★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Lust (Part 3a) ★

Our Temptation Series continues today with us unpacking how to avoid the Consequences of Lust. If you have missed the previous posts, we first introduced the series using Abraham’s Nephew “Lot” as a case study (you can click here to catch up). We then studied Noah and the trap of alcohol and drugs (click here.) This Thought will delve into an equally harmful pitfall which you may initially think is harmless but can easily go terribly wrong. Initially I thought we would be able to cover the temptation of Lust in this post but since it is such a broad topic, we will split this one in to a Part A and B. We will touch upon (3) areas which are interconnected as each enticement results in a subsequent escalating behavior that can destroy lives whether it is one’s reputation, relationships, and even employment. Three outlets of Lust that can result are…Pornography, Promiscuity and Adultery. There definitely are many other deviant behaviors that can be unleashed if Lust is unfettered but we will not venture into that darkness.

The Barna Research Group published an article called “New Research Explores the Changing Shape of Temptation” on January 25, 2013 and here is some of their findings from a study they conducted:

“Though sexual sins are nothing new, viewing pornography online continues to escalate and take on new forms as the Internet and social media evolve. Nearly one in five Americans (18%) say they are tempted to view pornography or sexually inappropriate content online.”

Now before we get started, I just want to make sure we are all on the same page…Pornography can be movies, pictures, magazines, books, etc. that show or describe naked people or sex for arousal. It used to be that you had to go to newsstand to buy a pornographic magazine or go into a seedy X-rated store to purchase videos but the dawn of the internet changed everything. Now pornographic content is available to anyone who has access to a computer, tablet or cell phone. My prayer for today is that if the area of Sexual Integrity has been compromised in your life, that God would open your eyes to the dangers of giving into lustful or fleshly desires. I pray that because you may be reading this post and not even think that Lust or viewing pornography as something to be avoided. Here are two shocking statistics from another article published from the Barna Research study called the “The Porn Phenomenon”:

Source: “Teens & Young Adults Use Porn More Than Anyone Else,” January 28, 2016

Not recycling is more immoral than viewing porn!!!! How far down has our world degraded too??!! But even though the culture may view it as not a big deal, the Word of God has a much different viewpoint… 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (ESV) commands:

In our last post ★ Thought for the Day – The End is Near…? ★, we discussed that in the End Times there will be Godlessness and rampant immorality, but that God sent Jesus to rescue us from Satan’s stranglehold in every area of life including Lust. We are to glorify God with our body and when we go down the dark road of pornography, promiscuity is a natural result. A simple way of defining promiscuity is having sex before marriage and potentially with multiple partners. Maybe you’re reading this and thinking: “What’s wrong with that? Shouldn’t we experiment before marriage to know what we like?” I know that is how I felt and that is exactly the trap that Satan sets through pornography and he will use any medium available. I read this quote from Jimmy Evans who nailed it when he said:

“Movies, television, magazines, and the Internet all display glamorized views of sexual immorality. They don’t show the disease. They don’t show the heartache that always results. They just show the fun—and it makes us feel like we’re missing out.” Source: “The Secrets of Lifelong Passion and Intimacy”

Everywhere we look sexual immorality is celebrated with no consequences or repercussions. “If it makes you feel good, go ahead and try it,” or “click here to see what everyone’s talking about…” FOMO reigns supreme! “Fear Of Missing Out” is not a new idea, it started back in Garden of Eden when Satan first planted the seed of doubt (see Genesis 3:1,) and it is alive and well today! The antidote to Satan’s venom is the truth that is found in the Word of God. Romans 13:13-14 (NLT) offers this for those who believe in Jesus:

“Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.”

It always comes back to a choice. We have to choose not to place ourselves in a vulnerable position by engaging in wild parties with alcohol and drugs because our inhibitions are greatly diminished. Many use Satan as a scapegoat, saying “The Devil made me do it.” And while it is true that he uses pornography to entrap people, James 1:14-15 (NLT) clearly shows that:

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”

James was Jesus’ little brother so who better to instruct us right? It is our decision to whether we yield to what the Devil puts in front of us and when we do the consequences can be life changing. That is why understanding the destructive nature of pornography is key to have victory in the area of sexual integrity. But that will never happen if we don’t at first understand that pornography is just a worthless counterfeit of what God’s plan for Marriage which inevitably will lead to promiscuity. Sex is intended to be the glue to unite a man and woman in a covenantal relationship. Unfortunately long before they say “I do,” pornography distorts and pollutes the intimacy that was to be enjoyed between a husband and wife. When we give into the temptation of lust, we are trading beauty for filth which I know all too well. Like that statistic above, I was exposed to pornography around 12 years old and I was hooked. Long before I accepted Jesus and way too young to really process just what I was seeing, Satan was like a boa constrictor that just squeezing and squeezing the life from me. It repulses me to think of all garbage I allowed before my eyes and I wish I had never seen it. But there is hope! Regardless of what culture may say, people can and do change if they are willing to put the work.

Psalms 119:9-11 (NLT) says:

“How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. I have tried hard to find you — don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Too easy? Perhaps but I truly believe that reading God’s Word, the Bible is the way to overcome Satan’s plans of corruption. You cannot just right over and over “I will not sin” on a chalkboard like in school or “will yourself” not to give into temptation thinking that your strong enough to resist. I cannot tell you how many times I thought that but ended up failing. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NLT) warns…

“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

And Proverbs 16:18 (ESV) says:

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

The first step is recognizing that there is a problem and then establishing the proper boundaries. Tomorrow we will look into the “man after God’s own heart” who allowed the lust in his heart to go unabated. I will close with this advice from Woodrow Kroll of how to gain victory in life…

“Like our cell phone, Satan has an app for everything. He specializes in getting us off focus. Now the way to refocus is to set everything else aside, shut everything else out of our life. Sit done, sit still, open our Bible, and begin to absorb what God has for us. This doesn’t have to take hours but the more we focus on God and His Word the more we lose focus on the things that Satan tempts us with.”

Here is part B of this post which is the next installment of the Temptation Series called:

★ Thought for the Day – Avoiding the Consequences of Lust (Part 3b) ★

If you’re interested in digging deeper, check out:

★ Thought for the Day – Stay the Course ★

★ Act Like Men – “Before the Fall” ★

Resources for those struggling with Sexual Integrity