A Real Look at Pornography: Part 3
Is There Any Freedom?
Pornography entraps you with lies. In contrast, God can lead us into truth.
Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”{1} Those who heard Jesus say this were offended and countered, “We have never been slaves of anyone, how can you say that we shall be set free?”{2} And Jesus explained that people are enslaved to sin, but that He can set you free.{3}
Sin not only enslaves us, but it distances us from God. And no one is perfect. No one is righteous in God’s eyes. Instead we’re told that “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.”{4}
We all deserve God’s judgment and punishment. Yet God, who is holy and loving, provided a solution for our sin, so that we would not have to be justly condemned. He personally took the punishment for our sin on Himself. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was tortured and died on the cross for our sin so that we could be forgiven. Three days later Jesus rose from the dead, just as He said He would.
And He now offers you a relationship with Him. One of the most amazing statements in the Bible is this one, “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”{5}
The Most Important Relationship
In your search for intimacy and love, pornography is an empty substitute for real love. We have been created by God to have our intimacy needs met most deeply by God Himself. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”{6}
In contrast to the darkness and destruction that pornography can bring to people’s lives, Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.”{7}
God offers you his forgiveness through a relationship with Him. Do you want to ask Him to forgive you and come into your life? You can tell Him right now. If you need help putting this into words, here is a prayer that might help:
“Lord Jesus, I am aware of my sin, and I know that you are also. I ask you to forgive me and cleanse me. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I ask you to come into my life right now and begin to work in my life. Direct my life as you see fit. Thank you for your forgiveness and for coming into my life right now.”
Take a next step:
Sex Addiction
Why Can’t I Look at Porn?
Back to start>> What porn really is 1.2.3
This article is courtesy of everystudent.com. Reprinted with permission of the author.
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When people read Gene McConnell’s other articles on porn, what makes others think that the problem of porn is simply a “practical” matter, and should be divorced from religious “concepts”? McConnell’s entire premise is that the problem of porn is primarily a inward/spiritual issue, hence, the smut just comes out from the inside of a person. Otherwise if we hold to a naturalist/materialistic view of ourselves — without a spiritual component — porn ceases to be a problem.
What about this creeps you out James?
The first couple of pages of this were kind of informative and helpful, this last one just creeps me out.
I agree with Erik… The Christian evangelical bent of this piece will likely alienate some of your audience…
I liked the first 2 posts, agree to some of it, might have a little problem with it… However I don’t like that you add a philosophic/religious concept like god to a practical subject like this in the third part…
the article says the right thing