I would like to acknowledge my sister-in-law Joyce for challenging my understanding of lust and setting me on a course to discover what God’s Word says on the matter. This is a follow up for “lean not on your one understanding.”

Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Lust:

sinful longing; the inward sin which leads to the falling away from God (Rom 1:21). “Lust, the origin of sin, has its place in the heart, not of necessity, but because it is the centre of all moral forces and impulses and of spiritual activity.” In Mark 4:19 “lusts” are objects of desire.

Romans 1:21 English Standard Version (ESV) For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Mark 4:19 English Standard Version (ESV) but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary makes lust a simple thing to understand until we check the reference verses in another translation other than the KJV favored by Easton’s link.

It would appear from those references that the comment “lust, the origin of sin” is not supported by the referenced bible scripture. While that comment may well be true, it is not supported directly by references. That would indicate that simple questions have more complicated answers and investigation in more depth seems appropriate.

This comes down to a matter of personal satisfaction. If we do not question what is said we will trust the source and move on. This is not about proving a  point, it is about doing an in depth study on an issue that affects us all.

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Lust:

(5 Hebrew and 5 Greek words are so rendered, namely: [lists removed for brevity]

The word both as verb and as substantive has a good and a bad meaning. It probably meant at first a strong desire, a craving, abnormal appetite, not only for physical but for spiritual satisfaction. It has come, however, to be confined in its use almost entirely to the bad sense. Some old translations are not accepted now, the word being used in connections which at present seem almost irreverent. Shades of meaning are learned from an examination of the Hebrew and Greek originals.

Rather than going into a lengthy discourse of the differences between Hebrew and Greek origins, can we agree on two issues that appear in here, that some things are no longer accepted and some things appear to be irreverent.

John 4:24 English Standard Version (ESV) God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Jesus rarely invokes the must clause. This is one that is important.

How can we worship in spirit and truth?

When thinking about this, try to remember what Jesus said to the rich man that asked the question, “What must I do to be saved?”

First cleanse our hearts of idol worship. In that man’s case, love of money.

God’s first commandment was that He would not take second place to any other god. A god with the little g is what we love more than God Himself.

Isaiah 44:14-16 English Standard Version

14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!”

We become satisfied with our own achievements and the effort itself becomes our god. It is the root of pride. “Look what I created!”

We might not look at it that way but that is how God sees it. Whatever bush we burn is consumed, not so with God.

Worshiping God in spirit and truth warms our hearts because the Word abides in our hearts and His Word will not depart from us.

Genesis 4:7 English Standard Version (ESV) If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

The first “must” is when God told Cain that he must get a handle on sin or it would control him.

Then Cain killed his brother.