What's Wrong with Pornography?

What's Wrong with Pornography?

As you might have guessed; I love words. Being an investigative photojournalist and author, there’s nothing I like more than sinking my teeth into a new story; a new topic of discussion. I also like numbers. Now, I can’t say I’m better than average at numbers, but if numbers crop up in my investigations, I’ll follow the evidence and trace the clues.

Not all that long ago I was listening to a clip by Derek Prince, who taught philosophy until he became a Christian. Prince then taught on faith, marriage and spiritual warfare, amongst many other Christian related topics. In this particular clip Prince mentioned masturbation. He said if you’re doing it: “Don’t!” At the time I didn’t think anything of it.

More recently Christian Vision wrote that in the UK a survey revealed 75% of Christian men and 35% of Christian women regularly look at pornography. Those numbers seemed incredibly high for men and women of God who are supposed to be following God’s word; possessing a sanctified vessel and not one of lusts of the flesh. And so, I stopped to consider.

I just happened to be reading 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 at this time; For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honour. An interesting area of bible study at this time, I thought to myself, as questions arose in my mind.

Why are those numbers on pornography so high? Why did Mr Prince tell his students/parishioners not to masturbate? This all came about in my prayer and study period, as I was reading Thessalonians. And so, as I was engaged with God already at that time, I had to ask the questions. It is kind of a topic with a difference. Not one I’ve ever had to consider before. Still, surprisingly, I put those questions to God. More surprisingly, God answered immediately.

Turns out, I felt Him say (for this was more an impression, than a spoken word), masturbation is not a lot different to taking drugs. First you start with a little weed (the gateway drug). Then the effects wear off and you find you need harder and harder drugs to get high, until you’re totally addicted and unable to break free.

Masturbation is the gateway drug, so to speak, into perversity. Pornography is the next step. These are the gateways to abuse and immorality, which then goes that step further to objectify and sexualises mainly women and children, but occasionally, also men. These acts are not only demeaning and vile, they also contribute to domestic violence, teaching that women and children are unworthy, valuable only as sexual objects.

Finally, after you’ve been doing this for some time, you become hardened and as you become hardened, you fail to hear God’s voice. In God’s eyes you’re now reprobate; a degenerate, a sinner. God will let you go so far, and then no more. You need to turn back to God, before it’s too late and He steps aside.

Masturbation is deemed perverse in the bible. And while in biblical times pornography wasn’t invented, the Greek word porneia (although not taken to mean pornography), is often translated as sexual immorality. This immorality is degrading and disloyal to the other entity of the partnership. The bible clearly has only one view on this topic. We too should hold the bible’s one view as our own – sexual immorality is sin.

Titus 1:16; They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient and disqualified for every good work.

Hebrews 6:8; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

It wasn’t my intention to write on this topic, however I felt strongly led to do so. These high numbers are hurting the church’s profile and it needs to stop. God is only coming back for a pure church, not a perverted and reprobate church.

Say “no” to the sin, for we are not condemned. Surrender to God. There is a way forward and it’s only in taking one step back. To use an idiom by John Barnett: “Take one step back and repent, then you can move forward once again in confidence.”

This is a pardonable sin, unlike the one and only unpardonable sin; the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Any other sin can be forgiven, if we take one step back and repent. I implore you to do so at this time. Don’t delay. Don’t put it off. Do it now. Father forgive me, for I have sinned…….