This gained fame in 1976, when presidential candidate Jimmy Carter admitted in an interview that he had never committed adultery, except “in his heart.” He was referring to Jesus’ words on adultery: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:27–28). Jesus did not mean that lustful looks were the same as adultery, but that our thoughts are as important to God as our actual deeds are.
