' “I made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman?'
Job 31:1
This verse is also connected to what Jesus Christ Himself said when he said in Matthew 5:27-30.
'“You have heard that it was said by the ancients, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. For it is profitable that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell.' Matthew 5:27-30
Now, we know this things and someone might say "Thanks for telling me the theology and doctrine but how do I do that?". Well, I am in the same boat as you my friend. I have no power in myself, the only power I have is power to pray. I have experienced that when I go to God in prayer, not in simple quick prayers with little to no heart felt conviction, but in crying and mourning, deeply trying hard to connect to God, God is there all the time to meet me. This is how I get my power from above. This is how God helps me. So you someone might say "Do you need to cry your eyes out to stop this particular sin?" I would say "think about what Jesus said when he said to gouge your eyes out". This is not a physical eye but your inner spiritual eyes of flesh and lust that want to sin, yes, rip out those eyes. How? You confess and tell God you are sinning, and stuck, and need God's help to get out, Forsaking your sins is about learning to hate your sins, because now you see that these sins are a great offense to God. God is holy and will not allow this into heaven and will not allow sins to exist in His children. God will discipline His children. God rebukes us and disciplines us because He loves us. Some might think "I hate hearing of my sin, I hate the ones who tell me constantly that I am wrong, I am condemned, I hate it, I feel shame" Ok, now if you feel hate, hate what is evil, not God, not God's Word which is good and here to warn us. Also, remember, your brothers and sisters are also are in the same battle for holiness are here to share God's Word to you and each other. So this means, if I am sharing God's Word with you, guess what, I am no more righteous than you, and if you have God's Word to share with me and others, you are not more righteous than me either. Satan would love to put us up on a pedastol to make us look down on others, in pride and arrogance, and make the listeners feel like "oh, they are holier than you". No, do not listen to the lies of the enemy. Any brothers or sister who has struggled with this lust sin, knows what it does and what a struggle and stronghold and would not preach down to you, even if they seem cold or "self-righteous". That "seemingly self-righteous" is a wrong perception that should not happen. No one is righteous, even if they have years of no sexual immorality. Lust is a heart matter, that God only can see. Lust is not some victory badge that we can flash around in order to make other envious of "our" recovery. What a gross thing. Tell me, how would is sound if I say "I have been stopped this drug for years" and to the one who can't seem to stop. Some might call it bragging and it would be bragging if the intent was to show off like a Pharisee. But if this is a testimony, then it would have things that tell about God's goodness, God's forgiveness, God's power, God's mercy. It's difficult to explain about God's mercy to those who can't experience it for themselves. This is why the recovery from sexual immorality is really a person to God kind of relationship. A man or women is not able to help anyone "get right" with God, unless it's to encourage in prayers and sharing God's Word. Worldly counsel will not help much either.
Job 31:1
This verse is also connected to what Jesus Christ Himself said when he said in Matthew 5:27-30.
'“You have heard that it was said by the ancients, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away. For it is profitable that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is profitable for you that one of your members should perish, and not that your whole body be thrown into hell.' Matthew 5:27-30
Now, we know this things and someone might say "Thanks for telling me the theology and doctrine but how do I do that?". Well, I am in the same boat as you my friend. I have no power in myself, the only power I have is power to pray. I have experienced that when I go to God in prayer, not in simple quick prayers with little to no heart felt conviction, but in crying and mourning, deeply trying hard to connect to God, God is there all the time to meet me. This is how I get my power from above. This is how God helps me. So you someone might say "Do you need to cry your eyes out to stop this particular sin?" I would say "think about what Jesus said when he said to gouge your eyes out". This is not a physical eye but your inner spiritual eyes of flesh and lust that want to sin, yes, rip out those eyes. How? You confess and tell God you are sinning, and stuck, and need God's help to get out, Forsaking your sins is about learning to hate your sins, because now you see that these sins are a great offense to God. God is holy and will not allow this into heaven and will not allow sins to exist in His children. God will discipline His children. God rebukes us and disciplines us because He loves us. Some might think "I hate hearing of my sin, I hate the ones who tell me constantly that I am wrong, I am condemned, I hate it, I feel shame" Ok, now if you feel hate, hate what is evil, not God, not God's Word which is good and here to warn us. Also, remember, your brothers and sisters are also are in the same battle for holiness are here to share God's Word to you and each other. So this means, if I am sharing God's Word with you, guess what, I am no more righteous than you, and if you have God's Word to share with me and others, you are not more righteous than me either. Satan would love to put us up on a pedastol to make us look down on others, in pride and arrogance, and make the listeners feel like "oh, they are holier than you". No, do not listen to the lies of the enemy. Any brothers or sister who has struggled with this lust sin, knows what it does and what a struggle and stronghold and would not preach down to you, even if they seem cold or "self-righteous". That "seemingly self-righteous" is a wrong perception that should not happen. No one is righteous, even if they have years of no sexual immorality. Lust is a heart matter, that God only can see. Lust is not some victory badge that we can flash around in order to make other envious of "our" recovery. What a gross thing. Tell me, how would is sound if I say "I have been stopped this drug for years" and to the one who can't seem to stop. Some might call it bragging and it would be bragging if the intent was to show off like a Pharisee. But if this is a testimony, then it would have things that tell about God's goodness, God's forgiveness, God's power, God's mercy. It's difficult to explain about God's mercy to those who can't experience it for themselves. This is why the recovery from sexual immorality is really a person to God kind of relationship. A man or women is not able to help anyone "get right" with God, unless it's to encourage in prayers and sharing God's Word. Worldly counsel will not help much either.
