November 9, 2005

 

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

--1 Peter 2:11-12

 

We’re living in a world of quick fixes. You can get a hamburger in 3 minutes, send a message by email to someone in 30 seconds, and pay for anything with the swipe of a credit card. There are instant thrills and cheap thrills of all kinds available, and this includes pornography. Domestically, it’s a disaster because it undermines what the physical relationship between a man and woman should be — God’s rules and purpose for a sex.

 

I’ve even heard of some couples who’ve said they feel watching an X-rated video or looking at salacious material spices up their marriage. Those of us who deal with counseling in marriages and families have seen the devastation of that kind of idea. It eventually leads to sexual frustration and dysfunction. This is no way to build the relationship in your marriage.

 

The sexual act between a husband and wife is that of communication. To know one another intimately stresses love, not lust. And sexual material or movies elicits a synthetic response rather than a spiritual response. As a result, the relationship develops on eggshells rather than on the solid ground of biblical principles.

 

Pornography in any form is disastrous. If there is pornography of any form in your home — including explicit music, movies, and premium channels — then it will ultimately fall into the hands of your spouse or children. Many children are already exposed to pornography early on in life these days, so the home should be an obscenity-free zone where they are grounded in God’s Word and not in R-rated movies or risky cable shows.

 

God designed the intimacy between a man and woman to flow out of a nurturing relationship of mutual care and concern. It is born out of respect, sacrifice, and tenderness. It’s certainly not a quick fix! If you or someone you know is struggling with an addiction to pornography, seek counseling from your pastor, Christian mentor, or counselor. And ask the Lord to break this addiction in your heart and mind, so that you can live a life pure unto Him.

 

ONLY GOD’S PEOPLE CAN STOP THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF OUR NATION INTO THE CESSPOOL OF PORNOGRAPHY.