This week, an article appeared in the New York Times entitled “Let’s Ban Porn.” I’ve been increasingly sensitive to the fact that it’s not just Christians that are saying that porn is harmful – now it’s society at large. Yet, still so many of us struggle. The pull is so strong and so addictive. So many men [and more and more women] are shipwrecked in their ability to flourish as they, and God, would desire.
However, simply banning porn won’t solve things.
Recently, I read Vaughan Robert’s little book “The Porn Problem.” [Good Book Company, 2017] . A helpful book to “lend perspective and offer some biblical guidance on following God and loving people as God loves us.”
Realizing that there has always been a sexually deviant side of society, but also that it has completely exploded and become pervasive with the advent of the smart phone, Roberts engages the issues involving pornography – especially within the church. The author writes that porn is a private sin that leads to private despair, and therefore we need to change the culture of our churches to be one where these issues are spoken of more openly and help is given more freely. There is HOPE in the gospel for a porn free life.
Roberts identifies many tragic and devastating effects of porn:
- Porn cheapens sex. [Its’ an entirely physical and selfish portrayal of sex.]
- Porn objectifies people. [Those people on the screen are actual people.]
- Porn damages self-esteem. [We don’t look like them. Should we?]
- Porn harms the young. [Kids are not learning how to have sex by watching porn.]
- Porn corrupts its users. [We always are chasing the perfect and increasingly edgy porn clip.]
- Porn turns people on themselves. [One teen said “Who needs the hassle of dating when I’ve got online porn?”]
- Porn undermines marriage. [It’s adultery. See Matthew 5]
- Porn undermines future marriages. [Marital sex starts off in the wrong direction.]
Porn is also highly addictive. It gets lodged in our sinful hearts and we need the gospel of Jesus to forgive and restore. It needs to be starved to death, like all sin patterns. Roberts provides some other helpful steps in conquering the slavery to porn and helping others. There. Is. Hope. You don’t have to stay addicted to porn. Jesus shed his perfect, divine blood for us to be free. Start now.
“For one who has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6:7 ESV)
This post originally posted on MikeRuel.com
