I was taken aback when I recently read the phrase, “travel porn.” I came to realize the author was not speaking of sexually explicit images or writing but was using “porn” to simply mean “something enjoyable,” in this case literature about travel. This is telling, since it indicates how common pornography is. The word is now usually shorted to “porn,” which reveals its commonality also. We abbreviate long words we use a frequently, such as “fridge” for “refrigerator.” But no matter how widespread pornography is, it is still a sinful distortion of God’s design for sexuality and human personality that robs children of innocence, addicts men (and more and more women) to its vulgarity, ruins marriages, and makes billions of dollars for its pimps as it wastes billions of dollars of its users.
Pornography is easily available online and offers erotic pleasures outside the confines of interacting with another human being, let alone being married to him or her. It is a cheap and consuming high, which easily leads to addiction and sexual disfunction. Rock guitarist John Mayer has admitted to having fantasies about pornography when fornicating with a woman, thus doubling the sin. Even worse, pornography today often involves violence or sadomasochism. This evil must be uprooted, and the Bible tells us how.
Christians have a point of reference to expose pornography, as well as an assessment of its allure and a treatment for its evils. Consider an image from Christian philosopher and scientist, Blaise Pascal.
Pascal asserts that when everything is moving at once, nothing appears to be moving, as on-board ship. When everything is moving toward depravity, no one seems to be moving, but if someone stops, he draws attention to the others who are rushing on by acting as a fixed point.
Jesus Christ is the fixed point in a moving world because he is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8; see also Malachi 3:6). Jesus is righteousness incarnate and taught righteousness about everything, including sexuality. He accepts no compromise.
A man may lust after a woman even if she is dressed modestly—or vice versa. One must always guard the heart concerning erotic matters (Proverbs 4:23). But pornography intensifies the problem because it is designed to excite lust by its very nature. As such, it is intrinsically evil and irredeemable; thus, it must be shunned and denounced. Back in 1970, the great Christian apologist, evangelist, and social critic, Francis Schaeffer, got to the root of the issue in his classic, True Spirituality.
Schaeffer is echoing the Lord Jesus, of course. Jesus is not asking us to do anything he did not do and more. He denied himself and embraced suffering to please his Heavenly Father and for our sake. Heed Jesus’ words.
Given the high numbers of Christians allured by and even trapped in pornography, pastors should speak to this matter in clear terms, backing up their case with Scripture. Paul says the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15), and truth about pornography will not likely be spoken anywhere but there. When I teach on this, I often notice that many eyes go down and people seem uncomfortable. This is good if people are sinning by watching pornography, because we should be ashamed of sin and repent of it as soon as possible (1 John 1:8-10).
But we can go even deeper in our analysis and prescriptions about pornography. While pornography has existed alongside fallen humans for thousands of years, it is given more power through belief in what Carl Trueman and others call “expressive individualism.” This is a godless philosophy that has a long history in Western thought, but can be summarized easily. Expressive individualism takes the self to be the final frame of reference and the sole source of value. What matters is not God’s will, a strong family, or the good of society, but acting one’s animating desires to experience individual pleasure. Humans are taken to islands of never-satisfied pleasure accumulation, and today sexual pleasure usually dominates, since other pleasures—such as a rich family or church life—require sacrifice and commitment. Erotomania is on full and ugly display.
Scripture tells us that, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). Jesus himself is the way of life, and he alone reconciles us to God and gives us an inner meaning and purpose that puts pleasure—sexual or otherwise—into perspective (John 14:6). The very one who gave the highest standard for sexual sobriety is also the one who forgives us of these sins and gives us the strength to turn from them and to pursue the furtherance of his Kingdom (Matthew 6:33; Ephesians 2:1-10).
In the power of our God, we can cut to the root of sin and replant ourselves in righteousness. The living and active word of God speaks truth about sexuality and the sin of pornography (Hebrews 4:12). The Holy Spirit of God provides discernment and strength to resist this sin, which Jesus died to forgive. Church leaders can speak the truth in love about pornography and offer hope for repentance and restoration. In an increasingly pornified world, the light of God’s clean and healthy ways needs to shine for all to see (Matthew 5:14-16).
[1] Schaeffer, Francis. True Spirituality (p. 17). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
The post Uprooting Pornography appeared first on Focus on the Family.
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Pornography is easily available online and offers erotic pleasures outside the confines of interacting with another human being, let alone being married to him or her. It is a cheap and consuming high, which easily leads to addiction and sexual disfunction. Rock guitarist John Mayer has admitted to having fantasies about pornography when fornicating with a woman, thus doubling the sin. Even worse, pornography today often involves violence or sadomasochism. This evil must be uprooted, and the Bible tells us how.
Christians have a point of reference to expose pornography, as well as an assessment of its allure and a treatment for its evils. Consider an image from Christian philosopher and scientist, Blaise Pascal.
Pascal asserts that when everything is moving at once, nothing appears to be moving, as on-board ship. When everything is moving toward depravity, no one seems to be moving, but if someone stops, he draws attention to the others who are rushing on by acting as a fixed point.
Jesus Christ is the fixed point in a moving world because he is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8; see also Malachi 3:6). Jesus is righteousness incarnate and taught righteousness about everything, including sexuality. He accepts no compromise.
A man may lust after a woman even if she is dressed modestly—or vice versa. One must always guard the heart concerning erotic matters (Proverbs 4:23). But pornography intensifies the problem because it is designed to excite lust by its very nature. As such, it is intrinsically evil and irredeemable; thus, it must be shunned and denounced. Back in 1970, the great Christian apologist, evangelist, and social critic, Francis Schaeffer, got to the root of the issue in his classic, True Spirituality.
Schaeffer is echoing the Lord Jesus, of course. Jesus is not asking us to do anything he did not do and more. He denied himself and embraced suffering to please his Heavenly Father and for our sake. Heed Jesus’ words.
Given the high numbers of Christians allured by and even trapped in pornography, pastors should speak to this matter in clear terms, backing up their case with Scripture. Paul says the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15), and truth about pornography will not likely be spoken anywhere but there. When I teach on this, I often notice that many eyes go down and people seem uncomfortable. This is good if people are sinning by watching pornography, because we should be ashamed of sin and repent of it as soon as possible (1 John 1:8-10).
But we can go even deeper in our analysis and prescriptions about pornography. While pornography has existed alongside fallen humans for thousands of years, it is given more power through belief in what Carl Trueman and others call “expressive individualism.” This is a godless philosophy that has a long history in Western thought, but can be summarized easily. Expressive individualism takes the self to be the final frame of reference and the sole source of value. What matters is not God’s will, a strong family, or the good of society, but acting one’s animating desires to experience individual pleasure. Humans are taken to islands of never-satisfied pleasure accumulation, and today sexual pleasure usually dominates, since other pleasures—such as a rich family or church life—require sacrifice and commitment. Erotomania is on full and ugly display.
Scripture tells us that, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). Jesus himself is the way of life, and he alone reconciles us to God and gives us an inner meaning and purpose that puts pleasure—sexual or otherwise—into perspective (John 14:6). The very one who gave the highest standard for sexual sobriety is also the one who forgives us of these sins and gives us the strength to turn from them and to pursue the furtherance of his Kingdom (Matthew 6:33; Ephesians 2:1-10).
Cut to the root, repent, and replant
In the power of our God, we can cut to the root of sin and replant ourselves in righteousness. The living and active word of God speaks truth about sexuality and the sin of pornography (Hebrews 4:12). The Holy Spirit of God provides discernment and strength to resist this sin, which Jesus died to forgive. Church leaders can speak the truth in love about pornography and offer hope for repentance and restoration. In an increasingly pornified world, the light of God’s clean and healthy ways needs to shine for all to see (Matthew 5:14-16).
[1] Schaeffer, Francis. True Spirituality (p. 17). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
The post Uprooting Pornography appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...