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◄ Fire: Lust►

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the Bible, fire is often used metaphorically to describe intense emotions and desires, including lust. Lust, in a biblical context, refers to an intense and often uncontrolled desire, particularly of a sexual nature, that leads individuals away from God's commandments and righteousness.

Old Testament References

The concept of lust is addressed in the Old Testament, where it is often linked with idolatry and unfaithfulness to God. In the Ten Commandments, God commands, "You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife" (Exodus 20:17), highlighting the sinful nature of lustful desires. The Hebrew Scriptures frequently associate lust with the heart's inclination towards sin, as seen inProverbs 6:25, "Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes" .

New Testament Teachings

In the New Testament, Jesus intensifies the understanding of lust by addressing it as a matter of the heart. In the Sermon on the Mount, He teaches, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). This statement underscores the seriousness of lust, equating it with the act of adultery itself, thus emphasizing the need for purity in thought and intention.

The Apostle Paul also addresses the issue of lust in his epistles. In1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, he writes, "For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God" . Paul’s exhortation calls believers to live in holiness, contrasting the behavior of those who follow God with those who do not.

Spiritual Implications

Lust is portrayed in Scripture as a consuming fire that can lead to spiritual destruction.James 1:14-15 warns, "But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" . This passage illustrates the progression from lustful desire to sin and ultimately to spiritual death, highlighting the destructive power of unchecked lust.

Practical Guidance

The Bible provides practical guidance for overcoming lust. Believers are encouraged to flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace (2 Timothy 2:22). Additionally, the renewing of the mind through Scripture and prayer is emphasized as a means of transforming desires and aligning them with God's will (Romans 12:2).

Conclusion

While the Bible acknowledges the reality of lust as a powerful and potentially destructive force, it also offers hope and guidance for overcoming it through the power of the Holy Spirit and adherence to God's Word. By focusing on purity and holiness, believers can resist the fiery temptations of lust and live lives that honor God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Proverbs 6:27,28
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek

4448. puroo -- to set onfire, ie to burn (pass.)
... to be ignited, glow (literally), be refined (by implication), or (figuratively)
to be inflamed (with anger, grief,lust) -- burn, fiery, be onfire, try....

Library

Of Lot's Deliverance from Sodom, and Its Consumption byFire from...
... Book XVI. Chapter 30."Of Lot's Deliverance from Sodom, and Its Consumption byFire
from Heaven; And of Abimelech, WhoseLust Could Not Harm Sarah's Chastity....

Now as theLust of Adam, when it had Obtained Its Desire...
... him; so thelust of the angel, when it got what it wanted; viz., the ground and
original of the creaturely life, which is darkness andfire; immediately opened...

St. Ambrose Explains that the Flesh Given to Satan for Destruction...
... the bosom of our minds and the depths of our hearts, lest we burn up the covering
of our inmost hearts, and lest the devouringfire oflust consume this...

Of the Stink of Lechery and the Peril of Touching: and of the...
... he takes no heed how stinking and odious is his wretchedlust in the sight of... Truly
whiles thefire of earthly love ceases not to inflame man's mind, no marvel...

The Seventh Commandment
... As the flame wastes the candle, so thefire oflust consumes the bones.... Impure
discourse is the bellows to blow up thefire oflust....

Here Leave Vulcan Unnoticed, to Avoid Prolixity; whom You all...
... We here leave Vulcan unnoticed, to avoid prolixity; whom you all declare to befire,
with one consenting voice. We pass by Venus, named becauselust assails all...

What it is to have Christ for a Foundation, and who they are to...
... he loves her in the world's fashion, carnally, as the disease oflust prompts him...
it he builds wood, hay, stubble; and therefore he shall be saved as byfire....

Of the Sighings, Desire, and Meekness of a Perfect Lover: and of...
... Full horrible it is to go into thefire of hell; but more to be hated is it to will
to havelust in sin, because of which he may lose Christ for evermore....

Come Rest, and be Still in the Bosom of Thy Mother, Son of the...
... Because the hiddenfire of thelust of the body ruled not in him, to him
thefire from on high was obedient. And since he subdued...

But the Devil, who Hates and Envies what is Good...
... The one would suggest foul thoughts and the other counter them with prayers: the
onefire him withlust, the other, as one who seemed to blush, fortify his...