Last week, a number of our pastors traveled to the great state of Iowa for our annual Pastor’s Conference. One of the conference speakers spoke on the unbelievable danger that pornography presents to our society. It impacts everyone: men, women, spouses, parents, and children.
Obviously, pornography is a threat to having a pure thought life. I think of Jesus’ words, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” — Matthew 5:27-28
The conference speaker also said that viewing pornography could lead to the greater temptation to have an actual physical or emotional affair with another person. That reminded me of those sobering verses, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” — James 1:14-15
Sin will ultimately (and always) lead to death. Church, we can never forget that truth when we are tempted to sin with pornography (or other sins). A couple days before hearing that teaching, I read “So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life.” — Proverbs 2:16-19
Church, sin is always a life and death choice. May God give us the grace to honor Him with our choices related to pornography (and other sins) and may He protect us from choices that may cause death!
Josh
Posted in A Word from the Pastor