Flee Pornography

Flee Pornography

This topic affects everyone, whether they are a teenager, college student, in mid-life, or a senior. The subject is sex and seduction. When I say a senior, I’m thinking about Abraham and Sarah, and Zacharias and Elizabeth. Scripture reveals that they were sexually active late in life. So the subject is applicable to everyone from pre-teenagers on up. Today, we are finding that Christians are drowning in a sea of sex. Sex is everywhere. We cannot avoid it. We cannot escape it. We are swimming in it.

Recent statistics are alarming, and I want to share some of them in this study. Our goal is that in the weeks, months and years to come you will give glory to God. Our goal is to help you live a holy life by the Holy Spirit and to flee from sin that brings destruction into our life. I have said already that sex is everywhere. Sex is in our advertisements. We see it on television. We see it in all the media. We can see it on billboards. We can see sex plastered on the sides of buses. We can see it on bumper stickers on the back of cars.

The goal of those who advertise the sexual material is to seduce us to part with our money and entrap us. That is really Satan’s plan, Satan’s game or Satan’s goal. Unfortunately, Christians have become desensitized. That is part of the plan. But the facts are that Christians or the saints are watching, hearing and doing it, not just the world – and many are increasingly seared in their conscience.

We are talking about pornography. You might be thinking, “Why are we discussing porn? That’s the one subject I really do not want to talk about.” The reason we are talking about porn is that it is exploding. The statistics show a dramatic increase in pornography in 2008 and it has only become worse. Porn is exploding in the world and not just United States.

Washington Post Reports

Pornography Is Exploding

Donna Hughes, who is president of Enough is Enough, an organization whose goal is to keep children away from porn said this.

Porn is the drug of the millennium, and more addictive than crack and cocaine.[1]

Most of us can identify with that statement. Most of us are sexually active, and it is not difficult to imagine that sex can become addictive. We can understand that her statement is true.

Research has revealed that every second $3,075.64 is spent on porn.[2] Every second, 28,258 people are watching it in the United States.[3] Every second 372 people are typing an adult search word on the internet looking for porn.[4] The statistics given in this study are collected by Google, Yahoo!, Bing, the Center for Disease and Control, Gallup, the news media, and Christian research companies such as Barna, and Christianity Today, and others.

The sad truth is that when you use your browser and type in something, it is being tracked. It is being recorded somewhere and those collecting the information know what you are seeking. Every website in the world has the ability to collect statistics related to everyone who has searched their website and know what you are seeking. But they cannot know their name or address unless they have a court order. Google in the United States, China, Yahoo! and Bing do this every hour and every day without stopping!

Porn is the biggest industry in the United States. Worldwide it is a $97 billion business.[5] In the United States $13 billion is spent annually by consumers of the material.[6] The amount of money that is spent on porn is bigger than all of the revenue that comes from Microsoft, Google, Amazon, E-bay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink combined. Porn collects twice as much revenue as that collected by ABC, CBS, and NBC. Porn is a huge business.[7] The top 10 porn producing centers in the United States are Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Seattle, San Diego, and the one that is really surprising is that the 9th place belongs to Phoenix and Tucson. Number 10 is Hillsborough, North Carolina.[8]

The West Coast of the United States is lopsided when it comes to centers that produce porn. The following quote is a vivid description of pornography industry.

Many are now speaking out about how terrible the industry really is. It is not glamorous; the average male porn star makes $40,000 annually. There are 15 new cases of STDs reported in the industry every week. One porn star claims that 99.9 percent of industry actors have herpes. Another said they are all on drugs. It’s “an empty lifestyle trying to fill up a void.” Shelley Luben, a former porn actress, revealed, “The porn industry wants YOU to think we porn actresses love sex. They want you to think we enjoy being degraded by all kinds of repulsive acts. … The truth is there IS NO fantasy in porn. It’s all a lie.” She says to men, “We want you to throw out our movies and help piece together the shattered fragments of our lives.” Each year, 20,000 pornographic videos are produced in California’s San Fernando Valley.[9]

China is the number one producer of porn in the world.[10] One out of every eight websites in the world is a porn site. One-fourth of all internet searches is for porn.[11] Thirty-five percent of all downloads are for porn, and 99% of all porn is viewed on the internet or smart phones.[12]

Other statistics state that the numbers are lower. For example, Psychology Today has reported that only 4% of internet sites offer porn. Only 13% of internet searches during July 2009 to July 2010 were related to porn. However, it should be noted that they limited their study to the top one million pornography websites.[13] It should be noted that the authors numbers are lower than those reported by most researchers. Was there a motivation?

The STD and STI rates tell the same story. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) reports that one out of every five adults has an STD.[14] It is projected that one out of every two adults will have an STD or an STI.[15] One in two sexually active youth will contract an STD by age 25.[16] A young mother today has had on average 2.3 STDs.[17] Shari Brasner, MD, a gynecologist and assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City states,

STDs are so common that it’s hard to find a partner who hasn’t dealt with it before.[18]

These statistics are uniform across all age brackets, 25 to 44 age. STDs are also on the rise among seniors. What is the message? The message is simple. Men and women are into pornography and sexual sins.

Monthly Viewers of Porn

Christians and Pornography

That describes what is occurring in our world. Now you might ask, “Can we talk about Christians and porn?” There are a number of Christian research companies that have been researching Christian involvement in pornography. One of them is the Barna Group and in February 2007, which is dated information, they reported that the difference between the behaviors of born again Christians and that of the national norm is small.[19] The message is there is hardly any difference between Christians and non-Christians.

Hardly any difference in behaviors! You say, “What kind of behaviors?” Barna reports that the following behaviors are common between Christians and non-Christians. How about viewing sexually explicit movies, porn and nudity? How about committing adultery? How about visiting mediums and spiritists? It is stunning that there is hardly any difference between Christians and non-Christians. You may be wondering, why did we just spend so much time discussing the national and the international statistics? Because they apply to Christians too.

Barna Group reported that 82% of non-Christian men and 45% of non-Christian women regularly view porn from as much as twice a day to at least once a month.[20] If we look at the numbers among Christians, 73% of men and 33% of Christian women regularly view porn from as much as twice a day to at least once a month.[21] This is regular, ongoing, monthly viewing of porn by Christian men and women.

These statistics tell us that of every two men in our society, more than likely, one of them regularly watches porn. And of every group of women, one out of three of those women watch porn. Therefore, one out of every two men and one out of every three women are looking at porn. Have you looked at porn in the last year? Maybe the saddest finding in the research about pornography users is the following reported by Barna,

Only a small minority of adults who use porn report much “guilt” about porn. Teens are the most likely age segment to experience feelings of guilt, although it’s still a minority of teenagers. Practicing Christians are twice as likely as others to experience guilt.[22]

This reveals that even though many who claim to be Christians are actively, purposefully, intentionally looking at porn, most of them feel no guilt. They are not stumbling on it but are intentionally searching for and looking at porn. The research results are incredible! Especially for those who claim to be Christians, who claim to be walking a separate, holy life. The message of the research is that there is hardly any difference between those who claim to be born-again Christians and non-Christians in regards to their habitual involvement of pornography and sexual sins. Professing Christians look just like the world.

Nudity Is Sinfully Shameful

Some Christians think that watching R-rated movies is okay as well as viewing naked bodies. But isn’t that part of pornography? Therefore, let’s look at some examples from the Bible that teach us that intentionally watching naked bodies is sin and normally being naked is shameful. Genesis 9:20 is an example of a time when Noah was naked. He is in a tent. He is drunk and his son came in and found him naked. Genesis 9:20-21 says this,

Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Genesis 9:20-21 (NASB)

Some people fault Noah for being drunk and naked. It is important to realize that since the flood had just occurred, grape juice would now ferment due to the disappearance of the water canopy. Therefore, it is very possible that Noah did not understand that grape juice would ferment. As a result, he was unaware he could become drunk. That is at least a possibility. Now he is drunk and uncovered himself. Verse 22 continues,

Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him. Genesis 9:22-24 (NASB)

Some people think that Ham went into the tent and castrated dad. If that is true then I think dad would have awakened. Castration would have hurt. I do not think Noah would have slept through that. Others think Ham performed a homosexual act. Once again Noah would have been awakened while the act was being performed.

The reason this is event is recorded in Scripture is not because Noah was castrated or a homosexual act was performed. The appalling act was that Ham saw dad naked. You might say, “What is wrong with that?” If you asked that question, you reveal you have been desensitized by the culture in which you are living. That is why you do not see the problem.

Remember when Adam and Eve sinned? What happened? They were ashamed that they were naked. There were no other humans around and, yet, they still covered themselves. We have lost that sense of shame today. Seeing someone naked now is actually encouraged. In Isaiah 20 we are told,

So the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old, naked and barefoot with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. Isaiah 20:4 (NASB)

What’s the message? Being naked is shameful.

In Revelation 16:15 we read,

Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame. Revelation 16:15 (NASB)

Once again the message is that it is shameful to be naked. It is important to note that it is not shameful to be naked with your husband or your wife or with a doctor and nurse. It is shameful to be naked with someone you are just dating. Therefore, what is the message? If it is shameful to be naked, then it must also be shameful to see naked people.

Check out Ephesians 5:11-12,

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. Ephesians 5:11-12 (NASB)

The message is that we must flee every type of sexual sin behavior but that is exactly what our world is advocating today. Our world says that the nude paintings and cultures of the past are examples of liberation. But maybe that art was the pornography of past cultures?

Sexual Sins To Flee

Warnings About Sexual Sin

Deuteronomy 27 is a chapter in which there is actually an injunction against many things. The key word in this chapter is “cursed.” It is repeated many times throughout this chapter. Verse 21 says,

Cursed is he who lies with any animal. And all the people shall say, “Amen.” Deuteronomy 27:21 (NASB)

What is the Holy Spirit talking about? Bestiality or having sex with an animal. Did you know that there are international websites with traffic rankings in the top 14% of all websites in the world that are devoted to bestiality? That is really incredible. Look at the next verse, verse 22,

Cursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or of his mother. And all the people shall say, “Amen.” Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say, “Amen.” Deuteronomy 27:22-23 (NASB)

In Leviticus 18 we are given a list of different types of incest.

Some years ago we were asked a series of questions. Someone wanted to know if he/she could marry their relative. After we replied to that question, we received another e-mail in which the person asked if they could marry their brother or their sister. Scripture says, cursed is the person who is involved in bestiality or incest. Yet, such activity is occurring in the world and is encouraged by many. Our world is not just overflowing with sexual sin, our world is being hit with a tidal wave of sexual sin.

Everything Is Not Okay

Many Christians in the city of Corinth looked like the world too! In 1 Corinthians the Holy Spirit speaks through the apostle Paul to the Corinthians about one sin issue after another starting with chapter one. He talks about the fact that there were conflicts in the church, incest in the church and they were taking one another to court. When the apostle gets to 1 Corinthians 6, he discusses an issue that might surprise some Christians. In 1 Corinthians 6:12 Paul writes about a motto that they were using.

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 (NASB)

The motto is, “All things are lawful for me” and he repeats it. Apparently, the motto was used by the Corinthians.[23] The Greek word that is translated as lawful is exestin and it means simply, it is free, or freedom.[24] This reveals that the Corinthians were saying that they had freedom to do all things. They were saying that everything is free for me. I can do whatever I want. All things are lawful for me. Apparently these folks understood that they were no longer slaves to sin. Apparently they thought they were free from sin. They understood that they were no longer bound by the Mosaic Law. They understood that their sins were forgiven. They were declared to be holy, spotless and pure. They wanted to live as they wanted to live!

Their motto was not biblical. They were not free to do whatever they wanted. We can imagine how liberating the motto felt, “All things are lawful for me. I am free, I am free, I am free. I can do what I want to do. How does this apply to us? On one occasion, a professing Christian declared that he/she was going to disobey God. This person was rather blatant. We had encouraged her to obey God, but this person said, “I am going to disobey.”

Her comment was blatant, and she volunteered, “Well, God will forgive me. I’m a Christian.” That is blatant disobedience. This person sounded like the Corinthians. I am forgiven. I am a Christian. I can live as I want. I am free! God’s going to forgive me. I can do exactly what I want. It is okay.

Now look at Paul’s reply to their motto. In the Greek there are several conjunctions that can be translated as “but.” One Greek word is de, and the other word is alla. Alla is the strongest one for the word “but.” The point is that Paul is strongly refuting the motto. Paul was saying, “But, not all things are profitable.” That is, not all things are advantageous. And then, Paul repeats the motto again. He says, “All things are lawful for me. But, I will not be mastered by anything.” And the Greek word that he uses for mastered is exousiazo and it has the idea of control or to reign.

Therefore, what is Paul saying? Paul says that you might think that everything is free. You may think that you can do whatever you want. But then he makes two points. Paul says everything is not profitable because you should not be mastered or controlled by it. Now you might ask, “What is he talking about?” Verse 13 answers this question.

Verse 13 gives us another motto, “Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food.”

Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 1 Corinthians 6:13 (NASB)

The actual Greek is more plain spoken and reads this way,

Food is for the belly, and the belly is for food. (literal rendering of the Greek)

The literal Greek is kind of crass, and so our translations make it read nicer and say stomach. But the basic idea is that food is for the belly and the belly is for food. Apparently, this was a Corinthian motto and they felt the freedom to indulge and live in whatever way they wanted. That’s the idea.

Then Paul said, “But God will do away with both of them.” The message is – your motto is wrong. The idea is that you can eat and eat as much food as you desire. You can indulge. You can do whatever you want to do. Freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom . . . freedom! Paul is saying, “But God is going to do away with both.” Your motto is a dumb motto.

Paul then responded with the correct motto.

Yet, the body is not for immorality.

This is Paul’s statement. Paul is not saying, “Food is for the belly and the belly is for food.” Paul is saying, “The body is for the Lord and the Lord is for the body.” That’s Paul’s statement. Paul is saying, “You have it wrong, folks! It’s not food for the belly and the belly for food. It’s the Lord for the body and the body for the Lord.” That is a completely different perspective. Forget your self-indulgent behavior and get the Lord in there. Apply some control.

Sexual Sin Negatively Affects Us

Paul makes three important and relevant points in 1 Corinthians 6:12-16. His first point is that “not all things are profitable” for Christians because some behaviors have bad consequences. For example, if you engage in pornography and sexual sins there are undesirable consequences. Those who engage in such sins have STDs and are affected physically, psychologically and emotionally.

Paul’s second point is that when Paul says, “I will not be mastered by anything” he is referring to the fact that every Christian will repeatedly struggle with certain sins. For example, our behaviors only bring temporary satisfaction. Satisfaction does not last. Ecclesiastes gives us such an example with the following statement.

All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. Ecclesiastes 6:7 (NASB)

That is we eat and then we want to eat again. We are stimulated by sexual passion and we want to experience it again. But some Christians are addicted to porn and certain sexual sins. The message is that sin enslaves and Paul says that he did not want to let anything master him. Anyone who is sexually active understands that sexual sins can become an addiction.

Paul’s third point is that the body is not for immorality. That is, the body is not for immorality and immorality is not for the body. Paul is strongly saying, “Just forget immorality”. Therefore, in verses 1 Corinthians 6:12-13 Paul is clearly addressing the issue of immorality and he is telling us that we should have nothing to do with immorality. It enslaves.

God Is For Your Body

Have you wondered what Paul meant that God is for the body in verse 13? Then you will be glad that Paul tells us in verse 14 what he means by the statement “the Lord is for the body.” That is not a concept that we are accustomed to, but verses 14 and 15 explain the phrase. Verse 14 says,

Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. 1 Corinthians 6:14 (NASB)

God the Father promises Christians that He will raise up their bodies just as He raised up Christ’s body. In John 6:39, 40, 44, 47 and 54 Christ has promised that He will raise us up too! 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 promises that our bodies will be new and immortal. There will be no more sickness or imperfections. That is, God is for your body. He wants you to have a new body. Verse 14 is describing the future.

Christ Dwells Within Our Bodies

In verse 15 Paul discusses the present. He says,

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 1 Corinthians 6:15 (NASB)

The point is that Christ dwells within every Christian by the Holy Spirit and together we are members of the body of Christ. Then he surprises us with, “Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!” He says, “Come on! This cannot be. Why would a Christian connect themselves to a prostitute when Christ is dwelling within you?” That is Paul’s point.

There is also another very important truth here. Verse 16 says,

Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” 1 Corinthians 16:16 (NASB)

Now notice that Paul is saying, “That if you have ever had sexual relations with someone, you are connected to them in a one-flesh relationship.” That is the message of Genesis 2:24. C. S. Lewis wrote this in his Screwtape Letters about a couple becoming one flesh,

The truth is that whenever a man lies with a woman, whether they like it or not, a transcendental relation is set up between them which must be eternally enjoyed or eternally endured.

That is the teaching of Scripture and the relationship is both spiritual and physical. If you ever had sexual intercourse with someone, there is a bond that will never go away. Fluids are passed that affect one another and a spiritual connection occurs. Therefore, Paul challenges us, “What are you doing? Are you having sex with a prostitute – with someone other than your wife?” And the message is that should not be occurring. The message so far is that you will not want to be struggling with memories of past sexual relations the rest of your life. The same is true of pornography. The memories and feelings will linger for years. There is even a bond with the women or men that you just simply watched.

Therefore, Flee Immorality

Therefore, verses 17-18 warn us to flee immorality.

But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:17-18 (NASB)

It is interesting that Paul says, “Flee immorality.” That is his solution. This is really very interesting. The Greek word for immorality is porneia. Some people might think that porneia refers only to adultery or prostitutes. But the word was used to refer to a wide range of sins and not just prostitution and adultery. Porneia includes bestiality, homosexuality, lesbianism as well as adultery.

So what is Paul saying? It is simple! “Flee immorality, flee prostitution, flee adultery, flee homosexuality, flee lesbianism, flee bestiality, flee incest and flee fornication.” Let’s add one, flee pornography and nudity.

Now, this is rather amazing. Paul just says, “Flee immorality” and then he says, “Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man commits sins against his own body.” Did you know that the only solution for dealing with immorality is just to flee it? It is all he says. He did not say, “Go and talk to one of the elders of your church.” He does not tell them to talk to an apostle. He does not advise us to talk to a counsellor. He does not advise us to get into a twelve step program for sexual addiction. He does not advise us to – you can fill in the blank. All he says is, “Flee immorality.” You might say, “How should I understand that?”

Paul is not being complicated. He is straight forward and direct. You can flee it. Therefore, flee it. Whatever you must do to get away from it, do it! If you need a counselor, then talk with a counselor. If you need an elder, then go to an elder. Whatever you need to do to flee it, do it! That is the message. If you need prayer support or accountability, then ask for it. Whatever it is, do flee it! That is Paul’s point.

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife

Example of Victory Over Sexual Sin

Do you know the story about Joseph and Potiphar’s wife? The record of the incident is given in Genesis 39:1-18. It is a very interesting event that the media would probably report to the public if it occurred today and they found out about it. It turns out that Joseph is in Pharaoh’s home and Potiphar’s wife wants to have sex with Joseph. What does Joseph do? Does he sit down and he counsel the woman that she is in sin and really needs to know Jesus Christ or go to a Bible study with him? Does he try to explain how to be a godly woman? Is that what he did? No, that is not what Joseph did. Joseph ran! He fled. He got out of there fast. We are told that he was running so fast, and she wanted him so passionately that she grabbed his coat and tore it off. What did he do? He ran! He was not just calmly, slowly walking away so that she was not offended. No, he ran – he tried to get out of there fast. This is great! Paul says, “Flee.” That is his message. “Flee.” Paul says, get out of there! Run from sexual sins!

If You Are Burning, Marry

Let’s capture some important truths now. The first and most obvious point is that Paul is not saying “do not have sexual intercourse.” You might say, “How do you know that?” The next chapter Paul says,

Now concerning the things about which you wrote . . . 1 Corinthians 7:1 (NASB)

Paul says, “Okay, I have been talking about sexual issues and now I wanted to talk about it some more. He has been talking about immorality from verses 12 through 20, and he plans to continue. In 1 Corinthians 7:2 he says,

But because of immoralities . . . 1 Corinthians 7:2 (NASB)

He continues to talk about porneia or immorality,

. . . each man is to have his own wife and each woman is to have her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:2 (NASB)

Now here is his point. If you need to have sexual relief, get married. Verse 3 continues with,

The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another . . . 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 (NASB)

What is Paul’s point? Paul’s point is that if you are a wife, you do not own your body. If you are a husband, you do not own your body; your spouse does. Stop depriving one another! Why? In verse two he said, “Because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.” Paul reveals that this is not just a man’s problem. Women have sexual drives too! If you have ever thought that sexual passion and a desire for sexual activity was just a man’s problem, verse 2 says women also have needs. Counselors and the internet reveal that women desire sex too!

Warning About Habitual Sexual Sin

In 1 Corinthians 6:9 Paul tells who will not inherit the kingdom of God. He warns us that if we habitually sin, it is a sign that we are not going to heaven. The verse says,

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals . . . 1 Corinthians 6:9 (NASB)

Now you might ask, “What is fornication?” Fornication is any kind of sexual act before marriage. It includes premarital sex. Adulterers are men or women who have sexual intercourse with someone who is not their spouse. The Greek word for effeminate refers to transvestites. If you have ever wondered if it is okay for someone to dress like a person of the opposite sex, the answer is it is no. Do not dress like someone of the opposite sex. It is also a sin to be a homosexual. That is what the Holy Spirit states in this verse.

Now God is talking about a pattern of life. He is not talking about something that someone did for a short period of time in their life. The Holy Spirit is referring to someone who is habitually doing these kinds of things. Paul and the Holy Spirit are telling us that people who are given to these sins are not real Christians. That is the point. They are only deceiving themselves if they think they are.

In 1 Corinthian 6:18 Paul says,

Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 1 Corinthian 6:18 (NASB)

What does that mean? We can sin against our own body in both a physical and spiritual way. The message is that sexual sin is seriously damaging.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthian 6:19-20 (NASB)

What does Paul say? Paul says the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and you have been bought. We do not belong to ourselves. That is why he said, “Come on, flee immorality.”

Steps For All of Us

Conclusion

How should you respond if you are caught up in sexual sin? How should you respond if you sense that you are being seduced? The answer is flee it in order to give God glory. Second, ask the Holy Spirit to control you and keep you from sin and faithfully confess your sexual sins every time you commit one. Third, as part of being controlled by the Spirit, be faithful to read the Bible. The fourth step is to simply ask God to not let you be led into sin. That is the message of Matthew 6:13. Finally, seek support if you think you need support. If you have an addiction, you need some support. If you are married, talk with your spouse about helping you sexually (1 Corinthians 7:1-7).

 

References

1. Donna Hughes. Enough Is Enough (enough.org).
2. Pornography Statistics (www.familysafe.com/pornography-statistics/) and TopTenReviews (www.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics/)
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. SafeFamilies (www.safefamilies.org/sfStats.php/).
6. Rachel B. Duke. “More women lured to pornography addiction.” The Washington Times (www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/11/more-women-lured-to-pornography-addiction/).
7. Pornography Statistics. Ibid.
8. Pornography Statistics. Ibid.
9. Rachel Alexander. Porn Addiction At Crisis Level. WND (www.wnd.com/2012/10/porn-addiction-at-crisis-level/).
10. Pornography Statistics. Ibid.
11. David C. Bissette. Internet Pornography Statistics: Psy.D. 2003, (www.healthymind.com, 2004).
12. Pete Railtonm. “35% of all global web downloads are porn!” WireFresh (www.wirefresh.com/35-of-all-global-web-downloads-are-porn/).
13. Michael Castleman. Dueling Statistics: How of the Internet Is Porn? Psychology Today. (www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201611/dueling-statistics-how-much-the-internet-is-porn)
14. “Study says 1 in 5 Americans infected with genital herpes.” Emory Report (www.emory.edu/EMORY_REPORT/erarchive/1997/November/ernovember.3/11_3_97Herpes.html)
15. Statistics for Sex and Porn Addiction. National Coalition For The Protection of Children and Families. www.nationalcoalition.org
16. State of the Nation: Challenges Facing STD Prevention in Youth. American Social Health Association, 2005.
17. Promiscuous Plague, Karen Testerman. The World & I, March 2004.
18. Elizabeth Narins. Two People, One STD—Is Sex Safe? Women’s Health (www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/two-people-one-std-is-sex-safe).
19. Audrey Barrick. Do Non-Christians and Christians Live Different Lifestyles? Christian Today. (www.christiantoday.com/article/american.study.reveals.indulgent.lifestyle.christians.no.different/9439.htm).
20. Leonardo Blair. “Nearly Two-Thirds of Christian Men View Porn Monthly; They Are Watching It at Same Rate as Secular Men, Says Study.” The Christian Post. (www.christianpost.com/news/nearly-two-thirds-of-christian-men-view-porn-monthly-they-are-watching-it-at-same-ra)
21. Ibid.
22. Ibid.
23. A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament. Baker Books, 1931. vol. IV. p. 120.
24. Joseph Henry Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Christian Copyrights, Inc. 1981. p. 223.
25. C. S. Lewis. The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics. Harper One. 2002. p. 237.

 

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