- The Spread of Pornography – 2 Timothy 3:13 declares, “Evil men will grow worse and worse” in the end times. This prophecy is being fulfilled now in the growth and profusion of Pornography. A generation ago people still had a little shame about the use of Pornography. Those who sought it had to seek for it under “the counter” of magazine shops or else visit posts in Times Square, New York or Las Vegas.
- Today, porn has arrived in our living rooms.
- In the 1960’s came the “Sexual Revolution. There was the “Playboy Mentality” championed by so called Pop Prophet Hugh Hefner. Hefner made the “bunny girl image” a world-wide image.
- In the 1970’s the profusion of porn increased.
- In the 1980’s the world discovered the V. C. R. Video Rentals by which men could have their own private strip joint and view the most vulgar acts in the privacy of their own living rooms, without loss of reputation or fear of discovery.
- Then in 1990 came the Internet.
- 2000 on – Finally, our Nation is DROWNING IN AN OCEANIC CESS POOL OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY.
What Is Porn Costing Us?
Where have we now arrived? Pornography found it way into homes, newspapers, magazines, television, telephone chat lines, and of course the internet. What is it costing?
- It is costing in terms of marriages – the spiraling divorce rate.
- It is costing us in terms of children. 100% of pedophiles are porn users.
- It is costing in terms of crime – a direct correlation between crime and porn, especially rape.
- It is costing in terms of the church. Studies show that even the “Promise Keepers” are involved heavily in porn.
Summary: The “Free Love” in the 1960’s had become pagan Hedonism by the 1990’s. In the New Millennium we are awash in a world corrupted by sexual immorality and sexual perversion, fed by porn on every hand, comparable to the outrageous immorality which characterized pagan Rome and Greece.
The Saints and Pornography – The Bible warns God’s people of the problem of pornography in Colossians. In Col. 2:8 Paul warns “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy.” The word “spoil” means “take captive,” and “philosophy” means the false teaching that one could sin in his body and it would not hurt his soul. So Paul went on to command the Colossians that they had “died” to sin, including pornography, and their life was “hidden with Christ in God.” Then he told them what to do with all kinds of sexual immorality, including pornography, which leads us to our third point.
The Solution to Pornography – I am now speaking of how you can personally beat pornography – not how you can clean up the world. That is God’s problem and He will purify the world one day by fire. But right now we are dealing with your problem – your sin of using pornography or being tempted to do so. So listen carefully to Paul’s solution: “Since you have been raised with Christ, seek those things which are above…Set your mind on things above, not on things on earth. FOR YOU DIED (when Christ died) and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you shall appear with Him in glory.” (Col. 3:1-4). Then carefully note what Paul says in the light of his above statements: “THEREFORE MORTIFY (put to death) your earthly nature which are on the earth, FORNICATION (includes all forms of sexual immorality, including pornography)…Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them, but now you yourselves are to put off…” Note the Key Word “MORTIFY.” We get our word “morgue” from this. MORTIFY means to “consider as dead, regard as impotent.”
How Do I Mortify The Flesh, (Porn)?
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- By identifying my position in Christ – when He died to all sin, I also died, when He arose, I arose.
- By honestly confessing and forsaking my sin of pornography (Prov. 28:13).
- By Internalizing the Word of God – Psalm 119:9,11.
- By living my life as an open book.
- By making myself accountable to a trusted friend – my wife, brother in Christ, Small Group Person (Prov. 27:17).
- By making my will God’s will – 1 Thess. 4:3,7.
- By seeking God’s means of escape when I am tempted – 1 Cor. 10:13.
- If possible, enroll in Mentoring Men for the Master, whereby we teach you how to overcome porn in weekly classes and “come alongside” during the week to encourage you to stay clean. The Mentoring Schools meet on Friday 5:45 – 7:00 AM or Saturday, 7 – 8:15AM at 6222 Gordon Rd. (Horizon Church)
Conclusion: “Pornography is a problem. It is a social problem. It is a moral problem. It is a spiritual problem. It may well by your problem. If it is you cannot afford to ignore it. If you are struggling with it and you need a friend I put myself forward as your friend to help you. I am not interested in judging you, or disclosing your sin to others – I want to help you. I want to pray for you. I want to counsel you and perhaps place some materials in your hands that might help you.
But mark this down, if you ignore this sin, you ignore it at your peril. Pornography is evil. ‘For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbor’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.’ (Proverbs 6:23-29). There’s nothing soft about porn!”[1]
[1] David Moore, Pastor, Braehill Baptist Church, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sermon Central, “There’s Nothing Soft About Porn”.