Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Hosea 10: 12—13:
12 “Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.”
13 “You have plowed wickedness;
You have reaped iniquity.
You have eaten the fruit of lies,
Because you trusted in your own way,
In the multitude of your mighty men.”
In the annals of pornography addiction, there exists a cyclic component (discussed in an earlier blog) that needs to be broken before behavior changes can be expected. Central to the discussion of pornography and addiction is the term “His Majesty the Baby.” Apparently, there is now recognized a list of personality characteristics such as impulsivity, narcissism, instant gratification, infantile demands, avoidance of pain, and a “quick fix” mentality that identify the struggles germane to porn addiction. These characteristics all come under the umbrella of control. Two researchers (Griffin-Shelly, 1993, p. 13) states that “His Majesty the Baby” is about operating in one’s own strength to get what you want when you want it.” God inspired Hosea to write in Hosea 10:13 “…you trusted in your own way (NIV— “in your own strength”).
Fast forward to our blog #9, His Majesty the Baby. If we are to experience the abundant life of John 10:10, we must be willing break up our fallow or unplowed ground. We must admit and grasp the truth that we’ve grown accustomed to our lack of self-control. We’ve learned to sow seeds of intimidation and manipulation in order to reap iniquity (NIV—evil) and eat the fruit of lies (NIV—deception). This we do because we depend on our own strength.
Keeping with the sowing and reaping genre, Jerry Bridges (author of Pursuit of Holiness) writes “Our minds are mental greenhouses where unlawful thoughts, once planted, are nurtured and watered before being transplanted into the real world of unlawful actions… These actions are savored in the mind long before they are enjoyed in reality. The thought life, then, is our first line of defense in the battle of self-control.”
Dr. Charles Stanley (The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKVJ pg. 280) states “Every farmer understands the meaning of this principle: We reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow.” Dr. Stanley goes in h