Forsaking the Path of Compromise
Compromise is the subtle practice of ever so slightly moving God’s boundaries. If it were a grand and obvious act of initial rebellion we might perceive the path before us. Instead we gradually compromise and permit sexual temptations to encamp and eventually move into our lives. Compromise does not beget nor produce integrity. Compromise produces more compromise and the next generation continues where we left off and before long we have completely forsaken God’s precepts.
Where's your stash?
You see whatever you “stash” away in your heart, you will protect and whatever you protect in your heart will consume you. For most of our hidden heart treasures these dangers are not as evident and are often masked through the deceptions of our culture. This is never more evident than with the use of pornography.
Liar!
We are all stained with a sinful nature and we all have the tendency to go with our natural bent. The Bible is full of good people who resorted to lies when the pressure got too intense. Finding freedom from any addiction begins with honesty but sometimes we need God to tear down our walls and expose his light into the dark dishonest places of our heart.
Squeezed!
You may be in a place of double-mindedness and realize the stress of these trials has left you shaky. The uncertainty of trying to serve the master of sexual sin and the Lord have left you shame and guilt filled. Before, there were brief interludes into the fantasy world of pornography where you believed you had control. The stress and uncertainty of today, however, have now accelerated its progression and frequency. The delusion of believing you were in control of the fantasy world has vanished and been replaced with despair and hopelessness. You realize your inability to cope with the stress of life before had only trained you to escape and medicate your discomfort. If you find yourself in this place, it is not too late because our God is the God of true hope and His hope doesn’t disappoint.
Be Still
Many of you reading this feel as if you are in your own cave of despair. You may have started your time in this cave by trying to stay busy but every time you turn on the news the despair only deepens. You may have already started your own personal pity party while lying under your tree of loneliness and hopelessness. You may have tried to run away from your situation by binge watching Netflix shows or escaping into the fantasy world of pornography.
Constructing an Idol (Part 3) Collecting Green Stamps
Constructing an Idol (part 2) Medicating Pain
When our pain is minimized or maximized, then Satan lies in wait to sell us the quick fix and instant feel good escape of the fantasy world of sexual sin. We either learn to escape, medicate and avoid our pain or we learn to walk through it and grow in our faith and trust in the One who bore this pain upon the cross.
Constructing an Idol- Part One
We are still in the idol constructing business and that has never been clearer than in the world of pornography and sexual fantasy. God wired into all humans a worship drive of which was intended to be placed upon and occupied by Him and Him alone. Sexual idols are constructed in the compartmentalized and disconnected regions of our brain and reinforced through the lies by which we protect it.
This One Area
I have thought about his statement through the years and realize this is how most Christians live out their lives. We justify and minimize our favorite sin while comparing it to more “serious” sins. We compartmentalize it away from the process of sanctification and avoid scripture that makes us uncomfortable. We preform works based mathematics to balance the books and minimize our shame and guilt.