From the book, THE WORKS OF THE FLESH: Understanding and Defeating the Works of the Devil.

Available in e-book and paperback formats on Amazon.

Now that we have dealt with uncleanness we can now deal briefly with the other mystery term: "Lasciviousness" or "lewdness."

The Greek word for “Lasciviousness” is “Asalgeia.” According to Thayer's Dictionary, the term "Asalgeia" means, "Unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness, outrageousness, shamelessness, insolence, wanton (acts or) manners, as filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males and females, etc."

Vine’s Dictionary tells us that "Aselgeia" denotes, "Excess, licentiousness, absence of restraint, indecency, wantonness."

The Revel Bible Dictionary defines "lasciviousness" as "wanton, licentious.... It means unrestrained greed, or an "animal-like" indulgence in any passionate desire.

Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines "Lasciviousness" as the "KJV word for licentiousness. In turn, it defines "Licentiousness" as "undisciplined and unrestrained behavior, especially a flagrant disregard of sexual restraints. The Greek word translated as licentiousness means "outrageous conduct," showing that licentious behavior goes beyond sin to include a disregard for what is right."

The word therefore doesn’t just refer to immorality, but immorality gone wild; immorality gone arrogant; immorality gone public. It is a spirit of sin that comes out of the closet and becomes public and proud-- and unrestrained.

It refers to what you will find on TV where two women participate in lewd acts on prime time TV. It refers to activities that ought to never take place in public but are now regularly taking place on prime time TV. It refers to carnivals where it is expected for women to undress publicly, as is expected in New Orleans. It refers to huge crowds gathering in Pride Parades where immorality is celebrated and where political leaders lead the events. It refers to public dancing that is clearly meant to excite and seduce. It refers to magazine shelves in stores filled with magazines containing pictures that are distorted and degenerate. It refers to adult video stores, or sections of video stores filled with videos that pollute human minds. It refers to millions of web sites offering every kind of distorted activities. It refers to movies presenting homosexuality as natural and loving, and rewarding them with golden globes, 8 academy award nominations and a best director Oscar. It refers to governments giving their blessings to unnatural acts; to churches giving their blessings to unnatural unions.

In Rome, where I lived for some time, this kind of arrogant, immoral behavior was openly shown by couples who acted lewdly in public parks in front of families with small children; or people going around naked on public beaches.

Lasciviousness is what over time follows immoral, private behavior. Lasciviousness is the result of a sodomite attitude; that is an attitude of degeneracy coupled with arrogance and insolence and limitless distorted acts that are paraded before all. It is a distorted attitude that has no bounds. In fact what we see today is the peak of the iceberg yet to be uncovered.

In the future, that attitude will become all pervasive and true Christians will be seen as the weirdoes to be shunned, criticized, persecuted and ridiculed.

How do we feel toward lasciviousness? As I asked in the previous section, are we becoming desensitized to the degeneracy that pervades our society? Do we find it all humorous? Are we starting to feel more and more tolerant towards it, or are we tortured by it like Lot was? Are we attracted to it and are we starting to look back like Lot’s wife?

Regarding Lot’s attitude toward Lasciviousness, we read in 2 Peter that he was “oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked” (II Peter 2:7 NKJV). Lot, in other words, was tortured mentally by what he saw in Sodom. Are we tortured by the lewdness that we see in our society?

Lot’s wife, on the other hand, appears to have left Sodom with regret; hating to leave the “exciting” life which she was leaving behind. Her attitude was rewarded with a horrible punishment.

Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomor′rah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; ²⁵ and he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. ²⁶ But Lot’s wife behind him looked back, and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19: 23-2).

The future is very bleak for this world, in part because of Lasciviousness. The Day of the Lord--terrible and horrifying-- will come upon this lascivious world with a vengeance. In those days, will we be caught looking away and running away like Lot or will we be caught hesitating and longing to be a part of the lascivious celebrations -- like Lot’s wife?

If we follow Lot’s wife’s example, we too will vanish away and will become only one more unnamed character, like Lot’s wife, not even deserving of a name.

Paul warns us about this in Ephesians.

Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; ¹⁸ they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; ¹⁹ they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness. (Ephesians 4:17-19).

The disregard for what is holy behavior then leads to all kinds of sexual uncleanness “with greediness,” that is craving that is never satisfied.

God’s way is the way of self-control, and holy behavior, meant to benefit us and others. We trust God that all he commands and all he forbids are motivated by His love for us and thus we stay away from behaviors that, for certain, would cause havoc n our lives.

We are also grateful to Him for warning us and for giving us the strength we need to resist the temptations that would lead us into self-destructive behaviors. Lastly, we thank God for giving us the undeserved forgiveness, if and when we fall and for His promise that with His power in us we can finally overcome our weaknesses, our carnality, and Satan who continually tries to lure us into evil and harmful actions.

This ends the section the Works of the Flesh which relate to sexual immorality.

Download the complete book on your computer or Kindle

from Amazon.com CLICK HERE

The next article will address, Idolatry.

The Works of the Flesh:  Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lasciviousness, Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Heresy, Envy, Murders, Drunkenness, Revelings.

The Fruits of the Spirit:

1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Longsuffering
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness / Faith
8. Gentleness/ Meekness
9. Self-control

 © Copyright, Michael Caputo, 2009.