Matthew 5.28 - I have a question

„But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.“

I have a question for you. Does this verse mean only looking at married women, or looking at women generaly? I was told that if a man intentionally looks at woman to lust after her, it is not adultery as long as the woman is not married. I was also told that it cannot be definitely called "adultery", if the man is wilfuly looking at woman with lust, but he doesn't know, if she is married or not. I am not speaking about looking unwittingly, I am speaking about really wilful looking at woman with lust, when the man knows exactly what he is looking at and why.

Jesus is not speaking about „married women“ but just about „women“, and the person who told me that, says that adultery is only about married women, who belong to their men. So I‘m a bit confused. Is it really only about adultery or does it include a fornication as well?

A Preacher once told me that lusting after is a sin.........regardless........but one can admire the beautiful things God creates without lusting. Difference there.........

Fornication is a sin......right? So why would it not be included in the do not lust thingy? Adultery falls under the general definition of fornication anyhoo

(my thoughts)

According to the law of Moses, intercourse with your own spouse results in both parties being unclean requiring various rituals in order to be clen again.

What I have always derived from this goes hand and hand with the truth that God is spirit and would be worshipped in spirit and truth… We, in the spirit are identical., THAT IS BEING made identical to Jesus in His glorified state.

We live forever, and Jesus teaches there is no need for reproduction for this veryi reason.

For the spirit, any kind of sexual behavior is an aabomination, yet one of the first commandments, or for you grace only folks, suggestions, was to go out be fruituful, and fill the earth.

So there you have a bit of an holy oxymoron, go out befuitful fill the erth etc, and the need to ritualistically cleanse yourselve in order to appear in the Temple as clean. I do not mind, I believe God, so I can wait for that explanation.

God bless all, and your children are a blessing from god, i KNOW THIS, NOT A SIN..

The answer is in that little word "to." What is it that the adulterer wants TO do? Answer: they want to commit adultery.
The easy read bible is more explicit.

But I tell you that if a man looks at a woman and wants to sin sexually with her, he has already committed that sin with her in his mind. (Mat 5:28 ERV)

Honestly, in my humble opinion, God is showing where the sin starts and how offensive it is for Him and to others to linger on another with thoughts that can harm. How lusting, hunting flesh, so to speak is an action that starts in the mind and we need to stop it because it isn't His will for us. I think noticing a pretty vessel or their endearing presence doesn't take away from a healthy and honorable mindset, but when we allow and encourage a mindset centered in lust, He tells us this sinful action starts in our thoughts. I think this is a good question because it causes us to examine our thoughts on this matter. Thank you.

We can't stop a bird from flying over us, but we can stop him from building a nest in our hair.

Pretty flowers are for us to admire, but we don't have the right to pick them if they are not in our garden.

I couldn't agree more and the quote concerning the bird is one my Mama who is now 75 still uses. She is the only other person besides you that I have ever heard use it, .

The pretty flower ones made me smile too me cause it is just so true and so respectful. Our bodies and minds should honored with respect, we are His workmanship, not toys.

If God said "Do not steal someone else's money." Does that mean it's okay to steal their jewelry since He wasn't that specific? Of course not- stealing is stealing, and lust is lust. What He's saying is that even though the man did not physically cheat a marriage (or nonmarriage) come judgement day he will be judged the same as if he raped her. He committed sin in his heart (spiritually).

Hey! Namiette... PTL!

The old Covenant used the letter of the law for its standard of obedience and came with the curse of death for any disobedience. The letter of the law deals with the act itself. They were commanded to study the scripture to insure that they did according to all that was written.
The New Covenant uses the Spirit of the law for its standard of obedience, and requires faith unto the end. The law of the Spirit of life deals with the intent of the heart. We are commanded to have devotions in the scripture and the Holy Spirit will put the Lord's commandments into our hearts and minds as a result. The letter said, thou shalt not commit adultery. The Spirit tells us that to lust after another is to commit adultery in our heart. The letter of the law says, Thou shalt not commit murder. The law of the Spirit tells us that to hate you brother is to be a murderer. The standard of obedience in the New Covenant is taken to a higher level. Each transgression and act of disobedience came with its own just recompense under the letter of the law. The law of the Spirit of life brings life to those who are having the Lord's commandments written upon the tables of their heart and minds. Even though the standard is so much higher for the Spirit of the law, the Spirit transforms us by the renewing of our minds enabling us to prove the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Where they could not keep the letter of the law, we are able when mature spiritually, to walk after the Spirit, denying the lusts of the flesh; even though the standard of obedience is so much higher for us that it was for them. The blood of Jesus purges our consciences from dead works to serve the Lord with a pure heart. The guilt of a heart that has been renewed by the Spirit to see sin as Jesus does, is what sets us free from even the most stubborn sin as we continue in the word of righteousness. The Spirit also makes the scriptures to be Jesus to us, Spirit to spirit, and we learn of him through fellowship. To know the Lord is to love him because he first loved us.

Maranatha!