In Job, chapter thirty-one, verse one, the servant of God was committed to the standard of inner holiness that Christ later articulated in the Sermon on the Mount, as in Matthew five, verse twenty-eight. Job had made a covenant with his eyes to avoid stimulating lustful desires from gazing at a young woman, as in Genesis three, verse six, and Numbers fifteen, verse thirty-nine. He knew that sensuality would displease his Lord and dissipate the life of God in his soul, as in verses two through four.
What Christ condemns is not the sudden thought that Satan may place in a person’s mind or an improper desire that arises suddenly. However, it is a wrong thought or desire accompanied by the approval of one’s will. It has an immoral desire that would seek fulfillment if the opportunity arose. The inner longing for illicit sexual pleasure, if contemplated and not resisted, is sin.
The Christian must be careful to abstain from taking pleasure in scenes of immorality and nudity such as those in films, videos, television, books, magazines, and on some internet sites, supporting verses in First Corinthians six, verses fifteen, and eighteen, Galatians five, verses nineteen, and twenty-one, Ephesians five, verse five, Colossians three, verse five, Second Timothy two, verse twenty-two, Titus two, verse twelve, Hebrews thirteen, verse four, James one, verse fourteen, First peter two, verse eleven, Second Peter three, verse three, and First John two, verse sixteen, respectively.
In the area of maintaining sexual purity, the woman and man have a responsibility. The Christian woman must be careful not to dress in a way that attracts attention to her body, thereby creating temptation for men and encouraging lust. Dressing modestly or sensually is associated with lust and should be carefully avoided, as in First Timothy two, verse nine, and First Peter three, verses two through three, accordingly.