a sobering reminder that if we exaggerate our physical appetite in a region, we will be more inclined to fall. other areas.
6. Choose spouse and enjoy the one you choose. One of the liberating ideas of the Reformation is that in marriage sex is for pleasure and it is a protection that God gives against illicit desires.
7. Be careful not to enter the path of sin, especially superstition and idolatry; in the cases of which, and as punishment for the evils of those whom God often gives men such vile affections (Romans 1:25-26). Sin inevitably begets sin.
In this way, the church can keep its people. Practice and teach these things.