“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
Matthew 5:27-30 ESV
I’m going to talk about pornography again. However, this principle is true of any addiction or sinful behavior.
Pornography is damaging for any person. I wrote about that before. You don’t have to have a Holy Spirit conviction to know it’s harmful, science alone can tell you that. While it’s damaging for everyone, it bears an even heavier weight in the life of a believer. In the scripture above, Jesus is talking about pornography, centuries before it became an epidemic on our society.
When a man and woman enter into a marriage covenant together, sex is theirs to enjoy. Outside of marriage, it causes spiritual, mental, and sometimes physical consequences. When Moses wrote “the two shall become one” (Genesis 2:24), he was speaking literally. You join lives together in flesh and spirit. In today’s world, we treat sex as a social activity. We have so perverted God’s design and intention. Men and women are reaping consequences of sins sewn they’re not even aware of.
In the scripture above, Jesus warns about even looking “with lustful intent”. Pornography is sin on so many levels. I can’t unpack them all in one post. Jesus drew a hard line. However, as I said before, there is forgiveness and freedom!
If you need help, seek accountability. Reach out.