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

The first time I read this I must admit I was very perplexed. God hold’s my thoughts against me? I haven’t done anything. Is my thinking sin? Man am I ever in trouble!

Then I read it again, and again, just to be sure. You looked. Looking on a woman with lust in your heart is voyeurism. This verse went beyond thought, it took the next step towards real damage. This is lust of the eye.

1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Let me ask you this however, what preceded looking with lust in your heart? Thoughts. Yes, thoughts precede action. Now for the more pointed question? Where did the lust come from that led to thoughts of the woman?

Yes. It came from our human nature. Lust is prone to act if it has already been exercised. We do not teach chastity nearly enough to our young men. Even when we do we have a tendency to emphasize respect for women over respect for self. In truth the curiosity of lust is nowhere near as dangerous as the memory of lust. The enemy will use those moments of lost virginity to entice young men to repeat the sin. In that lays the surmounting danger.

Titus 2:6-7 Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.