I came across an article this morning that reported on a study being done in Canada that captured my attention. It read this way:
A study into how porn affects men had to be scrapped and radically rethought after experts failed to find any young men who had not watched it.
Originally researchers at the University of Montreal wanted to compare the behavior of men who viewed sexually explicit material with those who had never looked at it all.
Professor Simon Louis Lajeunesse says he had to drastically rethink his study after failing to find any male volunteers who had never viewed porn.
‘The objective of my work is to observe the impact of pornography on the sexuality of men, and how it shapes their perception of men and women,’ Lajeunesse said.
‘We started our research seeking men in their twenties who had never consumed pornography but we couldn't find any.1
NORMAL IS NOT ACCEPTABLE
At some level I am not surprised. We have all heard the alarming statistics related to pornography. Most men, as well as an increasing number of women, have been directly, deeply and destructively impacted by this reality. That’s not only true of Canadians, or “those people” outside of the larger Church or even outside of our little church. That is true of most, if not all of us personally. It can be easy to gloss over stories, statistics, reports and details while depersonalizing all of them. We have so normalized pornography culturally that it is addressed regularly in films and TV shows humorously, as if the corruption of our minds and desires, and the erosion of our relationships and our souls is a punch line.
Pornography promises pleasure and it’s potency lies in that it delivers in the short term. The nature of sin is always to satisfy in short-term in order to enslave for the long-term. But what we find gratifying to our flesh for a moment is grievous to the heart of God.
Modern sensibilities, especially as portrayed in TV and film, preach that viewing pornography is normative, acceptable and even to be expected. Such shamelessness in the face of such shameful behavior is the result of God’s wrath according to Romans 1, whereby God gives us over to “dishonorable passions” and a “debased mind.” This is the fruit of what the Bible classifies as a “seared” (1 Tim. 4:2) and “defiled” (1 Cor. 8:7) conscience, when we condone what God condemns and affirm what He forbids.
DON'T TRUST YOURSELF
Obviously, lust, adultery, sexual immorality and the like are addressed throughout the pages of Scripture, most often with the command to flee from them. (i.e. Gen. 39, Proverbs 7, Matt. 5:27-30, 1 Cor. 6:18, 1 Thes. 4:3, 2 Tim. 2:22) The hearts of humanity have always been inclined to illicit pleasures however subtle they may be. That is not new in our day and time. What is still a pretty recent development is the the availability to and accessibility of indulging those illicit pleasures, of which every one of us is prone toward.
Proverbs warns repeatedly against the “adulterous woman” and the “prostitute”. Understand, that that warning applies to digital images and streaming videos a click away. Like the prostitute in Proverbs, “she is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay home; now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies.” (Prov. 7:10-12) This “woman” is crying out every time you turn on the television, the computer, and your smart phone. She is in every magazine, in most advertisements, and in view in virtually every public place. She does not require personal interaction, a detailed imagination, or any significant investment of your time and energy. She only needs a fleshly appetite, an internet connection and a moment of weakness. This is not an if temptation comes issue, it is a when temptation comes issue. You are vulnerable. I am vulnerable. But the Spirit He has made to live inside of us is vigilant.
DO TRUST JESUS
Christian, you are not a slave to those desires any longer and you need not put those shackles on again. You are God’s sons and daughters, pure and blameless before Him because of Christ, who died on the cross for your viewing habits on a 3.5-inch screen.
Men and women of God, your identity is neither as a victim of what others have done to you, nor as a villain for what you have done or what is in your heart to do. Jesus Christ has triumphed over sin and His victory is now your victory. By His power and grace at work in you, you can make war on the shameful desires that have formerly ruled over you. You can resist the siren call and run toward Christ for lasting satisfaction by the Spirit of God who lives in you, and who testifies to your heart that Jesus is better. So let the old man lie in his grave, and let the grace of God which saved you while you were in your sins lead you into the holy life that already defines you.
1 Article by David McCormack published online at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2261377/Porn-study-scrapped-researchers-failed-ANY-20-males-hadn-t-watched-it.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
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