Banes S. Lal
I'm curious how we might begin to honour sexual pleasure as something that can connect us more profoundly to ourselves, others, and God. And while simultaneously speaking the truth about how our sex-related actions can also do the reverse. Perhaps we should begin by recalling what Paul said in 1 Corinthians. "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful... Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" 1 Cor 6:12–20. Glorifying God is a way of being, thinking, and acting that exalts God. It displays God's infinite greatness and holiness. It demonstrates God's all-knowing and all-satisfying nature. And you worship God when you use your physical body as God intended. Verses 19–20 explain why committing immoral sex is a sin against your own body. If I were to paraphrase, your unique physical body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, whom God gave you. As a result, you don't own your body; God does because he paid for it with the death of his Son. Indulging in pornography in the Most Holy Place is incomprehensible. It is a sacred space; therefore, keep it clean. By abstaining from sexual immorality, you can glorify God with your body.
Jesus declared in his Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," Matthew 5:8. It's fascinating how Christ links purity to the ability to comprehend God. Given this, one might conclude that a lack of purity obscures Christians' ability to view God. Pornography constitutes a fundamental assault on the Christian faith because it denies us the opportunity to know God for who He truly is. It is possibly the most visceral, addictive attack on purity. The issue becomes, "Are you not a person of a pure heart?" Do you allow yourself to experience the pleasure of printed or visual material that plainly describes or exhibits sexual body parts or activities to generate erotic feelings?
Today, the stakes are at an all-time high. Women, in turn, are exploited and dehumanized. Porn endangers our relationship with God by impairing our ability to hear His voice or see His beauty. All the more reason to heed the instructions of 1 John 4:12 "No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us."
It takes time to develop this strong and pure sexuality; changes rarely occur overnight. People must learn to be engaged by natural beauty rather than its poor imitation. It takes effort and training to develop the ability to perceive and value genuine beauty. What we choose to remember or automatically recall reveals a lot about who we are and what we value. When you indulge in pornography, you feed the system which harms women. One way pornography harms women is that it ruins how women think about themselves. Many women are insecure about their body image and even hate their bodies. They could develop eating disorders or depression because they can't compete with the impossible standards of what they see on the screen.
Jesus spoke on lust, often known as adultery of the heart. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Mathew 5:27-28. Jesus says that looking at a woman for the purpose of lusting is a sin.
Christ then draws the following logical conclusion: Since it is sinful to gaze at a woman with lust in mind, you should chop off your right hand and pull out your eye if doing so makes you transgress. Jesus backs up His conclusion, saying that losing an eye or a limb is preferable to having your entire body sent to hell. So let's be clear; pornography is an example of sexual immorality. And those who are sexually immoral will not inherit God's kingdom. "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." Eph 5:5–5. And 1 Cor 6:11 also reminds Christians that they are not naturally superior to non-Christians. The sinners in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 are who Christians were in the past. The primary difference is that God stepped in and "washed" you clean from your sinful lifestyle and forgave you. He also "sanctified" you, making you God's holy people and the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16–17). Finally, he "justified" you declaring that you are righteous.
Therefore, don't assume that it's okay to indulge in pornography. In 1 Cor 6:9-10, the sinful people depict the type of people who are not citizens of God's kingdom. Christians, on the other hand, are repentant sinners. So be what you are: pure, holy, and righteous. Surrendering to pornography does not glorify God with your body.
Pornography is instantly gratifying, but the pleasure is transient. It leaves you feeling empty, unfulfilled, and wanting more. Could God say the same about you in terms of pornography? Refused to indulge in pornography because you chose to enjoy God. Consider enjoying God as being more significant than any pleasure because you are looking forward to the reward. "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Eph 5:15-17).
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to combating severe pornography addictions, so you must arm yourself with a variety of tools. Installing content-control software on your personal devices may be the solution. It could imply that you avoid going to specific locations, using particular gadgets, or viewing certain types of media. Whatever is necessary to win the battle.
There are so many people to love and serve today and many things to learn and do. Pornographic behaviour is a time, energy, and occasionally financial waste. The book of Proverbs refers to a person acting like a fool rather than freely serving God. "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." (Rom. 6:12–13). You must pray, "So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Ps 90:12).
If you're married, participating in pornographic consumption is a betrayal of your spouse and your children. The genuine power and mystery of marriage, plus its apparent beauty, lies in the fact that it is a commitment made with and before a Holy God. But it is made not only despite the flaws that each spouse currently possesses, nor even because each spouse will undoubtedly change over time. But indulging in pornography can devastate your marriage. You've promised to be loyal to your spouse, but you're not. You are betraying them by being an adulterer. And you are forcing them to compete with the collection of obscene images you have been lusting after.
Pornography consumption ruins the mind and conscience by altering your perspective on sex. God gave the gift of sex for marriage. God created sex. Yet sex has become corrupted and perverted. Porn consumption alters how women are perceived. Women are human beings, made in the image of God and a magnificent display of his glory. Let's say your only appetite is for a woman's body. In that situation, rather than seeing women as fellow image-bearers, you will view them as sexual objects to gratify your sinful lusts.
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