Tag Archives: sexual sin

Jan 15 2014

What Makes Porn and Sexual Sin Different?

Man looking closely into computer screen, profile

I have seen statements to the effect that all sins have the same consequence. Some say that sexual sins (flirting, porn, pre and extra-marital sexual relations. etc…) have the same consequences as gluttony and addiction to hobbies.

The problem is that these statements are only partially correct.

Theologically speaking, ANY sin that is not brought to the cross and atoned via the blood of Christ leads to death.  However, the Bible teaches that not all sins are the same in how they affect unbelievers, and for that matter, believers.

Take sexual sin for instance. What is it that makes pornography or adultery different from other sins like anger, or theft?

The Bible goes as far as classifying sexual immorality in a camp of its own. The reason for this is because sexual sin and all its cousins destroy every aspect of human life: PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, FAMILIAL, and SOCIAL.

The consequences of said sin ruin every aspect of one’s life. That’s why it is different. Here are some (very brief) examples:

  • psychological: porn addicts have altered brain chemistry and are unable to have healthy marriages because their brain is wired for a perverted understanding of sex, one that is based on lust, violence, and lack of responsibility; loneliness and depression are frequently associated with this sin
  • social: pre-marital sex ruins lives by ruining reputations, leading to abortions and children out of wed-lock, community stigma and broken hearts
  • physical: multiple partners leads to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), infertility, cancer, and death from cancer and infection
  • familial/relational: not only the stuff listed above, but breaking-up of families and breaking of vows taken before God
  • spiritual: just like any unrepented sin, sexual sin leads to spiritual death

This is why porn addiction is different from the sin of coffee addiction.  This is why indulging in sexual sin will ruin your life in every aspect.  All sin leads to spiritual death, but sexual sin brings much more suffering in this life in addition to spiritual death.

Scripture will back up the above claims:

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” 1 Cor 6:18

“He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.” Prov 6:32-33

So yes, porn addiction and other sexual sins are more damaging to the person committing them than other sins.

People who preach the half-gospel of love, and go around saying that homosexuality and pornography should not be treated differently than any other sin do not have a grasp on the differentiation the Bible makes between sexual immorality and other sins.

So young readers, maintain your sexual purity because you will have much reward in this life and the next.

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” Ps 119:9

Jan 9 2014

The Consensus Sin in America

CNN conducted a poll of 1,010 adults asking them to pick which behavior is morally wrong.  Right, CNN of all networks dealing with an authoritative issue such as morality, but that is another story. Here are the results with the percent of subjects saying the behavior (sin) is morally wrong:

#1 Cheating on your spouse 94%
#2 Cheating on your taxes 90%
#3 Having an abortion 57%
#4 Engaging in homosexual behavior 50%
#5 Looking at porn 46%
#7 Smoking marijuana 35%

This brief survey shows how uncircumcised the heart of the average American is with respect to sin. It shows that most Americans believe in a RELATIVE system of MORALITY. Fifty percent said that it is wrong to cheat on your spouse while they said is it not wrong to engage in porn.

Nietzsche wrote, “You have your way, I have my way. As for the right way, it does not exist.”

The average American does not believe that God punishes sin with His mighty wrath. If the average American believed the gospel, he/she would know that ANY sin will send him/her to hell no matter how ‘little’ said sin is.

What the American moralist does not realize is that his system of RELATIVE MORALITY points to an absolute standard. Everything in this universe is measured against a standard. Morality is the same. Since we have relative morality, logic dictates that there must be some higher, absolute standard.

That standard is God and His Word. God and His Law.

You break a tiny part of the Law, you are guilty of breaking the entire thing.

This survey once again confirms what the gospel claims, and that is the fact that we are dead in our sins. And we try to make ourselves feel better by ranking various sins. How convenient.

The Bible is clear on this subject, I just wish the average American would care to heed what it says in Romans 2:15 about the fact that deep down we know what is right and wrong:

“the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them”

Apr 29 2013

Open Rebellion Toward God

The fact that Washington Wizards center Jason Collins is the first active professional sports figure in American history to “come out” of the closet and declare he is gay is a major news story.  I guess.

But not nearly as major as ESPN analyst Chris Broussard (a good analyst, may I add) serving up a biblical commentary on the matter, ON LIVE TV!

ESPN knew that Broussard is Christian and set him up against an openly gay analyst to discuss the case… and Broussard did not disappoint.

Here is what he said:

“…you can’t live an openly homosexual lifestyle or open premarital sex between heterosexuals.”

“If you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, the Bible says you know them by their fruits, it says that that’s a sin.  If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and Jesus Christ.”

“As a Christian, I don’t agree with homosexuality. I think it’s a sin,” said Broussard. “There are a lot of Christians in the NBA, and just because they don’t agree with that lifestyle, they don’t want to be called bigoted and intolerant.”

I am glad he did not delineate difference between sin.  Homosexual practice or premarital sex practice is sexual sin and unacceptable in the eyes of God.

I admire the fortitude that Chris Broussard had to stand up for biblical truth in this culture of acceptance of sin.  I expect a major backlash against his comments.  He will be called a bigot, a homophobe, a hater, and all kinds of negative words to describe the fact that he believes the Bible.

ESPN did this to increase their ratings at his expense, as he will now suffer because he stood up for his faith.

It remains to be seen if Chris Broussard will still have a job tomorrow.

The Bible is clear on the issue of living in sin.  Those who are children of God cannot persist in sin:

“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:9

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Apr 12 2013

How to Overcome Lustful Temptations

The primordial sin of the flesh according to apostle Paul in Galatians 5 is lust and the sexual sins associated with it.

It is the number one struggle of young men and women, and it is magnified in the information age when they are bombarded by all sort of immoral digital data.

After a long and admired pastoral career, John Piper offers relief for young believers who struggle with this problem in an interview transcribed by the Christian Post.

“Why does lust, I’m thinking mainly men but not just men, why does seeing have such a force to draw us to click on pornography or linger over some bathing suit issue of Sports Illustrated or to linger over some ad for a movie. What is it about us?” asked Piper.

“And my answer? It’s like drunkenness,” he said.

“In the same way drunks need designated drivers to help them out when they are too inebriated to function, Christians should have friends in their life whom they can count on to help them through lustful addictions.”

“My question is, is there something like that that we should do for each other? If ‘psycho-erotic euphoria’ is as powerful as drunkenness and I think it is, then we need people in our lives who will break our arm. Paul says I pummel my own body; you should pummel me,” said Piper.

“Look, if you’re drunk and you’re about to kill yourself, you better be glad there is somebody in your life to throw you in the backseat of the car,” says Piper.

“But this lust thing is much more like drunkenness than it is like anything else and so we may need this kind of personal accountability.”

Piper endorses accountability partners and relationships within a very close circle of friends (2-3 people) who can keep each other accountable by close monitoring from many aspects.  This is a physical and emotional approach.

To this I would add that fighting lust and its derivatives (such as pornography) must be done “BY THE SPIRIT” as commanded in Romans 8:13

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

BY THE SPIRIT means by the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life:

  • The believer must allow the Holy Spirit to continually point him to Christ and to the cross when temptation comes.  Looking at the precious sacrifice of Christ will help the believer realize the suffering that Christ endured for him and for his sin.  Such an approach will make the believer realize the importance avoiding the trap of sin, and ask “will I crucify my Savior willingly again by indulging in sin?”
  • The believer must allow the Holy Spirit to remind him of Scripture.  Just like Jesus fought the devil using Scripture while tempted in the desert, so must the believer fight using “It is written” Luke 4:8
  • The believer must be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to receive power for witnessing to the world (Acts 1:8) which will inherently shift focus away from lust and unto the Kingdom of God.

image credit: TGC