Temptation and Sinful Thoughts

Here’s how the Bible addresses this issue.

Every sin has its origin in the thoughts long before it appears as an act of the body. Jesus said, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.” Mark 7:21, 22.

But we must be careful to distinguish that desire, in itself, is not wrong. God has actually placed certain powerful appetites and propensities within our human nature. This includes ambition, temper, sex, and every other basic disposition. There is nothing wrong with these drives as long as they are properly controlled and directed. Wrong comes only when desire oversteps the bounds of holiness and seeks gratification outside the will of God.

Even the temptation to lust is not sin. It is only when the mind responds to the enticement by receiving it and holding it