Purify Your Mind Series (Part 1) by Joe KirbySample

Lust Kills Things

Lust is a strong, passionate, burning desire to have something, a craving of the flesh that produces unrest and desperation. There is no clearer illustration of a lustful man than David’s son Amnon (whom we will also study tomorrow).

Amnon had a lustful desire for his half-sister Tamar. It was so strong that some translations state Amnon was “obsessed” to the point it made him ill. Mental illness is a serious problem in our society, but did you know that at least one form of mental illness, known as “spiritual depression,” can be triggered by sin? Amnon’s lust was eating him alive and making him ill. John Owen said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you” (Overcoming Sin and Temptation: Three Classic Works by John Owen), and because Amnon did not kill sin in those early stages and flee from youthful lusts, it killed him.

Kill sin before it is fully grown. God in His mercy always gives us a window of opportunity to repent, and we must jump through that window before sin is fully grown. In the biblical account of Amnon’s story, Jonadab’s manipulative friend came up with a plan to get Tamar and Amnon alone. Amnon faked being sick and asked his father David to send his daughter (Tamar) to feed him. Amnon sent everyone out the room, grabbed Tamar, and tried to seduce her. She refused and pleaded with Amnon to stop; she even used wisdom to try to persuade Amnon, showing him that this single act would ruin the rest of his life. But remember this, lust never listens. Love is wise and cares about the person, lust is foolish and only cares about self. If you do not kill lust now, it will kill your marriage or your future marriage because lust revolves around you.