But not so fast, if that is the case why does porn remain a multi-billion dollar industry? The reason is because there is something we like about porn even though we know it’s wrong.
So how do we stop? This is the question that much of secular psychology lets us down on. The love or our partners and the compelling evidence about porn’s harmful nature are supposed to be enough. But it isn’t.
In the Christian culture we are told the God doesn’t like us to look at porn. Which is true enough (Matt. 5:27-28).Thus, we are taught to fear God’s anger. But the fear of God often isn’t enough to pry us away from the tempting glow of the computer screen.
Today I’m here to offer different reason you should turn away from porn. Here’s the reason, because Jesus loves you.
Why love?
When someone truly loves us it serves as a powerful deterrent against any activity that would hurt the one who loves you. Remember the first time your Dad gave you that “I’m not mad just disappointed” look? Mine came when I just didn’t show up to a job because I was too busy playing video games. I know for me that look hurt way worse than any beating he could have given me. When we love someone we try to avoid doing the things that hurt them.
God Loves Us
We see God’s great love in the book of Exodus. The book of Exodus tells us that God wants us to have “no other god” before him (Exodus 20:3). God said this because he loved the Israelites. He didn’t want to share his love with other, lesser gods. He had proved his love to the Israelites by delivering them out of Egypt. (Exodus 20:2). In the same way when a man loves his wife he doesn’t want her to have other boyfriends. We later see God’s love when Jesus died upon a cross (Phil. 2:8). So sad was God when he thought of his creation being condemned by sin that he sent his only son to die.
But Why Would Porn Upset Jesus?
Simply put when we start on a path to porn addiction we find something that we love more than God. Matthew 5:27-28 tells us that lust is tantamount to adultery. Now in terms of human relationships it is worse to cheat on your spouse than it is to watch porn. To God, however, your love of porn is replacing, or at lease weakening, your love of Jesus. Jesus died that we might be holy and sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11). When you give into the flesh God is sad and disappointed. Disappointed, because he has loved and sacrificed so much only to see you turn down a path to self destructive sin. He is sad because He created you for so much more than self gratification in front of a computer screen.
Great, now instead of fear I feel guilt!
The above is not meant to push us toward putting off sin because we “feel” a certain way. Rather, it is to get us to think about Jesus not as an abstract concept but as a real person with whom we have a relationship. Let me put it another way, Jesus is a real person who loves us. This is the real reason why porn is bad (I bet you were wondering when I was going to get to that). Do you believe that Jesus is a real person with real feelings that get hurt when you sin? If we believe this then sin will be an abomination to us. We’ll want to avoid it so we don’t upset Jesus.
Sin upsets Jesus but how does sin hurt us?
Susanna Wesley summed up sin pretty well when she defined it as “whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself."
Porn hurts your marriage, your sex life, and your view of the opposite sex. More important than any of that porn provides a love that is something other than Jesus. Jesus loves you and wants what’s best for you. Loving porn more than Jesus hurts Him and those around us. Would a real man hurt his wife or mother? Would a real man hurt anyone he loves?
How does this help us become “fully man?”
It may seem a little touchy feely to talk about doing things because we love somebody. “That’s girly” you may say, but consider this. Every year men dress up in funny out fits and brave sub zero temperatures. I’m talking about football fans. To show their team, and everyone else, their great love they paint up their bodies and faces. Consider this less “girly” example. A man who loves his country might join the army to defend what it stands for. As men we do plenty of things out of love. We can, in a manly and decisive way, show our love for Jesus and others by turning away from porn.
So don’t try to cut out porn through power of will or great arguments. Because it just won’t work. Rather, remind yourself that porn is not a victimless crime and that somebody up there loves you.
Further Reading:
Your Brain on Porn
How Porn can Ruin your Sex Life – and your Marriage
The Song Jesus Christ Is Singing to You
Lust: Not for Men Only
Did you like this article? Is there something I missed? Do you have opinions? I would love to hear them? So, put them in the comments section
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