Galations 2: 20 NKJV
It has been claimed to be the greatest of addictions. Many men, and even women have fallen victim to its suggestions of sin. Indeed, what our heavenly Father has created for the sanctitiy of marriage vows between a man and a woman, we have now bastardized into one of the most pfofitable businesses in the history of mankind. A business steeped in sin which we ourselves feed into each and every day. With global profits reaching 97 billion, the pornography industry is no longer just a back alley porn shop business. On the contrary, with the advent of online entertainment, a new lion has been released from its cage, and it seeks to devour anyone it encounters. My friend Dennis once described pornography as a sickness, and I tend to agree. For it is no secret that the viewing of pornogrpahy has been shown to stimulate the very same brain centers as any addictive drug. How, then, can we refer to this monster as anything more than an addiction. In this case, I know from which I speak. For I once was embroiled in this struggle which many a christian today find themselves in. You see, I had that sickness. How bad was I infected? Well, it got to the point where I needed my daily dose of my addiction of choice. If I didn't get it, it not only affected me physically but psychologicaly as well. Indeed, if I did not partake in that daily enjoyment of pornography, I would feel PHYSICALLY sick. Now, tell me again that I was not addicted. Looking back, I can see no difference at that time between myself and a run of the mill drug addict.
6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be adone away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV
Indeed, I was not proud of my addiction at all. For each time I was tempted I convinced myself that I deserved this reward in some way. However, upon partaking in my sin, along with it came that condemnation that my heavenly Father could in no way ever be in the presence of such a sinner as myself. Oh, I tried the various church endorsed methods of binding satan and accountability, but even these could not erase my sickness. In fact, accountabiliy only added to the condemnation which I felt inside. How could I bring myself to bear my sin to a "Trusted" christian brother when in the end I felt even more condemned? Was this the love Jesus had taught? The turning point in this sickness of mine came as I struggled with the very truth of Christ Jesus found in Galations 2:20. For as the apostle Paul tells us, it is no longer we who live, but Christ Jesus lives in us. In fact, each day WE LIVE as Christ Jesus. Each thought, action and activity which we engage in, we do so as Jesus. Indeed, the day came when in the midst of my discovery of the truth of Christ that I realized that each time I viewed pornography, I was doing so as Christ who was in me. THAT was my eye opening moment. Did I want my Lord and savior to see and engage in such things. Not only that, the very person whom I was fantasizing over carried the very same promise of Christ in them as I did. If indeed Christ Jesus dwells in me, and I believe this to be true, then my eyes are His eyes. Far from being condemned, I was gently reminded that this was not something Jesus wanted to see. For the eyes of Christ were meant for better things.
~Scott~
No comments:
Post a Comment