Galatians 5:24 KJV says, “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” When it comes to dating, you have to beware of lust that is disguised as love. You may say how will I know or how can I tell the difference? You will know whether it’s love or lust by the fruit that is produced.
You will know by their actions.
Jesus teaches this in Matthew 7:15-20 NLT. He says, “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”
Everyone and everything produces after its own kind. God created it that way. This is what Jesus was saying in His teaching about the two trees— good and evil. When you look at a bag of apples, they all look the same. However, once you cut it open or bite into it, you will know if the fruit is good or bad.
Someone may come along that looks lovely on the outside, but inwardly they are lustful.
Everyone produces fruit, whether they know it or not. If you want to know what’s going on with a person, if you wanna know if they are lovely or lustful, just check their fruit basket. What’s on the inside will flow out on the outside. When an apple has rotted on the inside, you will see it on the outside because the skin will be brown. Or if the fruit produced from the tree is brown and discolored, you know the inside of the fruit is bad.
It is the same with people.
They appear to be love but lust is manifesting because they are lustful within. God is love, so everything He does flows from love. When He is good to us, He’s expressing His love for us. This is how we are to be with each other. Everything God is and does, Satan copies. He’s a professional copycat. He has to copy everything God does because he can’t create, so he has to duplicate.
But when the enemy copies, he adds his own stuff. He adds his own flavor. He can’t love, so what does he do? He uses lust to draw people. It’s the strategy he uses to incite the wrong desires in people that leads to wrong behavior. When I say wrong, it’s wrong from God’s standards.
There are many things that aren’t wrong to the world, but they are wrong to God.
Let’s define lust. Lust is an overpowering and compulsive desire or passion, according to the Dictionary of Bible Themes. And according to scripture, lust originates in the heart and mind. Simply put, lust is love perverted. Lust is not just a sexual term. People can lust for attention, they can lust for material things, they can lust for money and status, so it’s not just being lustful in a sexual context.
In the context of a relationship, lust is all about what I can get from you or what I can gain. Love is all about what I can give to you or what I can add.
You see the difference?
Love is selfless and lust is selfish. It’s hard to be lustful and loving at the same time. You are either one or the other.
Lust focuses on itself, but true love focuses on the other person.
Lust is temporary, love is eternal.
Lust takes, love gives.
Lust lies, love speaks truth.
1 John 2:16 reads, “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.”
Lust of all kinds is condemned by God and is stated in scripture. God behooves believers to show self-control.
Lust looks like love until it manifests itself.
Therefore, you have to be mindful because a relationship that is founded on lust will not last.
