(Matthew 5:28-29)
Everyone has heard the old adage, "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind." Well, imagine if everyone took Christ's words here literally. I am willing to bet that the whole world would be completely blind. Obviously, Christ did not intend for His disciples to start mutilating their bodies every time they sinned. Every honest Christian knows from experience that there wouldn't be anything left of our bodies.
I see two important teachings from Christ here that are equally relevant and convicting to those struggling with the sin of pornography.
First, Jesus clearly defines adultery as much more than just the physical act of sleeping with your neighbor's wife. Just as the sin of murder entails much more than physically taking another human being's life, adultery is much more than a physical action. To our astonishment and shame, Jesus cuts straight to the heart: If you so much as look at someone with lust in your heart, then you have committed the sin of adultery. In just a few words, Jesus pronounces a death sentence on just about every man and every woman who has ever lived.
Our sins are not defined by our actions but the intentions of our hearts. With that in mind, how can you possibly believe, as a Christian, that pornography is harmless? There is absolutely no holy intention to view pornography. Jesus sets the record straight: a heart driven by lustful intent is a heart desperately wicked. There are no if's, and's, or but's; if you have completely succumbed to your heart's intent to lust after women, then you are an adulterer.
The second chapter of 2 Peter paints an awful picture of the filth and wickedness that can and will run rampant in the church. Speaking of this riff-raff, the spawn of false prophets, Peter says:
But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!
Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.
For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire."
(2 Peter 2:12-22)
It's not a pretty image at all. Why do I bring it up? Let it be known that there is never, ever, ever a remotely acceptable reason for any man or any woman to view pornography. Everyone knows that, right? Not necessarily. I have heard stories of Christian couples receiving counsel from other professing Christians to watch pornography to spice up their marriage. WHAT?! Don't believe me? Click here. Let there be no question about it, pornography is sin, plain and simple. There is no gray area on this one. Try as you may, there is no justifiable or acceptable use of pornography in your life.
Husbands and wives, you cannot excuse your sin because you tell yourself that you only look at pornography in order to arouse yourself for your spouse's benefit. God does not excuse sin because you have "good intentions." If you're having trouble with arousal, then pornography is not the solution, it's the problem! It doesn't arouse you for your spouse's sake, it arouses you for you own lustful sake. It's blatant adultery, and it's blatantly sinful. You need to tear out your eyes lest they cause you to sin!
Young man and young woman, you cannot excuse your sin because you tell yourself that you only look at pornography in order to release sexual tension so that you can keep you intentions pure with your girlfriend or boyfriend. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, but your conniving and desperately sick heart has you fooled, nevertheless. Don't you see through your faulty logic? I'm going to defile myself so that I can remain pure with my girlfriend or boyfriend. You're not releasing anything, but you are only ensnaring yourself deeper and deeper into the trap. You need to tear out your eyes lest they cause you to sin!
We've all seen a dog return to its vomit. It's nasty, and it instantly disgusts us. We look down upon this irrational animal, cringe, and wonder where in the breeding process the brain damage reached a point beyond repair. Sadly, scripture rightfully compares Christians with this image. Through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we have escaped the defilements of the world. We are free from that which once enslaved us: our trespasses and sins. And yet, we allow the defilements of the world to once again ensnare and overcome us. Whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. If pornography is overcoming you, believer, then you are not a slave of righteousness but a slave of unrighteousness. You need to tear out your eyes! Stop returning to your vomit. Stop returning to drink the bathwater. Stop taking off the new man and putting on the old man. Stop!
Easier said than done. Anyone who has or is struggling with an addiction to pornography can tell you about all the times they have tried to stop. It worked for a little while, but, by and by, something happened and they slurped up every bit of their vomit.
That brings me to the second part of Jesus' teachings in Matthew 5:28-29: tear out your eyes!
It is going to hurt. There is no way around that. You have to dismember your body. It's going to cause excruciating pain, but it is better to endure this immense pain than have your whole body thrown into hell. Grab hold of your eye, tear it out, and throw it away! What a violent image. The grotesque nature of the image should instill more fear in us than it often does. We can hardly stomach the thought of ripping one eye out, let alone performing the necessary action on the other eye too.
After Jesus said this, I can just picture the disciples' faces. I can imagine them turning to each other and asking: Is He serious? Ironically, I am sure it was an eye opener. How serious are you about destroying sin in your life? Are you really struggling with pornography? What lengths are you willing to run in order to mortify this sin in your life? Are you fighting so hard not to be consumed by it that you are even willing to tear out your eyes?
Jesus doesn't want us to tear out our eyes, cut off our hands, and mutilate our bodies in order to combat sin in our lives. Remember the verse prior? Jesus said that you didn't have to physically commit adultery to sin, but that your heart had to be intent on lusting after someone in order to commit the sin of adultery. Apply that same principle, therefore, on mortifying the deeds of the flesh. You do not have to physically tear out your eyes and mutilate your body, but your heart has to be intent on casting off the sin that clings to you. This makes it a little bit easier to stomach, but let the gravity of Jesus' words still weigh heavily upon you. Jesus tells us that fighting sin in our lives is going to be costly. It's not going to cost us money, inconvenience, or time. It's going to cost an arm and an eye. It's going to cost us a limb. It's going to cost us something that will be difficult to live without, but it will be better to live without it for righteousness' sake. It's going to have permanent effects on the rest of our lives. You cannot re-attach a severed arm, and you cannot put your eyeball back in its socket. Once it's done, it's irreversible.
There is no doubt about it: Pornography is a deeply rooted sin in many Christians' lives, and the only way to free themselves from this sin is through the knowledge and grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, what does Jesus teach us about committing adultery with a woman or man in our heart? Tear your eye out! Are you ready or willing to tear out your eye so that you might not sin against your Lord and Savior? Do you really love the Lord? Are you really a slave of righteousness, or are you really a slave of unrighteousness? Are you an adopted child of our Heavenly Father, or are you an irrational animal, a creature of instinct, an accursed child?
If you're ready to tear out your eyes because you love Christ and you hate pornography, then I am here to help you. Like I said, it is going to be brutally painful, but this pain will go away, unlike hellfire. Remember, you're not doing this for yourself but because you have been bought with a price. You are no longer your own, but you are Christ's. You can no longer return to your vomit. Did the prodigal son return into the arms of his loving father only for a time before he ran steadfast back to the pig's mire? You have been set free in Christ, do not entangle yourself in the trap of sin once more. Hear what Scripture says: It would have been better for you never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to you. That ought to break your heart through and through. If you are Christ's, then you can no longer struggle with pornography! It would have been better for you to have never known Christ then after knowing Him to flee back to pornography. What a crushing blow.
Take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
(2 Peter 3:17-18)
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Stop letting pornography defile you. Stop letting pornography work against the sanctifying Spirit of God that dwells in you. Stop letting pornography taint your heart which is being conformed to Christ. Stop letting pornography rule your intentions and motivations. Take care lest you be carried away with the error of the lawless people that surround you and lose your own stability. They will fall and they will take you with them. Our society does not recognize that they totter on the precipice of utter destruction as they continue to satiate their insatiable appetite for sin. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! No good can come from holding hands with these people. It is time to cut ties, and cling once more upon Christ and His grace. It is time to love Jesus Christ and hate pornography. Be overcome by Christ and His boundless love, and be enslaved to righteousness!
Feel free to leave a comment about this discussion on our Facebook page, and don't forget to hit "Like" if you found this blog challenging and/or helpful. Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment