I recently mentioned a controversy that has been brewing primarily within reformed academic circles about a doctrine known as concupiscence. The word refers to strong desire and is often explicitly lined with sexual desire.
I’ve not really commented much on this yet but thought it was worth sharing some preliminary comments here. Late in the year I’m going to be doing more work on what Being Human means and so the issue will no doubt come up in more detail the as we look at the Doctrien of Sin and the Reformed concept of Total Depravity.
I’m coming to the issue, first and foremost as a pastor with a concern to help others who are either in pastoral ministry of some kind or considering ministry to be equipped for the work. Therefore, I want to specifically address two questions. These are the same questions I always keep coming back to.
- What does the Bible have to say on the matter?
- How does that affect how we live?
Now, a lot of the current debate seems to be around what has been believed and taught through history. I have an interest in that perspective and will come to it later. However, it is imp[ortant to remember that whilst Reformed Evangelicals are concerned to know how the church through history has interpreted God’s Word so that we don’t introduce novel interpretations, our concern remains “What does the Bible teach.” This is true for other areas of Doctrine as well. For example, we are concerned with what the Creeds say about the Trinity, along with Athanasius, Augustine, Hilary and others but only in order to see how they summarised, interpreted and applied Scripture not because we see them as separate spheres of authority.
- What does the Bible have to say about sin and desire?
Our first stop needs to be back at the beginning in Genesis 1-3. It is worth noting first of all, that when God makes Eve, whilst the word “desire” is not specifically used, Adam’s response in song suggests a desire for her and the author’s commentary that this is why men leave their parents to cleave to their wives points to a positive aspect to desire. In other words, desire in itself is no wrong, nor is sexual desire.[1]
In Genesis 3, we read about the first example of temptation, the serpent encourages the first man and woman to look at the forbidden fruit and desire it. They see that it looks good, is tastey and they desire the autonomous power that Satan promises them. Now, it is clear that their desire is already becoming disordered, they long for things that they are not meant to and so are tempted to achieve them through unlawful means. At the same time note though that although the line may seem a little blurry from our perspective, God’s command, warning and judgement, including the first sense of shame and guilt are specifically concerning the act of eating he fruit, not the desire for it.[2]
There is an intriguing a puzzling footnote to the sub narrative about desire because when addressing Eve, God says:
“Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.”[3]
There has been much discussion and debate about what this verse means and whether or not it has positive, negative or ambiguous connotations.
Now, the result of Adam and Eve’s sin in eating the fruit is that we are all fallen, Sin came into the World through Adam according to Paul and with sin, death to all.[4] Paul’s point in Romans 5 is that we all are considered guilty and subject to condemnation because of Adam’s act, we all fall under the penalty. Note, that explicitly it is death that is described as coming to all people rather than sin, though my understanding is that death here includes our fallen, sinful nature. So, Paul will frequently use the term “sarx” or “flesh” to refer to corrupted human nature. It is our sinful human nature that renders the Law powerless to change and save.[5] God in Christ condemns sin, Christ takes the penalty on himself and so we are set free from the power and dominion of that fleshly nature. Our freedom is found in the Spirit.[6]
Paul distinguishes those whose minds are “governed by the flesh “. Note that this clearly points to unbelievers because first of all, they cannot escape from hostility to God and secondly, Paul makes clear that such statements do not describe the believer (v9-11).
Paul goes on from there to insist that Christians should “put to death the deeds of the flesh.” In other words, he recognises that Christians will continue to wrestle with sin.[7] This also suggests that Christians will face temptation to sin. We know this first because Jesus himself experienced and resisted temptation, secondly because God equips us with the weapons to resist temptation/[8]
When considering desire, we might also want to reference 1 Corinthians 7 and Paul’s advise to single people that marriage is better than “to burn with passion.” Colossians 3:5 talks about the need to put to death “lust, evil desires and greed.”
Pastoral implications
We may surmise that desire in and of itself is neutral and can be a good thing. This includes sexual desire, both the specific desire for one woman, your spouse or potential spouse but I would also suggest that this arises out of a general desire for sexual intimacy.
The Fall affects all aspects of our nature, we are dead in sin. One aspect of this is that our desires become disordered. We long for things that we should not or we desire things that are not in themselves wrong but seek them at the wrong time or in the wrong way. Temptation worth with those desires encouraging us to have them and to act on them.
Does this mean that our desires are “sin.” Well, I guess there is a sense in which they are. They are sin in that they arise out of a fallen human nature. However, we also need to be clear tht Scripture sees the believer as no longer under the authority and control of that nature. There is of course the now and not yet dynamic at work in that Christians still experience those desires, Christians are still subject to real temptation.
However, I would suggest that Scripture does not tend to talk about the temptation and desire as sin in the sense that it is itself a sinful act to be repented of. However, it can become sin when it moves from desire to lust or greed.
It may be helpful then to distinguish desire, temptation and lust. Desire refers to those internal longings which may be healthy or may be distorted. Indeed, I suspect that all of us will experience even our healthiest desires as to some extent corrupted and distorted. Secondly, temptation is the means by which Satan seeks to either cultivate wrong desires or encourage us to act upon them. Finally, I would argue that lust is when we move from simply having those desires to tolerating, accommodating and entertaining them. This is when we move from desire and temptation to sin. It is not sinful to have those desires but it is sinful to entertain and cultivate them, to allow them to dominate so that in effect we hand back control of our mind to The Flesh. Indeed it is also sinful to become tolerant and complacent about those wrong desires because at that point we become disobedient to God’s Word by failing to put them to death.
[1] Genesis 2:23-25.
[2] Genesis 3:1-7.
[3] Genesis 3:16.
[4] Romans 5:12.
[5] Romans 8:3.
[6] Romans 8:4.
[7] Romans 8:13.
[8] Ephesians 10:11.
Faithroots 