Is looking at a woman with lust the same as committing adultery?

Question

If so, have any commandments been broken? Is there a punishment for this?

lissacal: I agree!

Answer 1

Yes. The Bible teaches all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Therefore all sin is punishable with death it is the reason that Christ did come to the world to pay the penalty of death for all who accept the atonement.

Answer 2

Jesus was expounding on the 10 commandments and how the new way would be. You've heard it said that you must not commit adultery. I say that whoever looks at a woman so as to lust after her, has already committed adultery in his heart.

Jesus broke down all the Jewish laws, commandments, traditions down into 2 Christian morals:
Love God with your whole heart
Love your neighbor as yourself.
He said the law is summed up in those 2 new commandments.

Answer 3

No way man, adultery is so much better. As for commandments, well, I don't remember any god giving any actual commandments. If they did, you'd think they would permanently put them somewhere where everyone all over the world could see them, like the sky from the very moment they were given.

Don't believe the dessert dwelling cave men that say god talked to them when they were up in the mountains and no one could see. Your parents pulled the same type of trick when they told you to go to bed and Santa will bring you presents on christmas eve. I'm sure you're way too old to fall for that one now.

As for a punishment, well, you could catch what ever she has. Or you can get smacked with a purse or divorced if your wife catches you.

Answer 4

In Matthew 5:21-28, Jesus equates committing adultery with having lust in your heart, and committing murder with having hatred in your heart. However, this does not mean the sins are equal. What Jesus was trying to get across to the Pharisees was that it is still sin even if you only think about or want to do the act. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day taught people that it was okay to think about anything you wanted to, as long as you did not act on those desires. Jesus is forcing them to realize that God judges a person’s thoughts as well as their actions. Jesus proclaimed that our actions are the results of what is in our hearts (Matthew 12:34).



So, although Jesus said that lust and adultery are both sins – that does not mean they are equal. It is much worse to actually murder a person than it is to simply hate them – even though they are both sinful in God’s sight. There are degrees to sin. Some sins are worse than others. At the same time, in regards to both eternal consequences and salvation, all sins are the same. Each and every sin will lead to eternal condemnation (Romans 6:23). All sin, no matter how “small,” is against an infinite and eternal God, and is therefore worthy of an infinite and eternal penalty. Further, this is no sin too “big” that God cannot forgive it. Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin (1 John 2:2). Jesus died for ALL of our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). Are all sins equal to God? Yes and no. In severity? No. In penalty? Yes. In forgivability? Yes.

Recommended Resource: Basic Theology by Charles Ryrie.

Answer 5

Yes. It's the same as committing the act. Lusting after a women means you have thought about the act its self. The commandment is Thou shalt not commit adultery. That also means sex before marriage too. I don't know what the punishment will be, but I'm sure we will find out after we die.

Answer 6

Matthew 5:27-28 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Under the Old Testament laws, people were judged by their actions. If they DID something that was wrong, they were judged for it. Everyone was born a sinner, and could do nothing at that time to change that nature. The best they could do was to try to control that nature by resisteing sin and not committing the actions.

Under New Testament "laws", people are now judged by the intent and desires of their hearts. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the human heart can now be changed from the sin nature to a new nature that was to be sin-free. So it is now possible to live, not just sin action free, but also sin desire free. So the rules of judgement have now changed. Desiring to do a deed is now treated the same as doing the deed.

So according to Jesus, looking after a woman desiring to have sex with her - thinking about it - dreaming about it - is the same as doing it. Both deeds come from the same source - your sinful desires. So what is the difference between fantasizing and acting on it? They are both a wrong.

Answer 7

There is no definitive answer to this but I think that most people will tell you that it isn't adultery, although you can find evidence either way. If you feel in your heart it's adultery then it is. The true test is would you mind if your significant other did the same.

Answer 8

It's the looking with lust that leads to the adultery. It is following the bad inclinations of the heart.

Jesus told his followers that whoever looked at a woman with desire (obviously not his wife) had already committed adultery with her in his heart. Jesus knew how people operated and was well aware of the power that sin holds. If we allow ourselves to desire, or lust after, someone other than our marriage mate then we are allowing that sin to creep in and potentially lead us to disaster.

Jesus was warning his followers to maintain a watchful eye on their behavior and thoughts, because all actions begin with a thought.

Answer 9

What did Jesus tell us

Matthew 5:28
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Yes this is breaking the commandment
Exodus 20:14
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
The punishment is eternal spiritual death if you dont confess to Jesus and repent.

Answer 10

You see, to look at a woman lustfully one has to have a mind clouded with lust. For example, a mind that feeds on pornography and obscene things will eventually allow a stronghold of lust to be built up (lust originates in the mind, not in the eyes, for a blind man can also lust). Strongholds in the mind are areas in our thought life controlled by evil spiritual forces. We can appreciate the beauty of a woman but lusting after her is sin of the mind or heart which will eventually be translated into acts of fornication or adultery. Remember that the Bible commands us to “take our thoughts captive to Christ”; not “allow your thoughts or mind to be a slave to (sexual) lust”....

Answer 11

Yes. Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."