Re: Lust and hypocrisy
Submitted by Mark on April 09 1999 at 23:01:25
In reply to Re: Lust and hypocrisy Submitted by Ben on April 09 1999 at 21:53:04
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Hi Ben. You raise two issues: Are masturbating and looking at boys sinful? When we give our lives to Jesus do we commit to never sinning again? Personally, I do not think masturbating is sinful. I think Jesus was clear that lusting is sinful, but is looking at boys and having sexual feelings for them always lustful? I think of lust as wanting to use someone for one's own sexual gratification. If I fantasize about having a committed loving relationship with a boy that involves sex, I do not see that as lust. Maybe I am wrong; it is hard to know where to draw the line. But if I am wrong, then sexuality must in general be sinful and bad. I think our sexual feelings are just a natural part of the way we are designed. How we act on them is what is either sinful or good. Do heterosexuals examine this question so closely? If a single straight man fantasizes about a committed loving sexual relationship with a woman, is this sinful? Even if such thoughts are sinful, if we had to commit to not sinning (in any way, not just sexual) before accepting Christ, no one would ever accept him. There would be no Christians, because everyone still sins. Even Paul struggled with sin; see Romans 7:14-25. What is required to accept Jesus into one's life is to admit our sinfulness, to believe that Jesus is God's son who died and was raised by him to save us from our sins, and to sincerely desire to follow his teachings in our daily lives. Take heart, Ben. You are struggling with issues that every sincere Christian faces, whether (s)he is a BLer or not! Mark |