Lust and the Consequences of Sin (What the Bible Says About Lust) (Internet Dangers)

  

Lust and the Consequences of Sin

Lucifer Becomes Satan

Today, many people have heard in the news about rape, violence, and murder. Often, these go hand in hand. These horrible actions are the results of giving place to sin in various forms.

Sin is an abomination to God and it is really a form of rebellion. It started with God’s highest ranking angel, Lucifer. Lucifer was the director of Heavenly worship (as can be found in Ezekiel 28:13-14). Not content with his high position, he wanted to be worshipped as God.

Isaiah 14:12-15

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Lucifer (meaning “Light Bearer”) was cast out of God’s holy kingdom and his name was changed to Satan (meaning “Deceiver”). Satan wanted to get revenge. How humiliating it was to be defeated by God’s angels. He came to the Earth where God had just created man, named Adam, in God’s image.

Eve, who God created from a rib God had taken from Adam’s side, was in the garden minding her own business when a serpent (possessed by Satan) came her way. At that time, serpents could walk and did not slither (see Genesis 3:14).

Satan’s Deception

Satan, in the serpent, saw the opportunity to deceive Eve and lead her to rebel against God. At this time, there was no sin. Adam and Eve were perfect and sinless, but they still had a free will. Genesis 3 describes man’s downfall.

Genesis 3

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Adam and Eve knew that God had told them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When they did, in rebellion against God, they were given the ability to discern good from evil. With knowledge of sin, they felt exposed and vulnerable. They wanted to hide and cover themselves as if doing so could hide their sin. But, God was not fooled. He knew what they had done.

God confronts the rebellious couple and declares what the consequences of their sin will be. Adam will have hard labor to provide for his daily needs. Eve will have difficulty in child-bearing. In addition, they both will not live forever (in their present bodies), but will age and die.

God then tells the serpent that he will crawl on his belly and eat dust. God also tells the serpent (or Satan):

Genesis 3:15 (bold added)

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Jesus Christ (who came in the form of a man to pay for our sins) is the seed of the woman who bruised or crushed the serpent’s head, which is a fatal blow to Satan. Through Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Lord, we are able to conquer and overcome temptation.

Now, Satan was not finished with Adam’s race. He wanted to destroy ever son or daughter of Adam he could and he still does (that includes you and me). Satan is crafty and subtle, like a snake. He tempts us where we are weak. Because of our fallen, sinful nature, Satan (or his minions) can tempt us to lie, cheat, hate, or steal.

Another sin Satan tempts us with is lust, or sexual desire. This is a topic that all people have to face. It is not comfortable to talk about and it is not easy to deal with because sin can be very tempting.

The Bible, God’s Word, is very clear about the results of lust. The book of Proverbs warns about lust throughout it. The author (including the Holy Spirit) knew this is important).

The Strange Woman and Temptation

Proverbs 2:10-16 says that God’s wisdom will deliver a man from wicked men and also from a strange woman (or an adulterous woman).

Proverbs 2:16-19 says:

16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

This strange woman’s house “inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.” What is this death, verse 18 speaks of?

Proverbs 5:3-5 talks about this more:

3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

4 But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

The strange woman’s steps “take hold on hell.” If a man follows the path of lust, he will end up in hell. In hell, this foolish man cries out in agony.

Proverbs 5:11-13

11 And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

A further warning comes in Proverbs 7.

Proverbs 7:25-27

25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Sin Leads to Hell

This is very clear. At least three different times, Proverbs mentions about lust resulting in death and hell. This is so important to God that Jesus Christ, God the Son, warned about this in the Gospels.

Matthew 5:27-32

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

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.

29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Jesus further says in Mark 9 that if the eye causes one to sin…

Mark 9:47-48

47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

In hell fire there will be no forgiveness of sin because the person in hell has rejected Jesus Christ’s payment (of His own blood) for the person’s sins.

With all these warning from the Bible it is clear that God treats sin very seriously. Sin has deadly consequences, like a glass of poison. Only God has the antidote for the poison of sin and to get the antidote, we need to repent from sin and believe in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us at the cross. There, he shed his precious blood to pay for our sins. Then, he rose from the dead to show He conquered death. (See 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.)

Sin is everywhere, and tempting, lustful images are abundant. The internet, magazines, advertisements, etc. are all full of ungodly images. We men must guard ourselves against them and turn our eyes away (I am speaking to myself too).

Satan is very deceptive and he will try to make the sin appealing and logical to us, just as he did to Eve. It will look fun and exciting, but it will produce death and lead to Hell.

The Apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit’s leading, wrote:

Romans 6:20-23

20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

False Teachings vs. Truth about God’s Grace

Some teachers say that once you are saved by Jesus, you can never fall away. This false teaching has led many men to justify lust (and other sin) in their own minds. Can a Christian fall away and cease to be a Christian? Let’s see what the Bible says.

Hebrews 3:12-15

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Hebrews 3 is addressed to “brethren”. The writer of Hebrews tells the brethren that they can harden their hearts through the “deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 10 talks more about sin’s consequences.

Hebrews 10:26-31

26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

God does not punish those who are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:1 says: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” If you walk after the Spirit, and not after the flesh, you are walking in obedience to Jesus Christ and His teachings. If you do not walk in obedience to Jesus Christ, but walk in sin and rebellion, you are hardening your heart and there is condemnation. The result of your sin will be death (Romans 6:21 and 23) which involves separation from God’s Spirit. You do not want to be cut off from God’s spirit and be cast into Hell.

We must get rid of what tempts us to sin (or what “offends” us).

Mark 9:43-44

43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

When we do get rid of the temptation, even taking drastic actions (that don’t necessarily involve cutting off hands), and when we call out to God for help, He will deliver us from sin. He will make a way for us to overcome the temptation and to walk with Him in righteousness and obedience.

1 Corinthians 10:13

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Psalm 50:15

15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

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IF YOU ARE SEEKING TO KNOW GOD, please read this message.

God loves us so much that He sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and shed His precious blood to pay for all of these sins.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

If you repent (turn away) from your sins (Acts 3:19), and believe and confess aloud that Christ has done this for you (Romans 10:9-10), and have made Him your Lord and Savior (again Romans 10:9-10) you are saved. Now seek God with all your heart. Seek to know Him and you will (Jeremiah 29:13).

John 17:3 
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

Jeremiah 29:13
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.