Why I Should Reject PornographyBy Jesse Flowers |
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What is pornography? In its original meaning, pornography literally means "writing about prostitutes" from the Greek "porne" (prostitute) and graphein (write). According to Merriam-Webster Online, it is 1 : the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement; 2 : material (as books or a photograph) that depicts erotic behavior and is intended to cause sexual excitement; 3 : the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction. Pornography has been around for a very long time. It can be traced back to ancient civilizations. In our present day, it has grown to epidemic proportions. Americans spend about $13.3 billion on smut each year. Sex sites account for 40% of all Internet traffic. Satellite and cable operators earn about $800 million a year from adult movies, or about 40% of pay TV and on-demand TV revenue. Every second - $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography. Every second - 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography. Every second - 372 Internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines. Every 39 minutes: a new pornographic video is being created in the United States. The pornography industry worldwide is larger than the revenues of the top technology companies combined: Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink. US porn revenue exceeds the combined revenues of ABC, CBS, and NBC. Satan knows when it comes to the Christian that he is not going to be able to lure him right into the strip clubs, or automatically convince him to download pornographic websites, or even get him to consider ordering pay-per-view movies containing sexual scenes without priming him first. And so the “ruler of this world” bombards us each and every day with lewd images: at school, in the workplace, at the mall, in the checkout line at the grocery store, in our neighborhoods, on TV, and on our computers. King David was not seeking out sexual gratification, but stumbled upon it one evening on his rooftop when he saw a beautiful woman bathing (2 Samuel 11:2). You see, that is the subtly of how our great adversary operates. He just wants to gradually expose us to images that will potentially arouse lust within us. He wants to open a door into our minds that leads us to occasionally think about it. Then the devil wants to eventually bring us to the point where we not only think about ungodly images, we dwell upon it, and begin to seek it out through various avenues. And then he has us, and his grip is tight! James described the process in this way: “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). Hopefully, pornography is not the sin that “so easily ensnares” you (Hebrews 12:1), but for some elders, preachers, deacons, and other saints it is. Marriages and homes have been destroyed by those addicted to it. Good churches have suffered great reproach and shame when it’s been brought to light. It has shipwrecked the faith of others. We may be uncomfortable talking about it, but pornography is a problem among the people of God, and I’m afraid that it is not going away anytime soon. God has created men and women to naturally be attracted to the opposite sex. There are within each of us healthy sexual desires that are to be expressed in the marriage relationship (Hebrews 13:4). But lust (strong desire) for unlawful sexual gratification is a real and present danger for the people of God. It sometimes expresses itself in the form of fornication, adultery, or even homosexuality. But its more secretive avenue is through the means of pornography. Access to this sin is so easy. It literally waits at one’s fingertips. It poses such a lethal threat to the Christian, because unlike many sins, one can hide this sin even from those closest to him. Some of God’s children, perhaps like David, need to make the request to the heavenly Father: “cleanse me from secret faults” (Psalm 19:12). If you struggle with the sin of pornography, what can and should you do? (1) Tell someone. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another” (James 5:16). This is one of the hardest steps of all. You feel tremendous shame and guilt of course for what you’ve allowed into your life, but you need someone else to know. Someone that can support you, encourage you, pray with you, and for you to answer to with accountability. If you are married, tell your spouse. If not, talk to the elders, or someone else you trust. But whoever it may be, muster up the courage to tell someone. (2) Repent (2 Corinthians 7:10). Plead for God’s forgiveness and mercy (Psalm 51) and any others that have been hurt by your sins. STOP yielding once and for all to the sin of pornography. Don’t dabble in it from time to time, but have a clean and final break. As the Lord said: “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matt. 5:28-30). (3) Purify your heart (James 4:8). One who has defiled his or her mind in such a perverse way must now purify it. We very well know that as a man “thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). As Peter wrote, one must “gird up the loins of your mind” (I Peter 1:13). With the Lord’s help (Phil. 4:13) and our determination (I Peter 5:8), we must bring our thoughts, our minds, under the control of Christ and His perfect law. There is a great need for saints to adopt the same resolve of Job and David: “I have made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman?” (Job 31:1). “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes” (Psalm 101:3). Meditate only on those things that are noble, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8). Hang this Scripture on your TV and computer monitor, but most importantly on your heart. (4) Resist the devil (James 4:7). So often we make it so easy for the devil. We go looking for trouble on our computers, televisions, and in our minds. If we play with fire, we will get burned (Proverbs 6:23-29). The Holy Spirit promises us that if we resist the devil, then he will flee from us. Instead of him running from us, pornographers go running to him. This must come to an end, if the sin and addiction is ever going to come to an end. Don’t place yourself in the path of temptation. And if and when you accidentally find yourself there, then like righteous Joseph “flee sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). If not, you will loose, you will not defeat this sin. (5) Pray and Read (1 Thess. 5:17; Psalm 1:1-3). Don’t forget how prayer and meditation in the Word of God is an anchor for the soul. Pray for the strength and resolve to fully repent of the sin of pornography. Read passages that will strengthen your will. Especially when you feel temptation calling to you, drop to your knees and pray fervently, open your Bible and read attentively. Trust me, regardless of the temptation, it is impossible to fervently pray to God, earnestly read His Word, and commit sin at the same time. I suspect we all know at least one Christian that has struggled with the sin of pornography. But don’t think for a moment that the allurement and entrapment of pornography cannot happen to you dear brother or sister. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1Cor. 10:12). Why should you and I reject pornography? Pornography is a sexual sin. It is a work of the flesh, “uncleanness, lewdness” (Gal. 5:19-21) that will cause a person to be eternally lost. It is an addicting sin. Yielding demonstrates a lack of self-control (2 Tim. 3:3; 2 Pet. 1:6). It promises to give, but it takes and takes and takes until it leaves behind a mere shell of a man. It will eventually destroy your life, and the lives of those around you. It will ultimately claim your soul if you allow it. The faithful Christian must reject its allurement with every fiber of his being. God is faithful. The temptation is not too great to overcome. There is a way of escape provided. Will you use it? Will you stay and yield or will you resist and flee? |
Blessed is the man who listens to me, |
