Hi :) I have been thinking a bit about Matt 5:28, about lust. I read an article about this on “itro”, it said that there was a difference between lust and sexual attraction, but even though it was explained there, I "don't quite understand", so I wondered if you could also explain to me . What does it mean to think about someone with lust? If you're in love with someone, you are thinking about that person, but is there anything wrong with thinking?
Hello and thanks for the question.
It can often be difficult to separate the different feelings from each other because they are connected and can resemble each other. For example, it is easy to confuse infatuation with love, infatuation with sexual attraction, and sexual attraction with lust, because all these feelings affect our entire body, our emotions and are quite all-consuming.
Lust is a strong longing that is governed by an inner drive. One can lust for many things, such as power, money and material things. Lusting for another person means in practice that you fantasize and daydream about doing sexual acts with this person. Lust is not about love, as lust is something selfish, something you want for yourself.
Read: What is lust?
Sexual attraction is more about who we are as human beings, as man and woman. There is a feeling of well-being, excitement , tingling and sexual feelings in the body, romantic feelings, desire to be together, to be close, etc. It is common to feel different feelings when meeting people, because we are different and because feelings of attraction often come as a result of the experiences one has had in meeting others. In most encounters between men and women there is a certain degree of attraction. We don't always know what makes us attracted to someone, it could be smells, sight, hearing or associations.
Sexual attraction can turn into horniness, the fact that one is sexually aroused and the body wants sex. It is an interaction between thoughts, emotions and hormones that creates this. The horniness can be directed at a person or just be present in the body. It is not a sin to feel in love, sexual attraction or horny.
Read: Is lust as sinful as having sex?
Love or falling in love basically has nothing to do with sexual attraction. You can be sexually attracted to a person, and feel both horny and desire - without being in love. Sexual attraction and desire are of a physical, biological nature, while falling in love is emotional.
The sexual attraction you have to a person can of course lead to lust..
If one dwells on and cultivates the thought of having sex with someone, the natural sexual attraction has turned into lust as stated in Matthew 5:28. Lust is thinking about, fantasizing and dreaming about having sex with a person. Having sex with someone in your mind is a more conscious act than feeling a sexual attraction.
If you are in love with a person, you will of course think a lot about that person, long to be close to and be close to that person. One will easily fall into daydreams and imagine being with that person. It is completely natural. Where the limit is for what is okay to think, will probably be the same limits as for what is okay to carry out in reality. Jesus says in Matthew 5:28 that whoever looks at a woman with lust commits adultery in his heart. So if you allow your mind to fantasize about doing sexual acts, it will be in that category.
Read: Where should my boyfriend and I set the boundaries?
Read also:
Looking at someone lustfully
Aroused by thoughts
Sick and tired of sexuality
Anxiety and Worries
Kind regards, GuttogJente.no