Consider a quote of Paul David Tripp in his book “Dangerous Calling” (page 21):
- “No one is more influential in your life than you are, because no one talks to your more than you do.”
- “Whether you realize it or not, you are in an unending conversation with yourself and the things you say to you about you are formative in the way you live.”
- “You are constantly talking to yourself about your identity, your spirituality, your functionality, your emotionality, your mentality, your personality, your relationship etc.”
- “You are constantly preaching to yourself some kind of gospel…”
Let’s address the silent destroyer of men, marriages and manhood.
John Piper’s blog on October 9, 2013; Pornography: The New Narcotic
“To make matters worse, there are 1.9 million cocaine users, and 2 million heroin users, in the United States compared to 40 million regular users of online pornography.”
John Piper is quoted in World Magazine (October 19, 2013 edition, pg. 54) that there are four problems with porn: 1). It is unloving to the women pictured, 2) it is adulterous, 3) it is destructive to man’s soul, 4) It is destructive to man’s capacity to see God
I personally would add that it is destructive to man’s ability to fear God!!
Consider these: you can become addicted to porn in three to four weeks (this used to take nine to twelve months before the advent of the internet.
There are almost 1.5 billion searches for internet porn in the first eight months of 2013
Read 1 Peter: 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Plea for Purity
1Thessalonians 4:1-8
Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.
- God has a calling on everyone’s life, and that calling must begin with a brotherhood of believers. None of us should be living our calling in a vacuum!
“Finally then brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus, that you should abound more and more.”
- There must be a heeding, following, search, and keeping (Psalm 119: 9-11) on the part of every man called by God.
- There must be an admission of need by each man
Jeremiah 17: 9-10: The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.[1]
Psalms 139: 23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.[2]
Romans 7: 24-25: O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Question: who can deliver me from this dead body of Porn? Asked and Answered!!
- God has a calling on every leader’s life and that calling must involve a teachable spirit.
1 Thessalonians 3: 9.10: For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?
There must be a willingness to allow godly men to speak into your life.
Allow others to “perfect” your faith: Proverbs 27 17 “As iron sharpens iron” So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.[3]
Allow others to look you in the eye!
Proverbs 27:19 As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man.
Allow others to model and mentor you. “Just as your received from us”
1 Thessalonians 4:1
- God’s has a calling on everyone’s life and that calling is for sanctification!!
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8: For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.
- Get up, Get out, and Get pure!!
Hebrews 13:4-6: Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
- Take action: Follow the “that’s”
- That you should abstain from sexual immorality!
- That each of you should know how to possess his own vessel!
- That no one should take advantage of or defraud his brother (porn is not a victimless sin, “I am not hurting anyone”, “I am the only person involved)”
John Volvood “The brother here is most likely another human, not necessarily another Christian male. This seems clear from the fact that this person is a victim of illicit sex. Sexual immorality wrongs the partner in the forbidden act by involving him or her in behavior contrary to God’s will and therefore under His judgment. Two or more people practicing sex out of God’s will are calling God’s wrath down on themselves (Hebrews 13:4). The initiator of the act takes advantage of his partner in sin by fanning the fire of passion till self-control is lost.
- Watch out!!
- God is not happy when we take Him for granted!
1 Corinthians 10:1-6: Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
Galatians 6: 7-8: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
- Don’t be rejecting!! 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8: For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.
For sure the uncleanness of pornography is NOT God’s calling for you.
Numbers 32:23: But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.
Application:
Talk yourself into this: It is the will of God the He give testimony of us to Satan!
Job 2:3: Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”
- Our spiritual walk should be worthy of God’s consideration. “Have you considered: (insert you name here)”?
- Our spiritual walk should be worthy of God’s recommendation. “Have you considered my servant: (insert your name here)”?
- Our spiritual walk should be worthy of God’s observation. “There is none like (insert your name here) in all the earth!”
- Our spiritual walk should be worthy of God’s accolades. “(insert your name here) (is) a blameless and upright man!
- Our spiritual walk should be worthy of God’s testimony: “One (insert your name here) who fears God and shuns evil”
Proverbs 8:13: The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
Proverbs 36:4: He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil.
- Our spiritual walk should be worthy of God’s nomination of us for active duty!! “And still he (insert your name here) holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him to destroy him without cause.”
Men of God, heed the plea for purity, let us practice daily, Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Je 17:9–10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[2] The New King James Version. (1982). (Ps 139:23–24). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[3] The New King James Version. (1982). (Pr 27:17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.