Profit and Loss

Most businesses’ success or failure is dictated by what happens with their profit and loss margins. To keep on top of the numbers, your accounting people will provide you with routine P&L reports. It’s a fairly simple assessment. If your losses are greater than your profit for an extended period then you can’t keep your doors open. Some companies have been known to “cook the books” through camouflaging and hiding losses but eventually the business fails. Other companies will ignore loss trends until it is too late. I once worked for the world’s largest provider of in-patient psychiatric care. Their years of “cooking the books” and ignoring loss trends eventually caught up with them and they no longer exist.

If the numbers for pornography use and sexual sin are anywhere close to reality then the church has been in the “loss column” for years. Businesses know there is an acceptable level of losses during a fiscal year when they can see an upward trend in profits. What is the acceptable level of loss regarding sexual sin? Do we believe there will be an upward trend without any type of intervention? Maybe if we ignore the problem it will go away. Years ago, I became concerned hearing younger generations proclaim “that’s just not that big of a deal to us” regarding the issue of sexual sin. That generation is now adults with families of their own. Has the church adopted the same mind set?

Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.

Revelation 2:20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

The churches at Pergamos and Thyatira were warned about allowing sexual immorality into the church. Their approach of it not being a big deal had created stumbling blocks for the people and toleration of false and corrupt teaching. The church at Pergamos is often labeled “The compromising church” while Thyatira as the “Corrupt church.” Jesus encouraged them with the message of “whoever has an ear, let him hear.” They did not hear. Their compromising and corruption continued and these churches no longer exist.

So what is the solution? Let’s first begin by looking in the mirror. Have you chosen a path of compromise regarding sexual sin? Has that corrupted your walk with the Lord? Are you ignoring the loss column of what it has taken from you? Are you “cooking your books” through your good works and works based righteousness? Maybe today is the day you draw a line in the sand and say “no more.” Maybe today is the day you ask for help and cry out to the Lord of Hope. Let’s start a revival and renewal in the church regarding sexual sin and let it begin with each one of us today.

Jonathan Jones, President and Founder of Perfect Hope Ministries