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Overcoming Lust · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome. Welcome to the deep dive brought
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to you by Reformed Thinking. This is where we bring together
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insights, research, and wisdom to help you get really well
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informed on things that truly matter.
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That's right. Today we're taking a close look
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at a topic that touches countless lives, often in secret
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actually, and one that can cause immense hidden struggle for,
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well, for many believers, the issue of lust.
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We want to go beyond just the surface level ideas today,
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really aiming to get right to the very heart of the matter and
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to understand it from a distinctly Christ centered
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perspective. Absolutely.
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Our our mission today really is to distill what the sources
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we've looked at reveal about the very nature of lust.
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You know, how people find themselves caught up in its
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patterns, and then maybe most importantly, how true and
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lasting freedom is actually discovered.
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We'll be carefully looking at what it genuinely means to
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pursue Christ himself as the well, the ultimate satisfaction
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for the human heart. He's the only one who can truly
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fill those deepest longings, isn't he?
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So we've got a rich collection of insights for you today.
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We're drawing from the deep well of biblical wisdom and also
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applying it to, you know, modern case studies and observations.
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This whole deep dive is really designed to guide us and
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understanding this, this pervasive struggle from a
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perspective that's rooted in a genuine desire for Christ
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centered purity. We'll unpack this together,
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trying to give you the key insights to not only understand
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this challenge, but also hopefully to find genuine hope
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and a clear way forward, one that's grounded in this
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efficiency of Jesus Christ. That's the goal.
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OK, so let's let's open up these sources then.
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When we talk about lust, I think for many people the immediate
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picture is a single blatant action.
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Something overt may be physically expressed.
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Right, that's the common idea. But our sources make it
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abundantly clear that the scope of Lust is actually far broader,
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much more expansive than just that one thing.
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It's not really like a single point on a map.
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It's more like a whole landscape, you could say a
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pervasive undercurrent that can, well, it can affect anyone.
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Indeed, and the broad definition the sources provide us, and this
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is really a critical starting point, is this lust is a strong
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desire for something that is not fitting for a St.
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Not fitting for a St. that's quite encompassing.
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It really is. That definition casts a much
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wider net than maybe many people initially consider.
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It means lust isn't just about what you do with your body, you
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know the external actions, it's fundamentally about what your
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heart desires. And this covers a whole range of
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manifestations that includes internal thoughts, those deeply
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held cravings, and specific external actions, all of which
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violate God's good word for us, His design.
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That distinction is truly foundational, isn't it?
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It immediately shifts the focus from just a purely behavioral
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struggle, which is maybe easier to manage on the surface.
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Behavior modification. A much deeper heart level
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challenge. The sources then guide us
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through 5 specific categories of individuals who grapple with
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lust, and these move from the most, you know, overt
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manifestations down to the more subtle oven hidden forms, forms
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that can still hold a person completely captive.
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Yeah, that's a helpful breakdown.
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The first category, and maybe the most obvious one, is for
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those who are enslaved to pornography.
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Now the sources are quite specific here.
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They deliberately use the biblical term enslavement rather
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than the more common term addiction.
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And that's significant. It is.
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They draw this distinction from passages like Romans 6.
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And it's not just about semantics, is it?
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It carries some real theological weight.
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It absolutely does. You know, when we talk about
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addiction, sometimes that can suggest more of a medical
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condition, something that might perhaps unintentionally lessen
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the sense of personal responsibility or agency.
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Yeah, I see that. But the sources, by deliberately
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using enslavement, really drive home that profound biblical
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truth that we willingly yield ourselves to a master.
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Romans 6 talks about becoming slaves of sin or slaves of
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righteousness. When we choose to indulge in
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sin, we are, in effect, offering ourselves, our bodies, our minds
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as instruments to that master. And once we've done that, that
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Master Sin takes us captive. So it really underscores that
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this is a spiritual. Exactly, a genuine spiritual
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bondage and it highlights the urgent need for Christ to
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liberate us from sins mastery rather than just trying to treat
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the symptoms or hoping our willpower will somehow solve it
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eventually. That makes sense, yeah.
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And this category also covers all the accompanying secret sins
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that often go along with this kind of struggle.
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Yeah, the hidden thing. Things hidden from public view,
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maybe even from those closest to the person, but crucially,
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always in plain sight of God. Nothing is hidden from Him.
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Always following that, the sources mention individuals who
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view pornography but would not self identify as enslaved.
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OK, so they acknowledge it to some degree?
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Perhaps these are people who might admit to a struggle in
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this area, maybe acknowledging yeah, OK, I look at things I
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shouldn't sometimes, but they often downplay its gravity.
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They might not see it as a life dominating sin.
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In their own experience, they minimize its influence.
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How do they do that? Well, they might soft pedal
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their consistent indulgence, for instance, maybe by very narrowly
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defining what pornography truly is for them, perhaps saying,
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well, it wasn't that explicit or it wasn't what I consider real
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pornography, they essentially deny its full spiritual impact
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on their lives and their walk with God.
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Right, creating their own standards.
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Precisely. The sources share a really
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striking anecdote about this Someone in a public restaurant,
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you know, discreetly zooming in on inappropriate content on
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their phone, probably believing no one was watching.
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It perfectly illustrates how individuals can be actively
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lusting even if they aren't viewing what they personally
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consider pornography by their own often self-serving, narrow
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definition. They might try to rationalize
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it, maybe feeling pretty good about their own purity compared
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to others they know or imagine. Thinking at least I'm not doing
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that. Exactly.
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Yet that consistent indulgence, even if it's rationalized away,
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still marks their life and, importantly, grieves the Holy
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Spirit. OK, then the sources move to
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those who indulge in sexual fantasies, this seems purely
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internal. It is, and it's described as a
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clear manifestation of covetousness, which in this
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context means desiring something God has not ordained for you
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either, something he hasn't ordained at all, or perhaps not
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at that particular moment, or not in that particular way.
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So it's about wanting something outside of God's will or timing.
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That's it. And many in this category may
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actually believe they are pure because they don't engage with
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physical pornography, the sources say.
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They might be quite pleased with their purity, especially if
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they're measuring stick is just actual porn viewing.
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So they compare themselves favorably to others.
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Right. And this often leads to a hidden
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self deception because the sin remains entirely internal,
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entirely secret. That makes it really easy to
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dismiss. It's true spiritual gravity.
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It's a fence against a holy God. And closely related, the next
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category. Yes, very closely related are
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those who entertain romantic or impure daydreams, which the
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sources describe as proactive lust.
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Proactive. How so?
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Well, it's distinct from just passively observing something or
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having a fleeting thought. This involves purposely using
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your mind, your faculties, and your imagination for impure
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purposes. It's an active engagement of the
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mind. So it's not necessarily outright
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sexual fantasy, but something different.
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It can be more subtle, sometimes more insidious.
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For example, a person might spend significant time
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fantasizing about what it would be like to be married to someone
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other than their actual spouse, or if single, fantasizing about
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being married to someone who is unavailable, or just giving free
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rein to their mind to imagine a relationship that isn't fitting
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or godly. I see, So it's using the
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imagination in a way God hasn't intended.
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Exactly. These are described clearly as
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improper, impure and lustful thoughts where the mind is
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actively being used for purposes God hasn't ordained for his
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children. It's a misuse of the imagination
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He gave us. OK.
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And the final category. This one sounds maybe the most
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common. It might be this is for those
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whose eyes and heart just so easily drift to that which is
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unfitting for a believer. The sources actually call this
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the most tolerated group and perhaps the most acceptable sin
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among the different manifestations of lust.
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Why acceptable? Precisely because it's often so
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subtle and frequently goes unacknowledged even by the
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person doing it, it represents the least obvious form of lust,
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where maybe one's gaze just lingers a moment too long, or
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the mind momentarily entertains an impure thought before perhaps
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dismissing it. The quick glance, the fleeting
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thought. Right.
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It's often done in secret, making it easy to dismiss as
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insignificant. Oh, it was just a thought.
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But it's still an indulgence, however brief, in impure desire.
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And like a small seed, it can grow into something much more
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significant if it's not dealt with at the heart level.
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So 5 categories ranging from enslavement to pornography to
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viewing without admitting enslavement, indulging
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fantasies, proactive daydreams, and finally the subtle drifting
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of the eyes and heart. What's compelling, though, is
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how all these manifestations, from the most overt physical act
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down to the most subtle, fleeting thought, are united by
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one truth. They are all a direct violation
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of God's Word. That's the common thread.
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It is. The sources bring us straight to
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Ephesians 5 versus 3 to 5. Paul writes that sexual
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immorality, all impurity and covetousness should not even be
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named among Saints, not even talked about in a casual or
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accepting way. That's a high standard.
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It is, and then it goes on to deliver a really stark warning.
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Those who practice these things, who make a habit of them, have
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no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ.
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Wow. That really tells us about the
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seriousness God attaches to these things, both internal and
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external. It absolutely does.
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It means God considers the internal desire, the coveting
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heart, just as serious as the external act, because it all
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flows from the same heart issue, the same turning away from.
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Him. And it highlights the pervasive
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nature, often the secret nature of this sin, too.
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It's a struggle that the sources say often stunts spiritual
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growth. Like a hidden weight.
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Exactly. Pulling us down, hindering our
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intimacy with God, affecting our prayers or joy.
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It has these unseen effects on our soul, even if it's totally
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hidden from other people, because as you said, it is
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always done in full view of the Lord.
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Nothing is hidden. It can really feel like the
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elephant in the room. Your relationship with God can
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it A barrier that just prevents true freedom and joy in Him.
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It certainly can. Yet despite how pervasive the
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struggle is, how deeply hidden it can be, the sources offer
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such a clear and frankly glorious reality.
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Complete freedom from enslavement to impure lust and
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masturbation is possible through Jesus Christ.
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Complete freedom, not just management.
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Not just management. This isn't pitched as a partial
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victory or just getting better at managing the symptoms.
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The goal communicated is to kill this sin, to put it to death,
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drawing on language from Romans 8 and Colossians 3, not just to
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reduce how often you indulge for sort of accept it as a lifelong
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struggle that will always dominate you.
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So temptation might still come. Oh absolutely.
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Temptations may certainly persist throughout our lives,
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the sight of glory, but they do not need to rule 1's life.
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They don't need to dominate. Christ offers freedom from sins,
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mastery. The sources also, just for
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clarity, directly state that masturbation is a sin in God's
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eyes. Why is that?
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Because it's rooted in selfishness and seeking pleasure
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entirely on one's own terms, outside of God's ordained ways
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and timing, particularly the covenant of marriage he designed
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for sexual expression. It's ultimately a desire for
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self gratification apart from God's design and his glory.
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OK, so as you're listening to this and reflecting on these
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different categories, maybe no matter where you see yourself,
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whether you relate more to that subtle eye drift or perhaps a
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more severe ingrained pattern, how does this broader view of
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lust and understanding his pervasive impact resonate with
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your own experience? Perhaps you've dismissed certain
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internal struggles before, thinking they were not that bad,
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but maybe now seeing them through this lens gives a
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different perspective. It's a good point for
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reflection. OK, that lays a really solid
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foundation for understanding the problem itself.
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Now let's shift our gaze a bit to understanding how individuals
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find themselves caught up in these patterns in the first
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place. The sources transition as to
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what they call the way down. The progression.
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Yeah, the progressive path that subtly, often almost
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imperceptible at first, leads individuals deeper and deeper
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into lust. And this draws its insights
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particularly from the well, the ancient yet incredibly timeless
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wisdom found in Proverbs. Chapter 5 This Way down is truly
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crucial to understand because, as the sources point out, it's
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seldom begins with an immediate, overt, sinful act.
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It's usually not like someone just wakes up one day and dives
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head first into serious sin. Right.
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It's more gradual. Much more gradual.
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Instead it starts with a series of internal and external shifts,
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A progression often so subtle at the beginning that it's barely
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noticeable. Yet step by step, it pulls an
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individual away from trusting and seeking God and towards
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indulging those impure desires. It's like a slow drift, you
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know, almost imperceptible, until you suddenly realize just
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how far you've gone from the shore, from where you should be.
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Let's detail these stages of descent, then, because the
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sources suggest they often build upon each other, creating a kind
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of downward momentum that can lead to deeper enslavement and
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greater spiritual distance from God.
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The very first step, as outlined right there in Proverbs verses 1
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and 2, is stopping seeking God's wisdom.
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Starting point. Exactly.
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Or put another way, simply taking your eyes off the Lord.
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The sources are really clear on this, instead of proactively
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seeking God's wisdom in every area of life and desiring to
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please Him above all else. Which should be our aim, right?
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Second Corinthians 5.9 making it our aim to please him.
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Absolutely, and 1st Corinthians 10.31 doing all to the glory of
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God. Instead of that, individuals
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revert to their, well, their default mode.
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Often it's one of just feeding their own fleshly desires, their
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self-centered wants and perceived needs.
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It's a subtle, maybe, but incredibly significant failure
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to actively seek first the Kingdom of God and his
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righteousness. And this initial spiritual
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neglect, this slight shift in focus away from God, really sets
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the stage for everything else that follows.
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Is the crack in the foundation? And once that initial step of
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maybe spiritual neglect or complacency is taken, the heart
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becomes much more fertile ground for the next stage, lingering
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with sinful influences. This is described in Proverbs 5,
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verses 3 through 8. Sinful influences like Bad
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Company. It can be.
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While the passage speaks very vividly of the forbidden woman,
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the sources wisely suggest we understand this metaphorically
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as well. It can encompass anything that
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starts to draw the heart and the mind away from God and His
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truth. So what kinds of things?
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Well, it could be friends who pull you towards ungodly
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conversations or activities. Maybe coworkers who introduce
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you to worldly media or perspectives.
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Or it could be the media itself, people on a screen, certain
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podcasts, TV shows, movies, social media feeds, really
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anything that begins to captivate one's thoughts and
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affections in an unfitting, ungodly way.
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Giving attention to the wrong thing.
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Exactly. The sources use a powerful
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analogy here. They like in a coddling your own
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desires and your own imagination, just letting them
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run wild without restraint to putting seeds in a greenhouse.
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Where they'll grow fast. Precisely.
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They'll quickly grow into full blown sinful patterns if they're
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nurtured like that. We even saw this in the case
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study of Taylor mentioned earlier.
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Remember, simply seeing someone attractive became the heat, the
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external trigger, and then his mind getting going into fantasy,
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dwelling on it. That serves as a prime example
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of this lingering lingering with internal influences, his own
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imagination, and allowing that initial spark to grow into a
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fire. And here's a really concerning
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aspect that follows. The third stage is failing to
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consider the consequences. This is highlighted in Proverbs
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5 versus 9 to 14 just. Acting without thinking it
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through. Pretty much people often proceed
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down this path of indulgence without truly stopping to think
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about the severe and ultimate outcomes, both the consequences
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in this life, broken relationships, guilt, shame,
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loss of opportunities and the eternal consequences.
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Sexual immorality in its deceptive allure might initially
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appear appealing, maybe exciting, certainly pleasurable.
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In the moment, it promises satisfaction and fulfillment.
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But does it deliver? Not according to Proverbs.
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The sources emphasize the biblical warning.
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In the end, she's bitter as Wormwood, sharp as A2 edged
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sword. It's described vividly as a
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trap, something that ultimately leads only to groaning and
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regret, never truly delivering on its false promises of lasting
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happiness. I thought the illustration the
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sources used was memorable, if a big geeky.
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Which one was that? According to Admiral Ackbar from
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Star Wars, saying it's a trap, Huh.
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OK. Yeah, that sticks with you.
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It does. It's a powerful, maybe slightly
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humorous but memorable reminder right in the moment of
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temptation. This path, this thought, this
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action will not satisfy. It's a lie.
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God alone is the ultimate satisfier of the soul, and
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pleasure sought outside of his ordained ways will never ever
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truly deliver. It just leaves a bitter taste in
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the end. That's a vital truth.
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Moving deeper into this progressive descent, the sources
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note that for married individuals, the next step is
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often stopping loving your spouse.
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This is drawn from Proverbs 5, verses 15 to 19.
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How does that manifest? It means allowing your energy,
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passions and affections which God intends to be focused within
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the Dutch covenant, to instead be expended in disgraceful
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places that could be in your mind through fantasies about
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others or through illicit actions online or offline,
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instead of solely and devotedly focusing on your spouse, the one
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God has given you. And that damages the marriage.
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Inevitably, the consistent indulgence in lustful thoughts
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and behaviors makes 1's actual spouse seem less appealing,
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almost by comparison to the fantasy or the illicit image,
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because the mind has been trained essentially to crave
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something else, something forbidden, something that isn't
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real or isn't right according to God's design.
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This will without a doubt corrode and worsen the marriage
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relationship over time. And what about single
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individuals? For single individuals, the
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sources point out that indulging in fantasies or looking at
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private parts not ordained by God, whether real people or
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images, it robs a future spouse of the devotion they deserve.
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You're essentially giving away affections and desires, even in
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your mind, that should be reserved for that future
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covenant relationship if God wills one for you.
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It affects future relationships too.
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Yes, and it also clearly indicates a present struggle
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with self-control and reveals A Restless Heart that's seeking
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satisfaction outside of God's good plan and timing.
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The sources explicitly counter that common societal idea that
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single life is somehow subpar in this area, or that sexual
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expression is essential for fulfillment.
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By highlighting Jesus's own contentment and perfect
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fulfillment without sexual intimacy, he serves as the
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ultimate example of joy and satisfaction being found solely
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in God the Father, not dependent on a human relationship or
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sexual experience. That's a powerful counter
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narrative. Now there's a critical element
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that seems to underlie this whole progression, making it so
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dangerous. Yes, this is crucial.
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It's when an individual stops fearing the Lord.
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Fearing the Lord? That sounds, well, scary.
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It's not about being scared of God in a trembling, cowering
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way, like fearing A tyrant. It's about losing that profound
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reverence, that holy awe, that vital awareness of His absolute
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holiness, His justice and His omniscience, the fact that He
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sees and knows everything. Losing respect for God's
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authority and presence. Exactly.
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The sources draw from that chilling story of Asian back in
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Joshua Chapter 7. Remember, he stole forbidden
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items after the Battle of Jericho.
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Yes, he hid them in his tent. Right.
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He thought he could hide his sin and the sources use this to
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illustrate that often the fear of man, that is, the fear of
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being caught, exposed or judged by other people, becomes
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greater, more motivating than the fear of God, that deep holy
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reverence for His all seeing eye.
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We worry more about what people think than what God knows.
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Precisely Asian. He could hide it, burying the
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forbidden items deep in his tent.
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But God saw it all, and he brought it to light with
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devastating consequences. That story serves as such a
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stark reminder that our secret struggles, our hidden sins, are
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never truly secret to God. When our fear of man eclipses
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our deep, holy reverence for God, we fundamentally shifted
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our allegiance. Our priorities are upside down.
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And that's when the conscience gets dulled.
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Often, yes, we begin to justify behaviors because we think,
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well, no one but me knows, completely forgetting the ever
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present days of our holy God who deserves our ultimate allegiance
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in reverence. OK.
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And the final stage in this way down.
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The final and really tragic stage described is ignoring
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warnings about the enslaving nature of sin.
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Proverbs chapters 5-6 and seven are full of these warnings.
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So just not listening anymore. Pretty much the sources are
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clear. Sin ensnares and holds people
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fast. It promises freedom, autonomy,
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pleasure, but it only delivers deeper bondage.
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Ignoring these warnings leads to a dangerous lack of discipline,
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a progressive weakening of self-control, and ultimately
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great folly. This results in being LED
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further and further astray, and it demonstrates an
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unwillingness, or perhaps eventually even an inability to
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listen to wise instruction or correction, whether from God's
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Word directly or from godly counselors or friends.
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It's a perilous path where one becomes increasingly captive to
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sin's deceptive and destructive influence.
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So if we gather all these pieces together, stopping seeking God,
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lingering with influences, ignoring consequences,
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neglecting love for spouse or future spouse, losing the fear
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of God, ignoring warnings, what's the root cause?
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The sources really reaffirm that this entire progression, the
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subtle drift into deeper patterns of lust, is
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fundamentally rooted in what they consistently call a worship
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problem. A worship problem.
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Meaning it's about redirecting our devotion, our energy, our
22:20
passions, our deepest affections away from God, who alone is
22:24
worthy of all our worship, and directing them instead towards
22:27
disgraceful places, whether those are mental fantasies or
22:30
external actions. It's so often stems from seeking
22:33
Jesus primarily for what he can do for us, what he can give us,
22:37
fix for us, rescue us from, rather than desiring Christ
22:40
himself, His person, His glory, his fellowship.
22:44
That's the core issue. So as you're listening again,
22:46
maybe thinking about these steps, which of these feels most
22:50
familiar? Perhaps in your own struggles,
22:52
or maybe in what you observe around you in the world, even,
22:55
sadly, within the church sometimes.
22:57
Maybe you've seen this progression playing out,
22:59
starting with just a subtle shift in focus, then maybe
23:01
lingering a bit too long in unhealthy places and slowly,
23:05
almost imperceptible, sliding into a deeper entanglement with
23:08
sin. Recognizing the path down is key
23:11
to finding the path up. Absolutely understanding the how
23:14
helps us see the why we need Christ.
23:17
OK, so we've walked through the, well, sometimes painful
23:20
realities of the way down, understanding how individuals
23:24
can subtly, progressively fall into these patterns of lust.
23:29
The pretty stark picture, isn't it?
23:30
It really is. It shows the deceptive power of
23:32
sin. But the true value of digging
23:34
into these sources isn't just in diagnosing the problem, as
23:37
important as that is. It's really in charting a clear,
23:40
hopeful path forward. So the crucial question now
23:44
becomes, how do we shift from that downward spiral?
23:49
How do we truly find the way up towards lasting freedom in
23:53
Christ? Absolutely.
23:54
That's the hope we have in the Gospel.
23:56
The sources introduced two major components to finding this
23:59
victory this way up out of the pit.
24:01
First, repenting toward God, and 2nd, maturing your way out of
24:04
sin. OK, repenting toward God and
24:06
maturing your way out. Exactly.
24:07
And these aren't just isolated steps you check off a list.
24:10
They are deeply interconnected processes working together that
24:13
lead to genuine, lasting freedom and, crucially, a orientation of
24:17
the heart itself. Let's unpack that first
24:19
component, then true repentance, a heart turned to God.
24:25
The sources are careful to explain that true repentance
24:27
isn't simply stopping the bad behavior and starting the good
24:30
behavior. Right, it's not just swapping
24:32
actions. No, or just trying harder to do
24:35
more good stuff to somehow balance out the bad.
24:38
It's presented as far deeper than any superficial behavioral
24:41
modification. It's really about a complete
24:44
reorientation of your inner being, your heart, your desires.
24:47
This is where that fruit tree diagram concept the sources use
24:50
becomes incredibly helpful. It really illustrates this idea
24:53
of a necessary heart level transformation.
24:57
Let's maybe revisit the case study of Taylor.
24:59
Remember him? The 27 year old single church
25:01
member struggling with pornography.
25:03
Yes, and he was experiencing guilt, shame, depression, even
25:06
employment issues because of it. Exactly.
25:09
So the diagram starts with the heat.
25:11
These are the external circumstances or pressures we
25:13
face in life. They aren't inherently sinful in
25:15
themselves, but they present us with a choice.
25:17
They put pressure on us. For Taylor, the Heat was simply
25:21
seeing someone attractive in public.
25:23
Just an everyday occurrence. Right, and these circumstances
25:26
the sources use illustrations from Jeremiah 17 and Psalm.
25:29
One can cause one to either shrivel in unbelief and sinful
25:33
response or to grow in Christ like character, depending
25:36
entirely on the heart's response.
25:38
Think about it in everyday life. A broken dishwasher, Unexpected
25:43
traffic jam, A difficult boss. These aren't simple situations,
25:47
no just life. Just life.
25:49
But they are heat that reveals what's truly in our hearts by
25:52
how we respond under that pressure.
25:53
Do we grumble, get angry, despair, or do we trust God?
25:57
OK, so the heat reveals what's inside.
25:59
Then, flowing from that response to the heat, we see the bad
26:03
fruit. Right.
26:04
These are the observable sinful behaviors and the negative
26:07
outcomes that result from a wrong heart response.
26:09
For Taylor, this bad fruit included lust, sinful fantasies,
26:13
pornography, youth, masturbation, but also the
26:15
internal consequences like guilt, shame, depression,
26:19
tiredness, lack of motivation and even external ones like his
26:22
employment issues. So all those negative things are
26:24
the bad fruit growing from the tree.
26:26
Exactly. These are the tangible, often
26:28
painful results of an underlying spiritual problem rooted in the
26:31
heart. The common mistake though, as
26:33
you mentioned, is to think the goal is just to chop off that
26:36
bad fruit, right? We often focus only on the
26:38
external behaviors. Precisely, we try to stop the
26:41
lusting, stop the viewing, manage the depression, get
26:44
motivated just dealing with the symptoms, but the sources then
26:48
prompt us to consider the good fruit, the desired biblical
26:52
responses that God actually desires for us and from us.
26:56
What would that look like for Taylor?
26:58
Well, it would be the opposite of the bad fruit.
27:00
Things like pure thoughts, innocence of evil, actively
27:03
loving and serving others, joy, thankfulness, discipline, hard
27:06
work. But people often mistakenly
27:09
think repentance is just trying harder through sheer willpower
27:12
to produce this good fruit themselves.
27:14
I'm just going to try harder to be pure.
27:16
But that's not where the real issue lies, is it?
27:18
No, because the core issue to address the very heart of the
27:22
matter is the heart root. This is the underlying sinful
27:25
desire, the deep seated want that's actually driving the bad
27:29
fruit. It's the idol we've placed on
27:30
the throne of our hearts instead of God.
27:32
So what was Taylors heart root according to the sources?
27:35
For Taylor, the underlying desire was identified as
27:38
something like I must have love or I must have pleasure my way,
27:42
or maybe more broadly, just I demand instant gratification,
27:46
that feeling of wanting what I want, when I want it, the way I
27:49
want it. That sounds familiar, not just
27:51
related to lust. Exactly.
27:53
That's the key insight. This heart level sin, this root
27:56
desire isn't unique to lust. It can manifest in countless
28:00
other areas of life too. For instance, someone struggling
28:03
with that same instant gratification root might throw a
28:06
fit if their boss says no to a requested day off.
28:09
Or get enraged by traffic. Right.
28:10
Or if they're a brand new car breaks down, or if they're
28:12
hopefully laid, plans get disrupted.
28:15
That exact same heart root, that same underlying idolatrous
28:18
desire, can fuel all these different kinds of bad fruit,
28:22
not just sexual sin. OK, that's really helpful.
28:25
So what then is true repentance in light of this whole fruit
28:28
tree picture? Fundamentally, the sources
28:30
define it as a complete heart turn.
28:32
It's not just trimming branches, it's dealing with the root, and
28:36
it begins with confession of self-reliance.
28:39
Confessing self-reliance, not just specific sins.
28:42
Both, but the root First, it means laying oneself low before
28:46
the Father, humbly acknowledging that our primary fundamental sin
28:50
is not just the specific sins of Commission, the wrong things
28:53
we've done, like looking at porn or fantasizing, but it's also
28:57
our sins of omission, the ways we failed to live for God's
29:00
glory, how we haven't loved Him with all our heart, soul, mind
29:03
and strength. So admitting we live for
29:06
ourselves. Yes, it's a humble
29:08
acknowledgement of our deep seated desire to live for
29:10
oneself, for our own comfort, pleasure and control, rather
29:14
than living fully for God's glory and His purposes.
29:18
Psalm 32 is cited here to illustrate the incredible
29:21
blessedness that comes from confessed and forgiven sin
29:24
compared to the spiritual wasting away that comes from
29:26
silence, from trying to hide unacknowledged sin and carrying
29:30
that heavy burden all alone. True repentance starts by
29:33
recognizing that the very root of the problem is our own self
29:35
centeredness, our desire to be God in our own lives.
29:38
OK, so start with that deep, honest confession.
29:40
What's next? From that honest confession,
29:43
true repentance involves actively placing your trust in
29:46
Jesus Christ, and the source is stress.
29:49
This means not just trusting Him for salvation from eternal
29:52
judgment, which is foundational of course, but trusting Him for
29:55
ongoing following Him in every single area of your life, day by
29:58
day. So salvation and sanctification.
30:01
Exactly. It's about truly embracing what
30:03
Jesus himself said in Luke 9. If anyone would come after me,
30:07
let him deny Himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
30:10
It's about denying oneself, picking up His cross and
30:13
following after Him. Daily denial?
30:15
That sounds hard. It is in our own strength, but
30:18
the goal, fueled by grace, is to cultivate a deep, sincere desire
30:22
to please God in all things, to consciously deny myself and my
30:25
selfish impulses when they arise, to learn to wait on God
30:29
patiently in His timing rather than demanding instant
30:32
gratification, and, crucially, to present my members to Him.
30:36
Present my member. What does that mean practically?
30:37
That phrase comes directly from Roman Sloth, and it's incredibly
30:41
insightful. It means consciously,
30:43
intentionally offering every part of your body, your eyes,
30:47
your hands, your mind, your time, your energy, your whole
30:49
being, not as tools for your own gratification or selfish
30:53
pursuits, but offering them to God as instruments for
30:56
righteousness, for His glory and His good purposes.
30:59
It's a conscious act of surrender, redirecting every
31:02
part of your being away from sin service and towards His service.
31:06
Wow, that's a very active view of repentance.
31:08
It is, and here's the beautiful, liberating part of it all.
31:12
When one yields to the Holy Spirit through this kind of
31:14
genuine heart level repentance, the Holy Spirit himself begins
31:17
to produce fruit in that person's life, even amidst
31:20
difficult circumstances. The heat we talked about.
31:22
Good fruit. Yes, Galatians 5, the fruit of
31:25
the Spirit passage, and also Galatians 6.1 show us that this
31:28
good fruit, things like Lovejoy, peace, patience, kindness,
31:31
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control is an
31:34
implication or an outcome of genuine repentance and reliance
31:37
on God. It's not something we achieve
31:39
through sheer self effort or gritting our teeth harder.
31:42
So the Spirit does the work. The Spirit does the work in us
31:45
as we yield to Him. It happens because we've laid
31:48
ourselves low, confessed our self-reliance in our specific
31:51
sins, turn to Christ in faith, and allowed the Spirit to lead
31:56
and transform us from the inside out, starting at the root.
31:59
OK, so summing up repentance, it's not just stopping a sinful
32:03
behavior. It's truly turning to God,
32:06
confessing our self-reliance, trusting Christ for everything,
32:09
and relying on His Spirit to do the deep work in our hearts
32:12
producing His fruit. That captures it well.
32:15
So maybe a challenging question for you.
32:16
Listening, considering your own fruit tree, what do you suspect
32:20
might be your underlying heart root?
32:22
What's the core desire that often drives some of the bad
32:25
fruit you observe in your own life?
32:27
Identifying that root is the first step towards true
32:30
repentance. A crucial first step.
32:32
That brings us, then, to the second major component of
32:34
victory, which the sources describe as the true antidote to
32:38
lust, maturing your way out, a relentless pursuit of Jesus
32:43
Christ. Right, this builds directly on
32:44
true repentance. It seems this path recognizes
32:47
that overcoming something as deeply rooted as lust isn't
32:50
usually a one time event like flipping a switch.
32:53
No, rarely. Instead, it's presented as a
32:56
dynamic process of spiritual growth, a continuous journey of,
33:00
as the sources put it, maturing your way out of sins grip.
33:05
We can draw a really clear parallel here from John chapter
33:07
6 in the Gospels. Remember the story Jesus
33:10
miraculously feeds the 5000? With loaves and fishes, yeah.
33:13
Exactly. And then the very next day, the
33:15
crowds track him down again, seeking him out across the lake.
33:19
What's truly illuminating is Jesus's direct rebuke to them.
33:22
In John 6 verse 26, He says, truly, truly.
33:25
I say to you, You are seeking me not because you saw signs that
33:28
pointed to who He was, but because you ate your fill of
33:30
loaves. Ouch, that's pretty direct.
33:33
It is. They were primarily interested
33:35
in temporal stuff, physical provision, free food.
33:39
They were even asking him. So what sign do you do that we
33:42
may see and believe you? What work do you perform?
33:44
They basically wanted Jesus for what He could do for them, like
33:47
fill their stomachs for free. Again, not for who He truly is.
33:51
The bread of life, the ultimate source of eternal satisfaction
33:55
and depth. Spiritual nourishment.
33:57
They missed the point entirely. And this raises a truly piercing
34:01
question for us today, doesn't it?
34:03
Especially when we come to God seeking freedom from sin, like
34:06
lust, We need to examine our own motivation.
34:09
Absolutely. We need to ask ourselves really,
34:11
honestly, why do you seek help? Why do you seek Jesus?
34:15
Is it primarily just to escape the horrible feelings of guilt
34:17
and shame after sinning? Is it maybe more about saving
34:20
face, protecting your reputation, or preventing the
34:23
ruin of your family, your marriage?
34:25
Or for single people, maybe not wanting to feel unworthy for a
34:29
future spouse, or just wanting to feel cleaner for themselves.
34:32
Right. And while these desires for
34:33
positive outcomes, avoiding consequences, having peace are
34:37
understandable, maybe even good in themselves.
34:39
Yeah, we shouldn't feel bad for wanting those things.
34:42
No, but the sources challenge us to consider if we are genuinely
34:46
treasuring Christ Himself as the ultimate destination, as the
34:50
supreme satisfaction in and of Himself, or are we just using
34:55
Him to get somewhere else we want to be?
34:57
The sources use some pointed illustrations here.
35:01
Jesus is not just a limo driver who exists solely to take us to
35:04
a destination we've chosen. Nor is he merely Mr. Fixit, just
35:09
there to patch up our problems. We can get back to living life
35:11
on our own terms. Jesus himself is the
35:13
destination. He is the prize.
35:16
That completely reorients the goal, doesn't it?
35:18
It brings us back against that core idea that lust is
35:21
fundamentally a worship problem. It's not just a moral failing,
35:24
though it is that too. It's fundamentally a
35:27
misdirection of our worship, our devotion.
35:28
Now. So well, indulging in lust is
35:31
fundamentally robbing God of the devotion he deserves.
35:34
Because, as First Corinthians 6 reminds us so powerfully, your
35:37
body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have
35:40
from God. You are not your own.
35:42
You were bought with a price. Bought with the blood of Christ.
35:45
Exactly. Our bodies, our minds, our
35:47
affections, they're not our own to do with as we please.
35:49
They belong to Him. So when we give our affections,
35:52
our mental energy, our passions to something unfitting,
35:54
something illicit, we are literally taking them away from
35:58
God who purchased us for His own possession and glory.
36:01
And it affects others too. Yes, as we mentioned earlier, it
36:04
also robs your spouse or your future spouse of the devotion
36:08
they deserve because your heart and mind, your deepest desires
36:11
and energies, are being directed elsewhere, away from the One
36:15
whom God has ordained for you or may ordain for you.
36:18
It's a violation against God, and often against others too.
36:21
So, given that deep understanding, what does true
36:24
victory over lust actually look like if it's not just stopping
36:28
the behavior? Right.
36:29
It's not merely not sinning or just reducing how often you
36:33
indulge, though that will be a result.
36:35
The sources emphasize that the ultimate goal of the Christian
36:38
life is to be wholly dependent on him and glorify him, to make
36:41
much of him, to enjoy all that he's created in this world in a
36:45
way that gives him praise. Living for His glory.
36:48
Exactly. Therefore, the sources redefine
36:51
true victory over lust as being one who is in a relentless
36:54
pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
36:56
It's less about just stopping the wrong train and more about
36:59
actively getting on the other train that's going the other
37:02
direction. The train of actively pursuing,
37:05
loving, worshipping and serving the Lord.
37:08
It's an act of redirection of our deepest desires and
37:11
affections towards Him. A relentless pursuit that sounds
37:14
intense. What does it involve?
37:16
It involves several key aspects, and the sources draw these again
37:18
from John chapter 6, particularly verses 4056 and 57
37:23
where Jesus talks about being the bread of life.
37:25
This pursuit means first looking on Jesus, having your spiritual
37:29
gaze fixed firmly on Him, actively seeking His character,
37:32
His beauty, His presence in all things.
37:33
And keeping our eyes on him. Yes.
37:36
Second, it's about believing in Jesus.
37:38
Not just a one time decision at conversion, but continuously
37:41
trusting in Him, His promises, His power, and His perfect
37:44
timing day by day and ongoing act of faith and dependence on
37:49
His finished work. Exactly 3rd, it involves abiding
37:52
in Jesus, remaining in a close, continuous, dependent
37:56
relationship with Him, drawing life and spiritual sustenance
37:59
from Him constantly, just like a branch remains connected to the
38:03
vine to live and bear fruit. And forth.
38:06
And finally, feeding on Jesus. This is metaphorical, of course.
38:09
It means consuming His teachings, meditating on His
38:12
character, dwelling on His presence through His Word and
38:15
Spirit, recognizing Him as the true bread from heaven that
38:19
alone satisfies all our spiritual hunger and thirst.
38:23
Remember the problem in John Six?
38:24
It wasn't that the crowds looked for bread.
38:26
It's that bread is all they wanted from Him.
38:28
They missed him as the ultimate treasure, the one who truly
38:31
satisfies the deepest needs of the soul.
38:33
They wanted the gifts, not the giver.
38:36
That distinction is critical. Wanting Jesus for himself, not
38:39
just for what he gives us. Absolutely.
38:41
And this leads to a really insightful observation from
38:43
Heath Lambert, which the sources mentioned.
38:45
He puts it so plainly, so starkly, You cannot look to
38:49
Jesus in porn at the same time. Wow, mutually exclusive.
38:52
Completely. It's an either proposition for
38:54
your heart's gaze. A living, breathing, dynamic
38:58
relationship with the Savior cultivated daily through seeking
39:01
Him will inevitably Dr. Lust out.
39:03
Why? Because, as Lambert suggests, as
39:06
Christ fills your heart more and more, there isn't room for
39:09
anything else in your heart. He fills it up completely.
39:12
It's about actively fighting to consume Jesus, metaphorically
39:16
speaking, which inevitably leads to ceasing to consume sin
39:19
because your desires have been fundamentally reordered and
39:21
redirected towards Him, the superior satisfaction.
39:24
OK, that paints A compelling picture of victory through
39:27
pursuit. But how do we actually do that?
39:29
How do we cultivate this dynamic, life giving
39:32
relationship with Christ that leads to such freedom?
39:35
The sources layout some very practical disciplines, things
39:38
readily available to every single believer, that help
39:40
foster this deeper connection with Christ and allow His
39:43
presence to crowd out those lesser impure desires.
39:46
Yes, this is where it gets very practical.
39:49
The first discipline mentioned is prayer.
39:51
And importantly, this is not just praying.
39:53
God, please stop me from sinning or take away this temptation,
39:56
though certainly we can and should bring those desperate
39:59
requests to Him He invites us to.
40:02
But it's more than that. Much more crucially, it's about
40:04
prayer focused on learning to treasure Jesus.
40:07
It's about asking Him. Lord, help me to genuinely enjoy
40:11
spending time with you. Help me see you for who you
40:14
truly are and all your glory, your goodness, your sufficiency.
40:18
Let prayer be about cultivating affection for Him.
40:21
Like praying to love him more. Exactly.
40:23
The anecdote mentioned about Pastor Kent praying for someone
40:26
nearing death highlights this so well.
40:29
His prayer wasn't just a desperate plea for the suffering
40:31
to end, but it focused on trusting Christ's character, His
40:35
promises, His completed work, His sovereignty even in death.
40:39
Prayer in the sense becomes about tethering yourself
40:42
constantly to the person and work of Christ, pouring out your
40:45
heart to Him, confessing your need for Him, and allowing him
40:49
to fill you through His Spirit. You can even pray through the
40:52
Psalms. They're full of such rich
40:53
expressions of desire for God, praise for God, longing for God.
40:58
Using them can teach us how to treasure Him more.
41:01
That's really helpful. Another vital practice deeply
41:03
connected to prayer must be time in the Word.
41:06
Absolutely central, but again, the emphasis is key.
41:09
This isn't just reading the Bible for academic knowledge or
41:11
simply knowing what it says so you can check off your daily
41:14
reading plan box. Not just information gathering.
41:16
No, it's about actively feeding on Jesus through his inspired
41:21
revelation. It's about intentionally looking
41:24
for his character and the character of God seen in the
41:26
face of Christ on every page. It's about encountering the
41:29
living Christ in the living Word, consuming Him, as it were,
41:33
as the source of true spiritual life and ultimate satisfaction.
41:36
It's allowing His truth, understood rightly, to reshape
41:40
your mind, your desires, your entire heart.
41:42
Then there is praise. How does that fit in?
41:45
Praise is presented as choosing to exalt in Jesus audibly.
41:49
This isn't necessarily just about the emotional highs you
41:52
might get from a catchy worship song, though.
41:54
Corporate worship is vital. It's about choosing specific
41:57
songs, maybe even hymns rich in theology, or simply speaking
42:00
words of adoration directly to God, maybe even as prayers of
42:03
praise, focusing intentionally on who He is, His attributes,
42:06
His character, His mighty deeds, especially the cross and
42:09
resurrection. So actively declaring his worth.
42:12
Yes, intentionally giving Him praise, maybe even in private
42:16
moments throughout the day. Even and perhaps especially when
42:19
you don't feel like it. This discipline actively helps
42:22
fill your mind and heart with God's greatness, leaving less
42:25
room for impure thoughts or worldly distractions.
42:28
It powerfully redirects your gaze and your affections towards
42:32
Him. And finally, the sources
42:34
mentioned Fellowship connecting with other believers.
42:37
Yes, but again with a specific purpose in mind for this
42:40
context. This is about intentionally
42:42
connecting with other believers, not just for social reasons or
42:45
to fulfill a church attendance quota, but with the specific
42:49
stated purpose of encouraging one another to pursue Jesus.
42:52
Iron. Sharpening iron.
42:54
Exactly. It's about building
42:55
relationships where you can be honest about struggles, where
42:57
you can confess sin without fear of judgment but with hope of
43:00
restoration, where you can receive godly counsel and
43:03
accountability, and where you can be spurred on towards
43:06
greater godliness by brothers and sisters walking the same
43:09
path, fighting the same fight, pursuing the same Savior.
43:12
We need each other in this pursuit.
43:14
So all these practices, prayer, focused on treasuring Jesus,
43:18
time and the Word, feeding on him, intentional praise and
43:21
purposeful fellowship, they all work together.
43:23
They do. They work together
43:25
synergistically to lead to what the sources call the expulsive
43:29
power of a new affection. The expulsive power of a new
43:33
affection that sounds significant.
43:35
It's a profound concept, articulated so well centuries
43:39
ago by the Scottish preacher Thomas Chalmers.
43:41
The idea is this, as you actively cultivate a growing
43:45
affection for the Lord through these intentional spiritual
43:48
disciplines, that growing love for Christ literally begins to
43:52
squeeze out the bad stuff. Pushes it out.
43:54
Yes, think of your heart not as an empty bucket you need to
43:57
meticulously clean out first, which feels impossible.
44:00
Think of it more like a cup that's currently full of muddy
44:02
water, representing our sinful affections, desires and lusts.
44:06
You could try to just scoop out the mud bit by bit, but it's
44:09
often difficult, messy, and seems endless.
44:12
Yeah, that sounds frustrating. The concept of the expulsive
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power of a new affection suggests a different approach.
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Instead of focusing only on scooping out the mud, start
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pouring in pure, clean water. That clean water represents your
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deepening affection for Jesus Christ, cultivated through
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prayer, the word praise, fellowship.
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As you keep pouring in that new, greater, more beautiful
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affection for Him, what happens? It overflows.
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Exactly. It naturally overflows, pushing
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out the muddy water. It displaces those lesser impure
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desires. Temptations might still arise.
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Yes, the world, the flesh, and the devil are still active, but
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their appeal begins to pale in comparison because your heart is
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increasingly filled with a greater, more satisfying, more
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glorious affection for God Himself.
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That's what maturing your way out of sin really means, then.
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That's it exactly. It's like a spiritual heart
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surgery that definitely requires time and effort.
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It requires daily surrender, daily pursuit, daily feeding on
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Christ. It's not a quick fix.
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It's not just downloading an app or installing a filter.
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So those external measures like Internet blockers aren't the
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answer. They aren't the whole answer.
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The sources would say they're not bad themselves, and they can
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certainly be helpful tools, practical safeguards, but they
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are ultimately insufficient if they're not accompanied by this
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deeper internal pursuit of Christ himself, because those
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external things only address stopping the outward sin.
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Maybe they don't and can't transform the heart's deepest
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desires. Only a greater affection for
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Christ can do that. And to maybe close this section
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on a really comforting, genuinely hopeful note, the
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sources quote Dane Ortland reflecting on John 6.37, where
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Jesus himself makes that incredible promise.
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Whoever comes to me, I will never cast out.
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Such a beautiful promise. It really is.
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It speaks volumes about Jesus's deep compassion, His gentle and
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lowly heart, his unwavering willingness to accept and
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forgive all who turn to Him in genuine repentance and faith,
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regardless of how messy their past is or even how messy their
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present struggle feels. And that promise stands firm,
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the sources emphasize. Even when you believe that the
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perversity down inside me that's hidden from everyone, that
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secret struggle you carry, the shame you feel is just too much
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for him, that he couldn't possibly want Someone Like You.
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He. Knows it all already.
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He knows it all, every thought, every hidden motive, every
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failure, every corner of your heart you try to keep hidden.
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He understands the struggle intimately.
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And the amazing truth is, he is here right now, ready and
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willing to help. Exactly that kind of person.
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The person who recognizes their deep need, their spiritual
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bankruptcy, and turns to him, casting themselves upon him for
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true freedom, forgiveness and transformation.
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He will not turn you away. Wow, we've really covered a lot
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today on the Deep Dive. We've seen how lust goes far,
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far beyond just simple actions, how it reaches deep into the
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hearts desires, and how its progression can subtly, almost
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sneakily, lead individuals away from God and into patterns of
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spiritual enslavement. And hopefully we've underscored
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the core insight from these sources that true freedom, real
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victory, isn't ultimately found and merely resisting temptation
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through willpower or just trying harder to stop a bad behavior.
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Instead, it's found in a complete reorientation of the
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heart, setting our affections, our worship, our ultimate
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treasure on Christ himself. It's that relentless pursuit of
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Christ that, as he fills the heart by his Spirit, naturally
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displaces what is unfitting and impure.
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He becomes our greatest desire. So perhaps you go about your
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week. Here's something to reflect on.
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How might actively cultivating just one of these practical
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disciplines this week? Maybe more intentional prayer
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focused on treasuring Him, or more focused time in the Word,
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looking for Him, or some deliberate praise, or reaching
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out for purposeful fellowship? How might that begin to reorder
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your desires and redirect your gaze toward Jesus Christ, the
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only ultimate source of satisfaction?
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Yeah, and maybe challenge yourself to truly consider what
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it means to live fully dependent on Him day by day, yielding to
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the Spirit for genuine fruit in your life, rather than
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continuing to strive and struggle primarily in your own
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strength to overcome sin. It's a pursuit that's worth
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everything because he is worth everything.
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Well said. Thank you so much for joining us
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on this episode of The Deep Dive from Reformed Thinking.
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And until next time, may you grow in the grace and in the
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knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.