The Sound of Inevitability

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A growing number of men and women are viewing pornography. But what’s even more disquieting is how many people view pornography use as unavoidable.

Even among Christians who believe watching pornography is sinful, a growing number seem to believe porn use is inevitable, at least occasionally.

  • It’s not my fault, it’s everywhere!
  • What am I supposed to do, act like I don’t like it?
  • It’s a part of adolescent curiosity. Of course my kids are going to watch it.
  • We’re made to find nakedness and sex attractive, so we’re going to look if it’s in front of us.

But the porn-use-is-inevitable perspective is rooted in a faulty view of humanity. It sees you and me as creatures unable to say no to our passions, instead of people created to enjoy self-mastery (even if that self-mastery takes time to develop and requires God’s help through purifying trials).

In short, the porn-use-is-inevitable worldview sees human beings as no different than animals.

The incarnation of Christ dispels this myth.

He calls us to a sexual standard higher than we thought we could reach (Mt. 5:27-32, Mt. 19:8-9, John 8:11).

He reveals through his life a picture of manhood not controlled by lust but compelled by love (Hebrews 4:15, Luke 7:36 – 50, John 4:7 – 41, John 8:1 – 11).

And he restores our humanity to God’s original intent: Crucified, the Bridegroom takes a distorted, animalistic humanity into his body and bears it unto death. Then he rises victorious over sin that we each might be regenerated to a divinized humanity.

To our residual twisted self-perception (i.e. “porn is inevitable”), the risen Christ speaks with words of divine (and Fatherly) authority. Hear Him even now: “In the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:8), “Follow Me” (Matthew 16:24), “Be healed” (Mark 5:34), “Go, and sin no more” (John 8:11), “Do not be unbelieving, but believing” (John 20:27b).

God-in-the-flesh has come to repair even our notions of what it means to be human.

Are you struggling with pornography? Do not give up. And no matter how difficult, do not accept that lust is inevitable for you. Each time you find yourself tempted to believe it, press that view of yourself into your loving Savior’s wounds. And ask him to show you who you are.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Share a comment or question here.

With you,
Josh

 

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2 comments

Leave a Reply to Mark Cooper Cancel reply

  • I appreciate this post. Have been struggling with the lie that my return to porn is inevitable. That is a battle of thinking, that if yielded to, brings in the spirit of despair and hopelessness.
    Thank you for these words Josh.

By Josh Glaser

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