QUESTION:
I am addicted to porn, what must I do? I don't feel comfortable, I feel the conviction of the Holy spirit, I feel horrible, I know what I am doing is wrong ,I know I can't please God by watching porn. Do I need to stop watching porn?
MY ANSWER:
Hey *****,
1st Peter 2:11, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul."
I always think of a great MP3 sermon I heard years ago by Pastor Jack Hyles, titled, "Iron Yoke Makers"...http://www.jesusisprecious.org/sermons/audio/jack_hyles/iron_yoke-makers.mp3
Abstaining from the lusts of the flesh is a yoke of wood, and frustrating; but indulging in sin brings a yoke of iron, which no man can bear. America's prison are filled with men who could not control their lusts and passions, and it all began with looking where their eyes should not have been looking. The lusts of the eyes and flesh are amongst the most dangerous of life's temptations.
Pastor Steven Anderson preached a helpful video sermon titled, "Prostitution And Pornography"...Pastor Dan Meaders preached this helpful MP3 sermon titled, "Pornography"...
http://www.dividedbytruth.org/sermons/dan_meaders/pornography.mp3
I read a lot of history. William Guy Carr was a commander in the Canadian navy for 20 years. When he retired, he authored many prolific books including, Pawns In The Game, freely available on my website. Here are some quotes taken from his book, explaining how Luciferians use the lusts of the flesh to control and compromise people. ...
http://www.jesusisprecious.org/evils_in_america/devils_music/taylor_swift_and_satanism.htm
Online smut is so prevalent and bad these days, that Playboy no longer promotes their nakedness...
http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/52824-why-i-am-lamenting-playboys-decision-to-nix-nudity
I use a solid black background on both of my computers. In the center of both screens I have a cross that I formed by using 6 icons. These crosses constantly remind me that I am a Christian and I need to be careful where I go on the internet. In addition, police, government and hackers KNOW everywhere you go on your computer, and such traces CAN be used against you by authorities if you ever get into any legal trouble. It is a dangerous thing these days. But, moreover, God sees what we see, and we must give account to Him in eternity. Hebrews 3:13 warns against being "hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." This means that the more we tolerate sin in our life, the less sinful it seems, and we progress downward into worse sins. No one goes into deep sin all at once; but rather, there is always a progression of wrong thinking. Choosing to look at filth is wrong thinking, which undermines one's character.
I want peace with God in my life, which I cannot have if I knowingly indulge in sinful things. I love the great hymn which goes, "Nothing between me and my Savior." When I live clean, I feel clean. I speak of personal righteousness, which is not salvation. We are saved by God's imputed righteousness, which is solely through faith in Christ (Philippians 3:9). Surely, it is NEVER okay to look at the nakedness of others, except in situations where a doctor would need to examine a patient, or a person would need to bathe a loved one who is an invalid. The human body is sacred to God, and ought to be to us as well. Only married persons should see each other's nakedness. The cure for looking at dirty images is to get married. Every man should have his own wife to love and care for. Song of Solomon teaches that a man ought to find satisfaction from his own wife. It seems that most men have to learn life the hard way, and we all do to some extent.
Looking at dirty images stirs unholy passions which cannot be fulfilled apart from sinning, unless one is married, but looking at such images is evidence that a man (or woman) is not content with what God has given to them. Dirty images are destroying America and the world. Either way, lusting upon the nakedness of others to whom we are not married is sinful. The Lord warned that to lust upon a woman is adultery (Matthew 5:28).I hope that helps a bit.
Have a good day!
After answering my web visitor's important question, he wrote back to me and wanted a more direct answer, saying:
QUESTION:
Should I stop watching porn?
I really want to stop this bad habit.
Here is my second much more direct, but kind, response to his question...
MY ANSWER:
Hey *****,
Kindly, I thought my previous response made it very clear where I stood on the matter of indecent images and public nudity. Yes, of course you should stop looking at them. But more importantly than what I think is what God thinks. Could any man honestly ask God if he ought to stop looking at adulterous images? Of course he should not look at them! I don't know why you require such a bold and direct answer, when my previous response very clearly answers the question; however, if you need a bolder answer my friend, you have it. Dr. Jack Hyles used to say that men can still have clean minds in the year 2,000! I agree with him.
It is great that you desire to stop looking at such ungodly images. Admitting that one has a problem is half the battle. Most people refuse to see and admit that they need to change something. So I commend you as your Christian brother. I do not judge you in the least way. We all have faults and shortcomings and things that need improvement in our lives. I highly recommend using the helpful resources in my previous reply, which are invaluable to edify your mind and heart in this battle. 2nd Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." When a Christian man has an unwholesome image from an immodestly dressed woman, or an indecent photo enter into his mind, and a thought of lust enters into the mind, he must immediately seize that thought, casting it down, bringing his mind into submission to obedience to God's Word. If a wrong thought enters, you must right away say in your heart, "No, God does not want me to think that way, I refuse to go there, I want to please the Lord, so I am not going to dwell upon this unholy thought."
Living a holy life is a daily struggle, not a one time victory. You'll battle with sinful thoughts until the day you die, because of the flesh. However, as we choose to do right, our character is strengthened. Bob Jones Sr. used to wisely say, "Behind every tragedy in human character is a slow process of wicked thinking." I am just as much of a sinner as you are, and so is every preacher and Christian and human being. James 2:10 says if a person breaks even one of God's commandments, they are guilty of breaking ALL. That is, everyone is a sinner. There is no such thing as a good sinner, or a little sinner. We are all horrible sinners in the sight of the Lord, the God of the Holy Bible.
As I said, half the battle is desiring to have the victory, so you are half way there. You need to avoid places where you know that you will be tempted, like public places where women don't dress properly. I have a cross on both of my computer desktops, which reminds me that I am a Christian. If television is a temptation for you, don't watch it. The best way to avoid temptation is to stay busy working and doing something constructive, like music or gardening. The lusts of the flesh is one of the strongest of all temptations. Different people have different areas of weakness. Many men struggle with lust (and women also). The prisons are filled with such people, who cannot control themselves, lacking "temperance" (self control), which is a "fruit" of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25).
I encourage you ****** to listen to lots of Bible preaching. Once a man has started looking at dirty images it is very difficult to stop, since a precedent has been set. As I mentioned in my previous reply, we all have a choice to make as men between wearing a yoke of wood or a yoke of iron. I choose to wear a much lighter yoke of wood upon my shoulder, knowing in my heart that God is pleased with me. 1st Peter 2:11 says the lusts of the flesh "war against the soul." In our wicked world today, it is impossible to avoid seeing things we ought not see, but we can purpose in our heart like Daniel not to defile our selves with it. Living for God is an INDIVIDUAL decision. I cannot choose to do right for others, but I can do so for myself. And others cannot choose to do right for me. Pray and ask God for strength in this matter. We can live right if we choose to! God never commands us to do the impossible.
Keep your eyes open for the Lord's return. Colossians 3:1-3 tells us to set our mind upon "things above" where Christ sits on the Father's right hand. Looking for the Lord's return encourages us to be pure, as He is pure. ...1st John 3:2-3, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
I hope that helps.
Have a good day!
