DIRTY LOOKS

“What I say to you is: anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his thoughts.” —Matthew 5:28

We live in a promiscuous society where girl-watching and boy-watching seem virtuous compared to fornication, adultery, and pornography. What once was called pornography is now called prime-time TV. However, Jesus calls us to sexual purity, not merely a lesser degree of perversion.

We are not even to look lustfully at another person. Jesus calls us to commit ourselves to sexual purity, so that if our right eye is our trouble, we gouge it out (Mt 5:29). Jesus is not telling us to mutilate ourselves, but to make a strong decision for purity. We are neither to look lustfully at another nor paint impure mental pictures through words. “As for lewd conduct or promiscuousness of any sort, let them not even be mentioned among you; your holiness forbids this” (Eph 5:3).

Jesus calls us to be pure as He is pure (1 Jn 3:3). Our bodies are not our own; they have been purchased at the price of Jesus’ blood (1 Cor 6:19-20). The parts of our bodies, including our sexual organs, are not to be used as weapons of evil, but weapons of righteousness (Rm 6:13). Let’s glorify God in our bodies, especially in our sexuality (1 Cor 6:20; cf Rm 12:1).

Prayer: Father, take away guilt from sexual sin. Replace it with purity and freedom.

Promise: “After the earthquake there was fire — but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak.” —1 Kgs 19:12-13

Praise: Thomas gave up television for Bible study.