Dear Lighthouse,
Pornography.
Uncomfortable yet? You should be.
It surrounds us; it ingrains our society. As I sit here writing this I
am surrounded by pornographic access – in my own home! You can dial it
up on the satellite or cable, you can access it on the internet, you can go down the street and buy it, mail order it to the
house, purchase it at about any mainstream bookstore, rent it at the video store…. shall I keep going? The point is we live in a society that is infatuated with sex and as many perversions of it as the corrupted
human mind can invent. The problem of sexual immorality has been with the human
race since the dawn of time and will be with us until Christ returns. Therefore
it is appropriate that consider the issue of sexual purity and the Christian.
We get the word pornography from the Greek word
porne which refers to ‘a prostitute’.
Porn, then is not just the X-rated movies in “the back room”, but in my opinion includes the larger issues
of adultery and its antecedent, lust. Pornographic images or literature that
promote the individual to lust leads to a wide gamut of sin. Lust is a seed of
destruction. We read about three deadly categories of sin in I John 2:16, “For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his
eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world.” Much sin centers around some form of lust. Porn promotes lust;
lust leads to mental adultery and perhaps physical adultery and ultimately destroys the family along with your intimacy with
the Father. Sin leaves its mark all along the way and the result is devastation
of another Christian in the world. It is a growing, tempting, and treacherous
problem that has crept into God’s Kingdom and is holding much of our best strength prisoner. Ironically it is an issue that is often avoided in discussion, underestimated, and pooh-poohed as an ‘acceptable’
vice. Let’s see what God thinks.
In Solomon’s words of advice to his son
in the book of Proverbs, the wisest man who ever lived spends a good deal of time warning his sons about the dangers of adultery
and sexual immorality.
“At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice. I
saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment.”
Proverbs 7:6-7
Where do you
think this is going? This young man is walking into sin. Solomon says he “lacks judgment”. Read the surrounding
passages (see Prov. 6, 7, & 8) and you’ll find he compares a fool to one who gets involved with adultery. In my mind, the modern version of this is the kid or man who is hovering around the door to the “back
room” at the video store or at a bar late at night when drunkenness settles in.
“He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house at twilight, as the
day was fading, as the dark of the night set in.” v. 8-9
What was he
doing down there? The implied meaning is that this guy knew what lay down this
street. He knew, at least in part, where he was headed. This guy wanted to play with temptation … just a little won’t hurt. Will it?
“Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. (She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home; now in the street, now in the squares, at every
corner she lurks.) She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face
she said: … Come let us drink deep of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey… With persuasive words she led him astray;
she seduced him with her smooth talk.” v. 10-20 (selected)
Augh-O. He wanted to enjoy the thought, maybe, of adultery, but I don’t think he intended
to really go through with it. But now he came face to face with the temptation
and the offer. Porn stars don’t often give personal interviews and say,
“Come and see my movie!” No, they have marketing and media to do
that work. And let me tell you, these guys are slick. Look at the commercials the average viewer sees on TV today. Have
you really watched what they are showing you? Have you noticed their game? How about going to the video store? Ever
go with your children? What is shown on half (huh, more than half) the boxes
proudly displayed for you – and your kids? Don’t be deceived, you
are a targeted consumer, but I don’t even think the advertisers and marketing analysts know who is truly their real
employer. The Enemy is heavily invested in the entertainment industry.
“All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose, till an arrow
pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.” v. 22-23
All at once
that young man changed his life that day. He played with fire and he got burnt. He followed the path of sexual sin. That
path has but one miserable ending - death. Sin and emptiness are its travel companions. So, Solomon warns his sons:
“Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. Do
not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. Many are the victims
she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to
the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.” v. 24-27
What
was true then is still true today. Sexual sin, immorality, pornography, adultery
– they all are rooted in lust, perversion, and sin. For those without the
Spirit living in them they are one of the most deadly traps of the Enemy. For
those with the Spirit of God in them they represent a lifetime of temptation to be resisted at its first hint of presence
in your life.
Many Christian men suffer from the addiction
(yes, physiologically it has been proven to be an addiction) to pornography. These
are Christian men – men of God. Yet they have been ensnared somewhere along
the way by this sin. Forgiveness from God, as always, is waiting through Jesus. However, there are those around you, especially if you’re married, that have
to be considered. The addiction itself must be addressed and dealt with. There are Christian counselors to help the severely addicted – names and locations
can be provided. You should also check out these websites: http://www.xxxchurch.com/ and http://www.purerestoration.com/. But for a more quick and
perhaps more meaningful method of resistance, there is always the buddy system – accountability.
You see, using pornography the Enemy holds out
a lie. He says you will be satisfied and happy.
This is a lie. “The eye never
has enough of seeing…” (Eccl. 1:8) Sexual immorality is a drink
that does not quench, a meal that does not fill, it is a bucket with a hole that never gets full. You can pour yourself into it and you only end up empty. As
with many of the Enemy’s lies, it is a pretty package containing death inside.
Don’t fall for it.
If you are struggling with this problem in secret
I want to encourage you to find a friend this week and begin working toward accountability in this area. Men are especially vulnerable to this attack, but women are not immune.
Often books, magazines, and even Soap Operas can lure women into lustful thinking which leads to feelings of unfulfillment
‘if your husband was more like _____’. You know the story. So, find a friend (same sex as you!) and begin fighting back now.
If you are not struggling with the problem then
at least consider the impact that programming, internet access, and society is having on you and your children – maybe
in subtle ways now. Re-evaluate your mode of dress, your children’s dress,
what TV shows you’re watching, what video’s your renting. Do you
know what sites your kids have accessed on the Net this week?
The point is
simply that sexual sin is so potent that it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible and needs to be guarded against at
all times. Proverbs encourages us to “guard
your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Prov. 4:23) Are you
guarding what has access to your heart? You should be. In our society we, as Christians, are under siege. The weapons
the Enemy is using are plentiful, powerful, and potent. We must be on guard or,
like the young man Solomon watched, we will take our first steps down the path they may ultimately lead us far from our Lord.
Praise
God for His grace and wisdom today. Then pray for your protection and that of
your family. Finally, lock arms with another Christian in defiance of sexual
immorality. The result is that you will finally be filled with the “living water” that Jesus refers to in John 4:7-15 instead of the lie that leaves you thirsty again
and again. By rejecting the lie of pornography intimacy between you and your
spouse will be restored. But even more importantly, intimacy between you and
your God will be restored as the sin is extinguished and joy returns. “…for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Neh.
8:10)
Aren’t
you ready? Start today.
Serving with you,
Evan
