epithumia – Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: epithumia

Romans 7:7 – The Revealing Law

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Will

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! I did not know sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness except the law said, "You shall not covet."

Truth to Learn

The Law reveals our sinfulness to us.

Behind the Words

The word translated “know” is a form of ginōskō, which means “to acquire knowledge” or “to have full knowledge.” It is expressed here in the aorist tense indicating action completed at a point in time in the past. Therefore, it should be translated as “I had not known” or “I did not know.”

“Covetousness” is from the Greek word epithumia, which we saw back in Romans 6:12, meaning “to have overly strong thoughts or desires.” It is often translated as “lust.”

Meaning Explained

Any good Jewish Christian having read or heard what Paul has just said about the Law might be inclined to say, “Are you saying that the holy Law of God is not only insufficient to sanctify us, but that it causes sin to increase? Does the Law increase sinful passions, and actually make people worse than they were before?” This is the theoretical objection that Paul is responding to here.

So Paul asks another of his rhetorical questions: “Is the law sin?” And he responds in typical Pauline style with the two Greek words, “me genoito” meaning, “May it not be!” or “No way!” As he will go on to say later in verse twelve, the law is holy and just and good! The evil is not in the law but the law brings out evil in us because of our sin nature.

Look very carefully at what Paul says here about the Law. He says, “I did not know sin except through the law.” You will notice that he did not say that he was not a sinner without the law, just that he did not know about his sin without the law. He then goes on to give an example from the Tenth Commandment, “For I would not have known covetousness except the law said, “You shall not covet.’” The law informs us about sin and, because of that, we become more aware of our own sinfulness. And, because of our sin nature, the knowledge of the sin makes us desire it even more, even though we know it is sin. This frustrates all of us at one time or another. Even the Apostle Paul was frustrated by this, which he will express later in this chapter.

In his letter to the Galatian Christians he explains the function of the Law this way,

So that the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. (Galations 3:24, 25)

The law reveals our sinfulness and amplifies it so that we will be unable to deny our need for a Savior. Fortunately, God’s plan includes our Savior and salvation through faith in His sacrificial death. So you see, the Law, though it produces death, leads us to Christ and to God’s gift of grace which produces life.

Application

Are you still trying to keep the Law? Does it frustrate you because you can’t do it? Do you now recognize your need for a Savior? If so, then it has successfully done its work on you.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 6:12 – Who’s Your Ruler?

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Will

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, to obey it in its lusts.

Truth to Learn

Don’t let sin take control of your life.

Behind the Words

“Reign” is a word we looked at in the final verse of the previous chapter of Romans. It is basileuō, which means “to be king or to have ruling power over.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood indicating it is a command, “do not allow sin to rule over your mortal body!”

The word translated “mortal” is thnētos, which is derived from the verb thnēskō, meaning “to die.” Hence, thnētos refers to something which is subject to death.

“Obey” is from the Greek word hupakouō, which is made up of hupo (or hypo) meaning “under” and akouō, meaning “to hear.” Hence, hupakouō literally means “to hear under.” It is a picture of a disciple listening to, hearing, and obeying the teaching of his or her master.

The word, “lusts” is a translation of the Greek word, epithumia, which is made up of epi, meaning “above or over” and a form of thumos, meaning “the mind.” As we put these together we see it means “to have overly strong thoughts or desires.”

Meaning Explained

This verse and the next form a two part summation of what Paul has been saying in the past few verses with some explanation added. He just told us that we should consider ourselves dead to sin, but living to God. Here he tells us what he means by considering, or reckoning, ourselves dead to sin. He says, “Don’t let sin reign in your mortal bodies.” In other words, the way we reckon ourselves dead to sin is to not let it have control. If sin is reigning in our life, it is ruling over us and we are submitting ourselves to it; we are letting it control us. If we are dead to sin, then we are separated from the dominion of sin and we will not live in obedience to it.

The second half of this verse has been viewed by some Biblical scholars as questionable. They believe that it has been added and was not part of the original letter. Others, and I agree with them, believe that it rightly belongs here since it appears in most reliable manuscripts.

Paul says that the way we keep sin from reigning in our mortal bodies is by not obeying it in its lusts. God has put desires within us that are necessary for survival, such as the desire to eat, the desire to rest, and the desire to procreate. However, when we allow these thoughts and desires to get so strong that they overcome us and control us, then they become sinful to us. The Apostle John says that these desires (lusts) are not of God but are part of the world system:

Because all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)

We should not allow these desires to control us.

Application

If you are living to God through Jesus Christ then you must have control over your sinful desires. Don’t let the world system stir up your desires. Don’t let the world system rule over you. Take control of your life by submitting to God!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 2:10 – Selfish or Submitted?

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Will

And most of all those going after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, despising authority, presumptuous, self-willed, not afraid to slander glorious beings.

Truth to Learn

Some false teachers only care about their own desires.

Behind the Words

The words “lust of uncleanness” are translated from the Greek words, epithumia miasmou. The word epithumia refers to “overly strong desires” or “lusts.” The other word, miasmou means “contaminated or polluted.” We could translate these two words as “perverse lusts.”

The words “despising authority” are from the Greek words kuriotētos kataphronountos. The first of these is from the root, kurios which means “lord or master” and the other is a compound word made up of kata, meaning “against” or denoting evil and phroneō which means “to think or have a mindset.” Hence these words mean “to think evil of their masters” or “to despise authority.”

“Not afraid … glorious beings” is translated from doxas ou tremousin. The word doxas means “glories” or “glorious ones.” The word ou means “not” and tremousin means “to dread” or “to be terrified of.” Hence, it literally means, “they have no dread of the glorious ones.” Based on Peter’s words in the following verse, this is a reference to the slander of angelic beings.

Meaning Explained

Peter has just told us that the Lord knows how to keep the ungodly from escaping the judgment that is due them. Now he says that this is especially true of these false teachers, those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature. They have a way of life that caters to their appetites, especially their perverse lusts. They have so allowed their lusts to overpower them that they have become corrupt and perverse. Yet, in their mind, their actions seem normal.

Peter also says that they “despise authority.” These are people who don’t like anyone telling them what to do; that is, they don’t have respect for authority, either civil or religious. They certainly don’t want a God who tells them what to do, so they invent a theology that gives them control over their god.

But Peter doesn’t stop here. He continues to describe these false teachers as “presumptuous and self-willed;” that is, they think far too highly of themselves. He also says that they “…are not afraid to slander glorious beings” In other words, these false teachers have no fear of those who are worthy of praise and glory and will freely slander or blaspheme them.

Wow! Peter certainly doesn’t pull any punches when he talks about these false teachers. They have become self-absorbed and self-seeking. Their entire focus is inward instead of God-ward. For the most part, however, these false teachers appear outwardly good and honorable, hiding the reality of their desires behind a façade of devoted religiosity.

We have talked in the past about the fact that the central notion of sinfulness is really “self-ness,” making our own decisions and considering only ourselves. That’s the opposite of submission to God.

Application

Now the question is, are you submitted to God, or are you more like these false teachers who serve their own overpowering desires? Only you can answer these questions. Think carefully before you answer, and be honest with God.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 4:2 – Stop That Lust

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Will

no longer to live the rest of his time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God.

Truth to Learn

He suffered and died for us, let us suffer and live for Him.

Behind the Words

In the previous verse Peter told us to “arm” ourselves with the same “mind.” Let’s look at these two words. “Arm” is translated from the Greek word hoplidzō, meaning “to equip with armament.” It is expressed in the imperative mood indicating a command. The implication of the verb is that we should start doing so right now.

The word translated “mind” is ennoia, which is a compound word made up of en, meaning “in” and nous, meaning “the mind.” Therefore this word means “that which is in the mind,” hence, “thoughts” or “understanding.”

In today’s verse, the words “no longer” are from the Greek word mēketi, made up of mē, meaning “not” and eti, meaning “anymore” or “yet.” Hence, it means “not anymore.”

“Flesh” is translated from the Greek word sarx, which refers to “the flesh of a living creature.” Hence, Peter is referring to the remainder of time that we are living on this earth.

The word “lusts” is one that we have seen before. It is translated from the Greek epithumia, which is made up of epi, meaning “over” and a form of thumos, which refers to “a violent motion or passion of the mind.” Hence, epithumia refers to “an overly strong desire of the mind.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Peter told us, “he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” This doesn’t mean that we will never commit a sin again. Rather, Peter is telling us that when we are suffering, though we have done nothing wrong, and we are doing so patiently, we are not letting our sin nature control us.

In the current verse, Peter completes that thought. Since we have the same understanding as Christ, that this suffering is God’s will, then each of us should:

no longer … live the rest of his time in the flesh in the lusts of men, but in the will of God.

In other words, for the remainder of the time that we are living our earthly life, we should not be living for the lusts of men but for the will of God. Well, what are these lusts of men? According to the Apostle John they are:

the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16)

So it’s not just sexual lust we are talking about, but all those desires that we have that cause us to focus on ourselves rather than God. It includes the overly strong desire for food, for pleasure, for “stuff” like a new car or a new house, or a new kitchen, or a new boat, or the desire to be admired because of a position of prominence. It’s anything that focuses on “me.”

Application

Let us not waste our few remaining years on this earth satisfying ourselves, that is, our fleshly lusts. Let us, instead, seek out ways to be obedient to the will of God so as to bring Him glory! After all, He suffered and died for us, let us suffer and live for Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 1:14 – Obedient Non-conformists

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Will

as obedient children, not conforming to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

Truth to Learn

Leave your past in the past and humbly follow God’s leading.

Behind the Words

The word translated “obedient” is the Greek word hupakoē, which is made up of hupo (or hypo), meaning “under” and a form of akouo, meaning “to hear.” Hence, it literally means “to hear under,” that is “to listen to the instruction of someone over you, like a parent or a teacher.” But it means more than just passive listening, it implies obedience to what was taught to you.

“Conforming” is translated from suschēmatidzō, a compound word made up of sun, meaning “together with” and schemētidzō, meaning “to make a pattern.” Hence, this word refers to “someone making something to match with a pattern.” It is expressed here in the middle voice, indicating the action is being done by the subject (yourselves), to the subject.

The word translated “lusts” is epithumia, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” or “over” and a form of thumos, meaning “a strong emotion or desire.” Hence, this word refers to an overly strong desire or emotion.

Meaning Explained

Peter is continuing the thought from the previous verse about being prepared for action and focusing on the reward that is to come. Now he is saying be attentive and submissive, and don’t pattern your life around the former lusts that used to entrap you. First off, he says we need to be obedient. Regarding obedience, the Apostle John said:

And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, I have known Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His Word, truly in this one the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in Him. (1 John 2:3-6)

Then, Peter tells us not to conform to our former lusts. Here’s another caution the Apostle Paul gave about conforming:

And do not be conformed to this world [system], but be transformed by the renewing of your mind … (Romans 12:2)

About these lusts, the Apostle James said:

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. (James 1:14, 15)

So you see, Peter is telling us that we are in the midst of spiritual warfare, and we need to follow the commands given by our Father. And, our actions need to demonstrate that we have changed since we got saved and that we truly are children of God. Peter will finish the rest of this thought in the next verse.

Application

Are you daily preparing yourself for spiritual warfare? Are you in the midst of the battle? Or have you settled back into satisfying your own desires instead of submitting to God?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 4:5 – Uncontrolled Desires?

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Will

not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

Truth to Learn

Uncontrolled passion is bad for a marriage and Christian faith.

Behind the Words

The word translated “passion” is pathos, which is derived from the verb paschō, meaning “to suffer.” In general usage it refers to strong emotion, either as suffering or as passionate emotion. In the New Testament it is used twice with epithumia (strong desire), and once with atimia (dishonorable).

“Lust” is from the Greek word epithumia, which is made up of epi, meaning “on” or “over,” used as an intensifier, and thumos, meaning “an violent action of the mind” such as anger or strong desire. Thus epithumos refers to overly strong desire or lust.

Ethnos is the Greek word translated “Gentiles.” It refers to “a nation” or “a race of people.” In Hebrew writing it generally refers to all non-Jews. When Paul used the term he often means all peoples who are neither Christian nor Jewish. In the current verse he makes it clear that he is talking about non-Christians.

Meaning Explained

In the first three chapters of this letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, Paul put considerable time and energy into addressing the concerns of the church there. They were under considerable persecution and some believed that Paul had deserted them, fleeing from the same persecution they were suffering. In response, he expressed in very tender terms how much he loved them and was concerned about their welfare. He also informed them that he had tried to return to them but was hindered. Therefore, he had sent Timothy to them to help them grow in their faith. Upon Timothy’s return, Paul learned that the Thessalonians had a strong faith and had as much fondness for Paul as he did for them.

Paul then began the doctrinal teaching portion of this letter. The first subject that he addressed head-on was that of sexual promiscuity, which seems to have crept into the church. This is not surprising, since Macedonia and Achaia (all of modern day Greece) were dominated by paganism. The practices of these pagan religions frequently involved acts of sexuality. In fact, many of these religions employed temple prostitutes as part of their “religious” observances.

One of the difficulties for recent converts to Christianity was, and is, separating themselves from the pleasurable (though sinful) practices that they had previously thought to be normal and acceptable. One of the major differences between religion and Christianity, however, is the fact that God does not want religious observance from us, He wants a relationship. He wants more than a casual relationship, He wants an intimate relationship, and promiscuity destroys intimacy, whether it occurs before marriage or within a marriage. He tells them here that the way to avoid the desire for extra-marital affairs is for a man to nurture and care for his wife (or wife-to-be), developing an intimate relationship with her, not based on passionate lust.

Marriage is a picture of our relationship with God. It is one of submissive fellowship and genuine love. Clinging to and putting your faith in anything other than God is like infidelity in a marriage, it damages the relationship and fellowship.

Application

You may not have a problem with uncontrolled passion and lust in your marriage, but do you have a problem with selfish desires and unfaithfulness in your relationship with God?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:3 – Wrath Avoidance

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Will

among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

Truth to Learn

Before we were saved we were destined for God’s wrath.

Behind the Words

The word “among” is translated from the Greek preposition en, meaning “in” or “among.”

“Conducted” is from the verb anastrephō. This is made up of ana, meaning “again” and strephō, meaning “to turn.” So, literally it means “to turn again.” When used of a person it is a metaphor meaning “to live one’s life.”

Epithumia is the Greek word translated “lusts.” It is made up of epi, meaning “over” or “above” and a form of thumos, which refers to “a passion or desire of the mind.” Thus, epithumia refers to “overly strong desires.”

The word “doing” is from the Greek verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” It is expressed here as a present participle, so it means “doing.”

“Desires” is translated from thelēma which refers to “an act of determination.” So, it really means more than “desires.” It means “those things which we decided to do.”

“Flesh” is from sarx, which literally refers to “the meat or flesh of a living creature.” This word is commonly used to refer to the physical part of our existence as opposed to the spiritual part.

The word “mind” is translated from dianoia which refers to “deep thought” or “imagination.”

“Nature” is from the Greek word phusis, which is derived from the noun phuō, meaning “to bring forth in birth.” It is used here as a metonym in reference to our natural inclination.

The word “wrath” is translated from orgē, which means “desire, strong emotion, anger, or wrath.”

“Others” is from the Greek word loipos, which is from the verb leipō, meaning “to lack” or “to leave something where it is.” In other words, it refers to “that which is left.” So, it could be translated as “the remainder” or “the others.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that before we became Christians we lived according to the ways of the world system in which we live. Our behavior was influenced by Satan who controls those who don’t believe in Christ.

What he tells us in today’s verse is that we used to live our lives controlled by the lusts of our flesh. Another way of saying this is that we used to be controlled by our sin nature. In the book of Romans, Paul calls it our “old man,” and he tells us that we used to be the slaves of sin:

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be nullified, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Romans 6:6)

Because we were controlled by our fleshly desires and our imagination, Paul says we were children of wrath just like the rest of unsaved humanity. What he means is that before we were saved, we were God’s enemies and subject to his wrath. Some Christians think of God as a vengeful God, waiting for us to slip up so He can punish us. Other Christians don’t like to think of God as vengeful and exhibiting wrath; they like to think of God as a God of love. He is both. Those who receive Jesus Christ will one day experience God’s love completely, whereas those who reject Jesus Christ will one day experience the full fury of God’s wrath.

… And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:15c)

Application

As a Christian you still have a sin nature, but you don’t have to be controlled by it. Instead, you can submit your will to God and allow the Holy Spirit to control your life.

In God's service, for His glory,

James 1:14 – Temptation’s Source

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Will

But each one is tempted by his own desires, being drawn away and enticed by them.

Truth to Learn

We may want to blame someone or something else for our sinfulness, but each of us is to blame for our own sin.

Behind the Words

James tells us that each and every one of us is tempted, not by God, but by his (or her) own “desires.” This is translated from the Greek work epithumia which is made up of epi, which means “above or over” (as in epidermis) and thumia, which means “the mind.” What this word represents is overly strong desires of the mind. It is often translated as “lusts.”

The words “drawn away” are from the Greek word exelkō. This is made up of ex meaning “out of” or “away from” and helkō, meaning “to drag” or “to draw.” This word was used by Jesus in John 6:44 where He said that the Father draws men to Him. Hence, this word means to be pulled away or drawn away.

The word translated “enticed” is deleadzō, from the noun delear which means “bait.” And what is the purpose of bait on the end of a hook? It is to entice and entrap a fish. Metaphorically, this word means “to trick or entice.”

In the previous verse we noted that the word “by” was translated from apo, referring to source rather than agency. In this verse the word “by” is translated from hupo which indicates agency. In other words, our overly strong desires are the very things (the agency) which cause us to be tempted.

Meaning Explained

When we sin, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We cannot claim the old Flip Wilson line, “The devil made me do it!” And we cannot blame our parents, or the way we were raised. The sin comes from within and it can only be taken care of from without; that is, by the blood of Christ. He is the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

We all have desires and they are necessary for sustaining life. We have the desire to eat, we have the desire to rest when we are tired, we have sexual desire, we have the desire to achieve, and many others. All of these are good and necessary in the proper balance. It is when any one of these becomes too great, even uncontrollable, that we get tempted to sin.

This is not to say that Satan and his fallen angels have no part in our temptation. In both Matthew 4:3 and 1Thessalinians 3:5 we find that our adversary is referred to as “the tempter.” The world system, which he controls, is made up of the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).

No matter who or what the source of our temptations may be, James is telling us that the agency of our temptation is our own desires which we allow to get out of control. When this happens, those lusts draw us from God’s way and entrap us in our own selfish ways.

Application

We all sin. It’s a fact of life. None of us has complete control of our fleshly desires. But we do have a Savior who did not sin and who gave His life to pay for ours. Let us thank our God for the blood of Christ and for the faith to believe in Him.

In God's service, for His glory,

James 1:14 – Temptation’s Source

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Will

But each one is tempted by his own desires, being drawn away and enticed by them.

Truth to Learn

We may want to blame someone or something else for our sinfulness, but each of us is to blame for our own sin.

Behind the Words

Meaning Explained

Application

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 4:5 – Uncontrolled Desires?

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Will

not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

Truth to Learn

Uncontrolled passion is bad for a marriage and Christian faith.

Behind the Words

Meaning Explained

One of the difficulties for recent converts to Christianity was, and is, separating themselves from the pleasurable (though sinful) practices that they had previously thought to be normal and acceptable. One of the major differences between religion and Christianity, however, is the fact that God does not want religious observance from us, He wants a relationship. He wants more than a casual relationship, He wants an intimate relationship, and promiscuity destroys intimacy. He tells them here that the way to avoid the desire for extra-marital affairs is for a man to nurture and care for his wife, developing an intimate relationship with her, not based on passionate lust.

Application

You may not have a problem with uncontrolled passion and lust in your marriage, but do you have a problem with selfish desires and unfaithfulness in your relationship with God?

In God's service, for His glory,