Vice And VirtueSample

Although we live in a time when the question of sexual behavior is extremely charged, the vice of Lust and corresponding virtue of Chastity are very straightforward.

Lust is defined as intense and unbridled desire that leads to sexually selfish and destructive behavior. Chastity moderates the appetite in regard to sexual pleasures, much like Temperance and its moderation of Gluttony. 

Also similar to Gluttony, Lust is a sin against both our own nature and others’. This vice is destructive to our own spiritual condition because when we selfishly choose to elevate our desires above righteous behavior, we are elevating the passions of our human body above everything else. In other words, our pleasure becomes an object of idolatry. The particular version of Lust we struggle with isn’t the issue; Christ asks the same thing in every circumstance—purity and holiness.

Lust is destructive to others because it takes away their dignity and God-given value. When we view another human being Lustfully, we have eroded their multifaceted existence down to one tiny detail—their sexual value. This objectification seeks to destroy the transcendent value that God has placed in each and every human being on this planet. It tells the object of our Lust, “You have no significance except for the sexual pleasure you bring.” This is a lie that can worm its way into the center of a person’s soul and slowly warp and destroy it. 

In the book of Song of Solomon, we are allowed to see into the thoughts of a man and a woman who are deeply in love with each other. The Lover speaks of herself and her Beloved like this; “I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women.” The Beloved responds, ““Put me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For [my] love is as strong as death.” This is uniqueness language. This woman views herself with dignity and so does her lover. This shared dignity allows them to set themselves apart for each other. 

In another part of Song of Songs, sexual love is compared to a flame, one that can burn out of control if it is not treated with respect. Chastity is the safeguard of this, passion and one that helps protect the joys of sexual love because dignity and value are preserved. For Day Eleven, read the following passages and consider the transcendent value that God has placed in every human being.