Porn has become almost ubiquitous in our society, it’s everywhere, just behind the scenes. An estimated 50% of Christian men struggle with porn addiction at some point in their life (including pastors), and the last number I heard for women was 30% and climbing. So, if you are struggling with this, and you think you’re alone, think again.
Add to this the numbers from reading erotic literature, and almost no one is left untouched by the vice of pornography. If it’s not you, it’s likely your spouse, if not both of you.
Unfortunately, it’s become a growing trend to fight fire with fire, as it were. In the last week, I’ve been approached by two people. One is a new marriage blogger that is promoting “Christian erotic literature” to married couples in an effort to get them to quit porn use. The other is an author who released a three book series depicting “Christian erotic literature”, so that Christians can have their porn as well.
When I received these emails, I was appalled, and my mind immediately jumped to this verse:
When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”
Matthew 12:43-45 (ESV)
These Christians are misleading couples into thinking that they can replace pornography with “Christian” pornography. So, while they are trying to kick their vice, of exorcising their demons, as it were, instead of filling the house with something good, something godly, they have taken porn, slapped a Jesus sticker on it and thrown it back in. And that Jesus sticker is the insidious part. At least when you were watching “normal” porn, or “normal” erotic literature, you knew it was wrong. At least, you did if you were trying to quit. But now, you have a “Christ approved” version that, if you are still young in your ability to spiritually discern, nicely sidesteps your God given conviction on the subject by telling you “It’s okay, He’s already approved it, it’s Christian porn”.
Pornography (n) – printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings.
Please, I implore you, do not be taken in by this counterfeit. Satan will always try to twist Christianity in order to bring it closer to the rest of the world, and this is just another attempt in a long line of counterfeits that slowly water down Christianity, until it’s hard to recognize where the line is.
What should you replace porn with?
So, what should you fill your “empty house” with? How do you quit porn the proper way? Well, how about fill it with the one you’ve invited to live inside of you, if you identify as Christian.
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? – 1 Corinthians 3:16
God has promised that He will send His Spirit to dwell in us, but there are some conditions:
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. – John 14:23
Love God, keep His word (the Bible). That’s it. Like so many thing in Christianity, the answer is simple … living it out is hard. So, how do you quit porn the proper way? Invite God into your heart to replace it by loving him, and keeping to the teachings of the Bible. This book is a manual for your life. Yes, it also teaches you the path to salvation, but honestly, that’s a fairly minor part of the Bible (in terms of content, not significance). The vast majority of the Bible is a guide to teach you how to live here on Earth. So, read it, follow it, build your relationship with God, and He will help you in this struggle.
Your Turn
Have you seen this trend of people producing “Christian porn”? What are your thoughts?