Constant struggle

[SeanC]

I'm just going to come right out and ask for some opinions on this.
I have been writing and deleting a rather graphic story about a man whose exposure at an early age to pornography and intercourse has warped his mind as to what intimacy is and leds him down a dark path to eventual salvation in prison. To be honest, it's 95% adult book store material and the rest about the effects of immorality and Jesus's ultimate cleansing. It is aimed at an audience that has given itself over to worldly pleasures and I hope that it will at least reach someone.
It's a constant struggle. I write, I tell myself it's a waste of time, delete it and then go at it again a few days later.
Should I write it, post it and get it out of my system or keep praying it out of mind. My porn addiction never landed me in prison, but I know of its destructive power. It nearly destroyed my marriage.

 

[dwb001]

It sounds to me as if the book you are considering would add to the amount to porn in the world.
Am I wrong... "95% adult book store material".
So it sounds to me as if you are writing a porn with a happy ending.
Is this something that Jesus would approve of?

 

[Christ_empowered]

I dunno

Speaking as a Christian labeled with schizophrenia and other dsm junk I get kind of tired of broken Christian stories. Not that everything is 110 percent a ok in Christ but I think it’d be better if we Christian’s with labels and struggles would refrain from joining the world’s never ending label and pain fest somehow. And that goes triple for me btw.

I write and writing is good. I’d say keep it keep it and wait a couple of weeks and look at it edit it polish it. When you’re finished…

Ask yourself if it is a help or hindrance for others. I’d also recommend keeping it regardless because even if it’s not of God you might end up developing a better style or something that could come in handy with your next story or novel.

 

[lastofall]

for me anyway The penitent sinner is the one that quarrels with and battles against sin all the day long: contrariwise, the impenitent sinner has no quarrel with sin; but he is the one that quarrels with and battles against what is right.
The penitent sinners are they that though they may fall several times, yet will still rise right back up in their sincerity toward God: but the impenitent are they that when they fall, they fall into mischief: there is a difference between the two.
(Proverbs 24:16)

 

[Tenchi]

I'm just going to come right out and ask for some opinions on this.
I have been writing and deleting a rather graphic story about a man whose exposure at an early age to pornography and intercourse has warped his mind as to what intimacy is and leds him down a dark path to eventual salvation in prison. To be honest, it's 95% adult book store material and the rest about the effects of immorality and Jesus's ultimate cleansing. It is aimed at an audience that has given itself over to worldly pleasures and I hope that it will at least reach someone.
It's a constant struggle. I write, I tell myself it's a waste of time, delete it and then go at it again a few days later.
Should I write it, post it and get it out of my system or keep praying it out of mind. My porn addiction never landed me in prison, but I know of its destructive power. It nearly destroyed my marriage.

Ephesians 5:1-13 (NASB)
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

Verses 3, 11, and 12 in the passage above speak directly to your situation, I think. What is God's example in how He treats the matter of sin in His word? Has God gone into graphic detail in Scripture describing the filthiness of sin? No. And through the apostle Paul, God has indicated to His children that they ought not even to name sin, to make it a subject of conversation among themselves. "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5), the Bible says. What is there of the light of God in a book occupied mostly with the darkness of sin? Stirring up a pot of disgusting crap and then pouring a bit of pure, clear water into it doesn't make the pot of crap good to ingest, does it? Nope. So, too, working up a tale of foul wickedness and sinful degradation and then connecting some of the truth of God's word to it doesn't purify or sanctify the wretchedness of the tale.

You don't call those in darkness out of that darkness by giving them shadow. That is the devil's way of blunting the light of the children of God, of dimming their light and rendering it impotent.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NASB)
14 ...what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial...

The answer to Paul's rhetorical questions here is "None at all!"

Ephesians 4:29 (NASB)
29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

The mouth is merely a mirror of one's heart. Read Luke 6:45. Sooner or later, what you say reveals what is in your heart. This is true of what you write, as well; for your keyboard is merely the tool through which you communicate what is in your heart. What does it say about your heart that your story is mostly about sin rather than the Savior?

 

[for_his_glory]

SeanC With all intents and purposes of writing this book as in helping others overcome their addictions giving them hope in Christ is always a good thing as long as it brings glory to God.

All I can say is to continue writing it until you are satisficed with all you have written and present your book before the Lord in what He guides you to do with it. I've written two books, but have never been led to have them published but are a part of my archives I use in the forums.

It's only between you and God if it should be published and it may only be Satan trying to buffet you in finishing your writings. All I can say is to pray about it and seek God's answer.

 

[Tenchi]

I have been writing and deleting a rather graphic story about a man whose exposure at an early age to pornography and intercourse has warped his mind as to what intimacy is and leds him down a dark path to eventual salvation in prison. To be honest, it's 95% adult book store material and the rest about the effects of immorality and Jesus's ultimate cleansing. It is aimed at an audience that has given itself over to worldly pleasures and I hope that it will at least reach someone.

Any Christian person who urges you to write the story you've described here either does not understand what sort of book you're actually writing, or is so dulled in their moral sense as to be indistinguishable from an unbeliever. No Christian, no disciple of Christ, should ever be writing stories that are 95% smut. They shouldn't even be writing 1% smut. God has called His children to holiness, purity, righteousness and light, to produce reflections of Him in their lives, not reflections of the corrupt and wicked World around them. Slapping the Gospel on a book full of sin does not redeem the sin! It fouls the Gospel. That you are not burning in your conscience about the awful content of his ugly, sinful story reveals something of the damaging effect of porn addiction on your conscience.

Philippians 4:8 (NASB)
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Titus 1:15-16 (NASB)
15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.