LOOK UPON A WOMAN *TO* LUST?

It is very important to notice that when Jesus said:

"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman TO lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
Matthew 5:28

HE DID NOT SAY--

"If you look upon a woman *WITH* lust ye have committed adultery in your heart."

Jesus was saying this: "The Pharisees have told you that you are committing Adultery only if you actually have relations with a woman, but I say to you that it is the intent of your heart that God judges.  If you look upon a woman lusting to have sex with her, and the only thing stopping you is the lack of opportunity, then you have already broken God's law in your heart."

The word TO means: "indicating intention, purpose or end." (Websters)

If a man is looking on a woman with the intention of lusting after her then he certainly is not trying to avoid lust! He may be sure that his heart is still set upon evil. He may also be sure that if he would commit Adultery given the opportunity, he is not truly Born-Again
because John says that "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin."  (1 John 3:9)

Looking upon someone TO lust after them is a sin, but the Devil wants Christians to think that just looking at the opposite sex and feeling desire is also an act of sin. That is not true! It is simply the first stage of temptation. Temptation to commit sin does come through lustful desires, fantasies, etc. but those lusts are not in themselves an act of sin. If lust itself is an act of sin then Jesus committed sin because the Bible says that "every man is TEMPTED when he is drawn away in his own LUST," and that Jesus was TEMPTED like as we are,".

THE SCRIPTURES CANNOT BE BROKEN...

Here is the final proof that sinful desires are not an act of sin, the scriptures say this about Jesus:

"Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made LIKE UNTO HIS BRETHREN, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest..."  (Hebrews 2:17)

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; BUT WAS IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED LIKE AS WE ARE, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15)

"But every man is TEMPTED, (Greek: Tested) when he is drawn away of his own LUST..." (James 1:14)

THE PROOF

IF: Every man is TEMPTED when he is drawn away of his own lust,

AND: Jesus was "MADE LIKE UNTO HIS BRETHREN" and "IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED LIKE AS WE ARE",

THEN: Jesus was TEMPTED when he was drawn away of his own LUST.

THEREFORE:

IF: Jesus was TEMPTED when he was drawn away of his own LUST,

AND: Jesus was "yet without sin".

THEN: Lust itself is not an act of sin!

The Bible says that all Christians are tempted and drawn away of their own lust, but "He that committeth sin is of the devil." (1 John 3:8) The Devil wants us to commit sin and "sin is the transgression of the law." Those who knowingly choose to disobey any part of God's Ten Commandment Law (including the Sabbath) are obeying the Devil. They are his servants and will share his fate on Judgement day. Paul warned:

"Know ye not that, to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are..." Romans 6:16

The most important question a Christian can ask himself is: Whose servant am I?

"Jesus answered...Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." John 8:58

Harold Kupp