Is sinful desire itself sin? A debate on temptation

When we find ourselves wanting to sin, is that something which we should repent of, confess to God, and ask forgiveness for? Or is that only necessary if we give in to that desire? What does this have to do with our temptations, and Christ’s?

The issue of concupiscence – another name for ‘sinful desire’ or ‘lust’ – has become a matter of controversy recently, partly because of its relevance to sexual sin and the question of LGBTQ+ ‘identities’, though its implications are much wider. Here, John Stevens and Matthew Roberts argue for two different views, and each responds to the other.