What Would Jesus Say to Our Sex-crazed Culture?

Part Two—Beware the Perils of Pornography

1 Corinthians 6:15-17

We are in our second week in the series called, What Would Jesus say to Our Sex-crazed Culture, and already I owe you an apology for getting my information wrong last week. I really do try to be careful so I feel badly that I made such an obvious error. I mistakenly told you that there are 260 million pages of pornography on the internet. I was way off on this number and I apologize for my error. The actual number is 420 million![i]  There are numerous statistics about pornography and rather than sprinkle them throughout the message, I plan to deluge you with them all at once at the beginning.

· One third of all internet downloads are pornographic related. [ii]

· In 1996, “Promise Keepers” surveyed conference attendees and discovered that the men who viewed pornography in the last week was 53%.[iii] Please note that this statistic in eleven years old now.

· The number of Christians who said that pornography is a major problem in the home is 47%.[iv] 

· One out of three visitors to adult web sites are women.[v]

· One out of every six women, including Christians, struggles with an addiction to pornography.[vi]

· A survey done in 2003 showed that the number of children aged 8-16 who had viewed pornography online increased to 90 percent.[vii] Most of these were accidental viewings while doing their homework.

· 38 percent of adults believe it is ‘morally acceptable’ to look at pictures of nudity or explicit sexual behavior.[viii]

· Annual pornography revenue in the U.S. is staggering. For comparison, the annual revenue of NBA is $3 billion. The annual revenue for MLB is $5 billion. The annual revenue for the NFL is $6 billion, but the annual revenue for pornography is $12 billion[ix], nearly exceeding the combined revenues of these three major sports. Worse yet, the worldwide revenue for pornography related business is an overwhelming $57 billion.[x]

One of the great dangers of pornography is its inherent power to cause addiction. In fact, some studies have indicated that pornography can have the same effect on the brain as cocaine. Images can be permanently "burned" into the memory by epinephrine, a chemical in the brain.[xi] The addictive nature of pornography progresses like this.

1. Addiction—this is where pornography gets its initial hook into your body, mind and soul.

2. Escalation—like certain drugs, you need more and more pornographic images and experiences to keep getting the same result, the same high.

3. Desensitization—eventually the feelings of guilt begin to wane and the sinful behavior is more easily justified.

4. Acting out[xii]

I don’t know if the Corinthians progressed along the same lines of addiction as described here, but some of them did get to the point of visiting prostitutes and then justifying their behavior with spiritual arguments. Their slogan was “Everything is permissible for me.” Paul has several answers to this slogan, the first of which comes at verse 12. “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. The word for permissible literally means “I have the authority to do this.” So when Paul refuted this slogan by saying, “I will not be mastered by anything,” it was actually a play on words that we can’t see in our English translations. The translated word play looks like this…

Corinthians: I have authority to do this!

Paul: But I will not come under authority by anything.

Or expressed another way…

Corinthians: I am my own master!

Paul: But I will not be mastered by anything.

Or again…

Corinthians: I am free!

Paul: But I will not be imprisoned by anything.

The Corinthians were boasting in their freedom and Paul was arguing that this so-called freedom was actually a severe form of bondage. As one person expressed it, “liberty to sin” is really the worst kind of slavery!^[xiii] If a Christian believes they are free to dabble in a form of pornography, it proves they are blind to the lie of their own bondage. It is like a prisoner walking into the courtyard for exercise. Compared to his prison cell, the courtyard appears enormous. He could easily trick himself into having a sense of freedom—“Wow, look at me. I’m free!” But every step of “freedom” he takes is still another step within the prison. Some of us here this morning are stuck in the prison of pornography but we have believed the lie that we are free. As soon as you believe you are free to sin you have just become a slave to sin.

A powerful description of this slavery to sin comes from Proverbs 7.

My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.

^2 Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

^3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

^4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman;

^5 they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words.

^6 At the window of my house I looked out through the lattice.

^7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who lacked judgment.

^8 He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house

^9 at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in.

^10 Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.

^11 (She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home;

^12 now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.)

^13 She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said:

^14 “I have fellowship offerings^a at home; today I fulfilled my vows.

^15 So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you!

^16 I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt.

^17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

^18 Come, let’s drink deep of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love!

^19 My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.

^20 He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.”

^21 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.

^22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer^b stepping into a noose^c

^23 till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life.

^24 Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say.

^25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths.

^26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.

^27 Her house is a highway to the grave,^d leading down to the chambers of death.

Several principles are clear from this passage.

1. The prostitute described in this chapter is lust and pornography personified. The explosive growth of pornography is a modern day problem, but the struggle with lust is an ancient battle. Therefore, this proverb can apply to present day struggles with pornography but it also hits squarely at the original sin of lust. The wandering prostitute is lust seeking after us, to find us, hook us and destroy us.

2. This proverb begins with wisdom because wisdom is the solution. But by beginning with wisdom, it assumes that we are all foolish. You may be born with innate intelligence, you may even be  a genius on the IQ scale, but no one is born with innate wisdom. Wisdom can only be acquired through hard desire and effort. Verse 5 says that wisdom will keep us from the way of the adulteress. Wisdom is what we all need to fight this battle but it is also the very thing we lack. A popular book on this subject is called Every Man’s Battle.” I have not read this book personally, but I have heard it is very good. It serves to remind us that every man is engaged in this battle. It does not matter how old you are, if you have reached puberty and are still alive, then this is your battle. Lest we be unfair, there is also a book called “Every Women’s Battle”. I think we know the issues are different for men and women, but this is also a women’s battle. One statistic I read said that 17% of women are addicted to pornography. Frankly I don’t believe this statistic, but I do believe there are universal struggles for women. The point is that no one should ever say, “It can’t happen to me”. It CAN happen to anyone. We are all foolish and we all lack wisdom. The battle for spiritual purity must start with this foundation of humility and confessed need.

3. The third principle begins with a question. At what point did this foolish man make his fatal decision? When did he pass the point of no return? This simpleton was walking near the house of the prostitute at twilight. In other words, he was cruising the red light district at night. He went looking for trouble. He made his fatal mistake when he decided to walk out the door. Here is our principle: walking anywhere near the path of pornography is the beginning of the end. Using the internet without a reliable filter is like cruising the red light district—you’re just looking for trouble. (Covenant Eyes; internet filter review) By the time this foolish man reached the prostitute it was too late. It would have taken the courage of Joseph to walk away at that point, and most men don’t have that much courage. The decision to avoid temptation must be made long before the temptation crosses your path. Stay as far away from the edge of sin as possible.

Here is a perfect example of foolishness. In the first picture we see the photographer taking a picture of the Grand Canton. That’s not so unusual except for the fact that he is standing on this

small rock formation and you start to wonder—just how did he get out there. The next picture tells the story as we see the man start to leap across the chasm. You can’t see it real well, but in his left hand he is holding the camera and tripod and by the third picture we see that he is only reaching with his right hand. Finally he grabs hold with his right hand and manages to hold on. Men, this is us when we surf the net without a filter. Women, this is you when you don’t guard your thought life or read Harlequin type novels. Do you know what this man might say if you asked him why he did it? “Everything is permissible! I am allowed to do this, so don’t bother me.” This is a foolish man and we are equally foolish when we walk to the edge of sin and temptation just because we can, just because we have Christian liberty. Gain wisdom from your Heavenly Father and decide to stay far away from temptation.

4. The fourth principle is the lie of personal connection. The prostitute said to the simpleton, “I came out to meet you.” Pornography is as impersonal as it gets, yet our hearts want to believe the lie that we are making some kind of connection. Women especially seek some kind of personal connection as they imagine that someone loves and cares for them, but I think even men seek after this, hoping to feel something more than momentary stolen pleasure.

5. The fifth principle is the lure of satisfaction—“Let’s drink deep of love till morning.” This is the worm on the hook that catches the foolish fish. We want to believe that pornography or any level of sexual impurity will bring us satisfaction. Even though we are painfully aware that the last encounter was hollow and empty, we are lured again by the false hope of satisfaction. It will never satisfy because it cannot satisfy. Trying to find satisfaction in illicit sexual behavior is like drinking salt water—you have the illusion of satisfaction but it will only increase your thirst. This is why pornography addiction progresses from addiction to escalation to desensitization to acting out. The illusion of satisfaction keeps drawing the captive deeper and deeper into slavery.

6. The final principle is the illusion of safety. The prostitute calmed the simpleton by saying, “My husband is not home.” Sexual sins are almost always secret sins. Since these are secret sins they give the illusion of being safe. We think “No one will ever catch me. My wife will never know.” Foolishness hides but wisdom seeks the light.

We will continue this next week as consider Paul’s command in v. 18 to “flee sexual immorality.” For now, let me leave you with this poem that was written by someone in our congregation. If you read it carefully you will see that the author intends to link pornography with abortion.

Where are you headed O’ Christian man

To the RED LIGHT sites with your mouse in hand

For the hollow thrill of sordid scenes

The cold spark of the fleshes’ means

But when you stare and your mind runs wild

You agree with the premise that destroys her child

For your thoughts lean only to the act

And will not see the callous fact

That truth reveals the evidence

That your desires have consequence

The road that leads in that direction

Ends in human vivisection[xiv]

Rich Maurer

January 14, 2007