But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. – Ephesians 5:3
Not even a hint? Wow. Isn’t that asking too much from us? Isn’t God being a bit too demanding on His children? Is it realistic to expect humans to live without a hint of sexual immorality? Was Paul not going to far in his letter to the Ephesians? Would such a high standard not put potential followers of Christ off? How can one be expected to live so pure and holy in these times we find ourselves in?
These are some of the questions I once asked when I came face to face with God’s standard for my sexuality. I suspect I’m not alone in once having issues with accepting God’s demands and expectations in this area.
Not even a hint! There’s absolutely no technicality or short-cut around this all-encompassing statement. God does not want the smallest iota of lust near His children and He has good reason not to.
Instead of trying to lower God’s standards to suit ours, we should acknowledge that it is so high and impossible to reach by self-effort. Only the victory of Christ’s death and resurrection can provide the two key ingredients required to change and transform our hearts: supernatural power and the right motive. Ever tried breaking free from lust through willpower? We all know how that ends don’t we? You promise God it will never happen again if He forgives you this time. You deny the natural sexual desires that God put inside of you. Instead of embracing it and submitting it to His lordship, we try to fight it and the fact it remains leads many to shame and guilt. They feel overwhelmed about the gargantuan task and the hopelessness drives them back to the very sin they have been trying to fight in their power. It’s a trap! Get out of that cycle now. The key is not in your own ability. Only the power of the cross can break the power of sin in your life.
Some are afraid of completely letting go. “Surely, God would understand if I only dabble once in a while.” We try to make endless excuses but the scripture is very clear: “not even a hint”. God’s intention is not just for His children to sacrifice the things they desire. We sacrifice our lustful desires on the pathway to great joy. As we allow God destroy our lustful desires, pure desire emerges. When letting go of a lustful desire, at the time it would seem like we are going through a severe loss and denial. It is painful to the human nature. However, on the other side is always reward and a pleasure so deep and intense that it becomes difficult to recall that which you gave up. We must trust that God is not a spoil sport on a mission to deny us pleasure. On the contrary, He longs to see us enter into the fullness of the pleasures He created for us to enjoy.
Lust is like a monster with many arms. It grasps for things that God says no to with our imaginations eyes, hearts and bodies. I believe that one of the reasons why God’s standard against lust is that it never just remains at the level of a hint. Like I mentioned before, it keeps growing and wanting more. The scary thing I’ve found about lust is that although it usually longs for an object or a person, lust ultimately has the act of desire as its goal! The moment you get that which you lusted after, you want something else. Another desire arises almost immediately. The goal is not the object but the very act of desiring. Once lit, lust becomes very difficult to quench. It fuels itself and leaves the individual trapped in a never-ending pursuit of wrong desires. Not even a hint starts to make more sense because we can now see lust as God sees it – a thief that will rob you of your God-given ability to enjoy true pleasure.
Lust is like a consuming fire. It always wants more and is never satisfied. Allow the superior consuming fire of holy passion for God swallow up the inferior fire of lust in your heart. True pleasure can only be derived from God. We must therefore bring our sexuality under the lordship of the One who gave it to us in the first place. This is how we can truly experience its fullness and end the cycle of dissatisfaction and emptiness that comes with lust.
Have you come to your wit’s end in this seemingly endless cycle of guilt and shame? Are you tired of making promises to God only to find yourself willfully disobeying Him? Perfect! In your weakness, find strength in Him. In your despair, find hope in Him. Throw yourself on His grace and He will raise you up from the miry clay on His majestic wings.
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16
Related articles
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- Walking In The Spirit (cupofblessing.wordpress.com)
Preach! Couldn’t have said it better myself. The guilt and shame is just not worth it…I know
lol @ preach! Waila I know exactly what you mean about the guilt and shame not being worthy of all that palava! Thanks for reading dear
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16
If we look at this verse in context Watchman with a few others as well, then we will know the answer to how to not fulfil the lust of the flesh. We have died to sin and have been set free from it’s slavery and we are to reckon ourselves dead to it no longer has control over us , no temptation will be greater then we can bear.
Galatians 5 :24 -25 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Colossians 3:4-6 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
Romans 8:12 -13 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Christian Love from both of us – Anne
Hi Anne. Sorry for the late reply. Thanks as always for sharing powerfully from what the Lord has deposited in your heart through the scriptures. One common theme from the scriptures you shared was the phrase: “put to death”. I don’t think God could have made Himself any clearer than that! Thanks Anne
Hi Watchman, thank you for your response and please never worry when you are late replying to our comments, we appreciate the respect you show us by doing so, even those times when we were not in agreement but were reasoning together with God’s Truth thankfully we resolved these and it is what God asks us to do but sadly some just agree to disagree or worse just agree so they can keep the peace, both end in division as we can see with all the differant Denominations of course if they are teaching Heresy we do need to divide but this must be decided by God’s Truth not man’s understanding, God is a God of Unity.
One thing I should have highlighted Watchman on my first comment and that is we cannot put the flesh to death by the flesh as you can see in this Scripture below it must be by The Spirit but He does not just sap us or He would not say “We have to do something.
Romans 8:12 -13 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
We see in the Scripture below it is as we choose to walk in the Fruit of the Spirit , He empowers us to do so, it is not by our own resources but good and evil cannot co-exist so when we come close to God the Devil flees, he cannot stand the Fruit of goodness because when we choose to reject evil and do good, he no longer has a foothold or influence in our lives. What is wonderful is Jesus has set us free from the slavery of sin so we can choose to walk in the Fruit of The Spirit and so walk in Victory.
Galatians 5 :24 -25 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit
Christian Love Anne
Hi Anne! Thanks for your understanding. I also loved the insight you brought into the issue of denominations. God’s Truth must be the standard always. I agree with you. Thanks for also shedding more light on our collaboration with the Spirit in putting the flesh to death. Thank God for Jesus! Thank you Anne
Hello Watchman,
I agree, we need not burden ourselves with guilt and shame or even rely on will-power. Instead rely on his abundant Grace which is more than sufficient to overcome any sin or iniquity.
Thanks for you insightful post. I have read Eph 5 before but did not notice “Not even a hint of”.
Cheers
Hi Nnamdi. G.R.A.C.E – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense – He has paid the price so we no longer have to. Will power is a trap that drives many away from God. Like you pointed out, we will do ourselves a world of good to rely more on His abundant grace
When I lusted, I did so among other reasons because my expectation was very low, if not base when it comes to pleasure. Lust pursues fleeting pleasures that cannot be sustained for any appreciable length of time simply because God originated pleasure and it cannot truly be had outside Him. Because it pursues base pleasures outside God, it is effectively no pleasure but actually pure pain disguised as pleasure. At God’s right hand however, “are pleasures forever more.” While temptations will continue, when we taste the piercing sweetness, the “deep and intense pleasure” that is in Christ, we lose taste for base pleasures and we see it for what it truly is – pain and sorrow.
“Not even a hint” is not a deprivation but an invitation to pleasures forever more.
Lust is a big thing in our world. It manifests itself in various forms beyond mere sexual. The scriptures refer to the corruption in the world through lust. Greed is a child of lust and greed drives our economies and that is why we cannot have true growth – economic activities based on greed will always lead to booms and busts. That is the nature of lust – it always peaks and falls because it was never real, just a phantom. That is why shame follows lust. Love on the other hand shines brighter and brighter – never peaking – through eternity. True love does not lust or covet. True love can also manifest itself in economic activities by giving more than it gets. As you quoted, the way to not lust is to walk in the spirit and the spirit’s fruition is love…
It also helps to know that there is nothing hidden from God, not even in our thoughts. When I get tempted to lust in my mind even as recently as yesterday, I refrain by remembering that there is nothing hidden and all things are laid bare before Him with whom we have to do. I cannot even secretly fornicate in my mind! Not even a hint!
Hi again Tolu. You said: “Not even a hint” is not a deprivation but an invitation to pleasures forever more. – That summarises everything really. I’ve learnt some new things from your comment. I never quite attributed the boom and bust cycles of world economies to lust but thinking about it more deeply, it makes a whole lot of sense. In an economy driven by love, everything just keeps getting better and better. That’s absolutely amazing. Thanks for sharing Tolu
I think this internet site has got some rattling good information for everyone. “Loving someone is easy but losing someone is hard.” by Shelby Harthcock.