Don’t think for a second that lust has no consequences. And don’t think for a second that the consequences won’t lead to scandal. A secret sin never remains secret. Lust will take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you ever intended to pay. Envision the worst possible outcome of infidelity and be assured, Satan is plotting to deliver it.

Even after you have turned away from lust, the filth lingers in your system. And long after the sin is forgiven, the soot of the sin lingers. And long after alcoholism is forgiven, the thirst lingers. Long after the embezzlement is forgiven, employment opportunities are rare. Long after the affair is over, the embarrassment hovers. Even the psalmist wrote: “Even my bones are not healthy because of my sin” (Psalm 38:3 NCV).

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