Overcoming Immorality, Pornography, and Lust – Part XXI – Critical Transformations – Pursuing the Real and Eternal Things of God

August 29

Overcoming Immorality, Pornography, and Lust – Part XXI – Critical Transformations – Pursuing the Real and Eternal Things of God

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.  For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

Let’s continue now discussing the critical transformations that in my opinion we have to make to overcome the persistent problem of addictions to pornography and lustful fleshly passions.  The next critical transformation is moving from being deceived about and focusing on fleshly passions to loving truth and pursuing real and eternal things.

The appeal of immorality, pornography, and lust is that nakedness and sexual acts can be to many very exciting and very pleasurable, and let’s never forget that God is the one who made it that way, not Satan and not the people engaging in the evil deeds.  The problem, the way I see it (and I could be totally wrong on what I am about to say; please forgive me if I am), is that God has hardwired us men to get excited when we see a naked woman, and he has hardwired women to want intimacy and relationship.  And I think this goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden and how God made Adam and Eve.  I read one Christian author who said something to the effect that the beauty of a woman is the most exciting thing he has ever seen.  I for one can relate to that!  More than any sunset or beauty of heavens and earth is the attraction of seeing a nude woman to many men.  And the pleasure of sexual activity is more exciting and pleasurable than any I have ever experienced.  Add these two things together, and the attraction to immoral relationships and pornography is certainly understandable.

(I have read that women are more and more becoming attracted to and addicted to viewing pornography.  I am not sure if this is for similar reasons as men or if they are more attracted to the idea of belonging and being intimate with a man.  Someone more knowledgeable than I would have to give guidance here as to the “why” for women.)

But all that being said, in addition to being sin and an offense to God, immorality and pornography and lust are full of great deceptions and snares that we don’t readily see and seldom think about.  For one, pornography and sexual fantasies are contrived and not real.  They are conceived by evil minds intended to entertain evil minds.  People are play acting like they are enjoying themselves.  The reality is that those who commit immorality have much grief and heart ache from broken relationships, conflicts, contentions and strife, pain and disease, expenses, unintended negative consequences, and problems upon problems.  Even more than this, these people are beautiful for a fleeting time, after which they become fat, wrinkled, saggy, dried up, cancerous, etc. and then they die and rot.  The good feelings that come are fleeting, and many will attest that after a while pornography doesn’t have the pleasure and stimulation it had at first.  So the whole reason for doing it in the first place is denied them that do these things!  Add to this the fact that many who are depicted in pornography are actually real world slaves, victims of human trafficking, forced to do evil for the enjoyment of evil people.  Add to this the fact that God will judge and punish those who participate in such things, with dire and destructive consequences in this life, and then judgment and eternal loss and even eternal hell in the life to come.

We will speak of the positive alternatives tomorrow.