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Overcoming Lusts: Lesson #7

Embracing God's Love

Discipleship Level 2: Reaching Beyond Mediocrity

Rev. Paul J. Bucknell

Lost in Lust | Secret Look | Word study| Lust vs. Love | Power of Love | Pornography

Weaknesses | Handling temptation | Clean up | Lovely Thoughts | Breaking Free

Exercises#1-4| Video Podcast | D2 Index | RSS

Many men are hooked on pornography in one form or another. One sister wrote stating that pornography is also an increasingly big problem with women. The money made on pornography is tremendous. Some say the web was built on the desire for pornography. As the web grows, so does pornography. It is suffice to say that the problem of pornography is great.

We have already said that pornography harms others and compromises the standards that God has set for us. This happens because we think wrongly of others through our lust and lessen our love towards those around us. Pornography cheapens relationships because it is rooted in lusts.

Lusts seek to further enslave us until we are destroyed. This is Satan's plan for us. He hopes to destroy us. He cares not for us and only uses us for his selfish gain (think lusts), but we are still responsible for our sin.

Let me point out several ways pornography corrupts.

Pornography is easy.

Within seconds one can discover enticing pictures from the web that lead the person directly to sin. If one has not sufficient self-control, then it is imperative that he or she limit access to the web or stop using a computer that is online. This is not something we need to think about but something we must do if we are to live. Hopefully each of us are trained not to go to different sites where seductive individuals are portrayed before out eyes. But don't overestimate your power of restraint.

Pornography is secretive.

People do not want others to know how much they are driven by their sexual fantasies. There is a sense of shame and guilt. Once man gets over God knowing his secrets and has hardened his heart, he is still sensitive to what others think (perhaps partly due to pride). We are afraid to unveil all our dangerous and secret thoughts to others for fear that people will discover our wickedness. We can cozy up with a computer, laptop or cell phone and watch sleazy pictures anywhere, at anytime and commit fornication and adultery. It takes much more enslavement to get out and actually pay for a partner.

Pornography is cheap.

Although some people spend much on pornography, it is cheap. Pornography requires little money to get hooked, though more to keep one's desires tantalized. When indulging oneself with real people, it consumes a much greater portion of our salary.

Pornography is ubiquitous

Porn is everywhere. It is in our ads, magazines and newspapers. Seductively dressed people are on television and almost every film one would watch. We must take action to govern what we and those under our responsibility watch and view. Where are we to draw a line? It is hard because those devising those films make it hard. They want to catch the attention of their viewers. And in most cases, we need to protect our eyes from seeing vain things.

"I Have made a covenant with my eyes;
How then could I gaze at a virgin?"
(Job 31:1).

Pornography is dangerous

Pornography is very dangerous because we can in no time get virtually involved with another person. The sin is one problem, and that alone leads to hell if not truly repentant, but the greater danger is in the way we can be easily trained in a week's time. Repetitious situations without much cost, easily accessible and done in secret are all ingredients for training our lustful desires.

Porn professionals carefully select and portray just the right pictures to activate our fleshly desires. Once one starts watching, it is so hard to stop. Pornography is only a tool but such a dangerous one. The porn user thinks he is controlling things, but soon he finds that he is being controlled by it. Pornography quickly trains our thought patterns through repetitive thought patterns and sexual acts and feelings.

If a person did this ten times in a week, he would be caught before long and not able to easily escape. We will discuss how to escape later on. It is related to this thought training and what makes pornography so dangerous.

Continue on to identify the two weaknesses that need to be corrected to overcome pornography and lusts of all kinds.

Biblical Foundations for Freedom

Rev. Paul J. Bucknell

info@foundationsforfreedom.net

Scriptures quoted from the New American Standard Bible unless noted
(C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1988