Musings On Lust And Adultery

• General Points Of Consideration:

          -Marriage is supposed to be the life-long commitment and companionship of one to a partner of the opposite sex. Thus, adultery is wrong for obvious reasons: it is lying and unfair. The lives of people and long-term relationships have come to tragic ends because of adulterous acts. Matters like these cannot simply be downplayed.

          -If fornication and adultery are morally permissible, then why even bother with getting married in the first place?
          -Jesus Christ specifically taught that lusting is equivalent to actually committing adultery and fornication (Matthew 5:28-29). It is a form of idolatry (Colossians 3:5). However, being attracted to a member of the opposite sex is not wrong in of itself. That is natural.
          -We are not to focus on finding ways to indulge our own sinful lusts (Romans 13:14). Sexual temptations are waging war against our souls (1 Peter 2:11).

          -The Apostle Paul instructed women to dress modestly (1 Timothy 2:9). Moreover, Jesus Christ warned against being a stumbling block to others (Matthew 18:6).

• Measures That Should Be Taken In Conquering Lust (Speaking In A General Sense):

          -Eliminate the source: the best way to get rid of any temptation is to get eliminate the source; you first need to identify with certainty the source(s) of your sexual temptation(s); then, find ways to permanently remove/avoid temptations (to the best of your ability).
          -Prayer: acknowledge God's Lordship; ask for His forgiveness of sin; pray for those who are ensnared by sexual sin.
          -Study: read the Bible and meditate upon the moral principles taught within; spend quality time reflecting on Scripture or memorizing specific verses (Psalm 119).
          -Associate with decent people: though a difficult task, find a group of true Christians who can help steer out of the direction of sexual temptation; carefully examine professing Christians (rather than blindly accepting their mere profession by mouth) because Satan can also use other people as a means to deceive; one might have to cut off contact with other people who live immoral lifestyles (unless they are co-workers, etc.).
          -Take brakes from the television and video games; spend valuable time doing godly things.
          -We are fully capable by God's grace of being victorious over problems with lust, just as Joseph in the Old Testament refused to sleep with his master's wife (Genesis 39:6-21). He was not even married during that time.