A Perversion of a Gift from God

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body”  (1 Corinthians 6:18 NIV).

A Perversion of a Gift from God

I recently heard an interview with Rev. Levi Lusco. He was discussing his new book “Swipe Right.” The dating app Tinder provides pictures and basic information that people “looking to date” have uploaded of themselves. If the user swipes to the left of a particular image, then that means he or she is not interested. However, if you swipe to the right, that means you are interested and if the other person does the same thing to your picture, you are very likely going to have sex with them very soon.

You may ask what does that have to do with pornography?  They both are feeding a desire for sex in an immoral manner. Sex is a gift from God and its value decreases when it is approached with such a nonchalant attitude.

Pornography can be as addicting as any drug. Studies have shown that it releases endorphins in the brain which make it “feel good” when in fact it is actually harmful to the body and soul. In reality, it is the fruit of the enemy. Every relationship comes with a moral commitment; this commitment is absent in the relationships of the flesh.

Mark 7:15 tells us: “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” If you “feed” yourself with immorality, then what do you expect to come out of you? Christians are certainly not immune to pornography addition.  The same can be said for the clergy. Many of the millennial generations are products of divorced parents. They see no benefits of marriage and feed their desires through illicit relationships and pornography. Rev. Lusco stated that 1 out of 3 boys who are 13 years of age have a pornography problem. As men of the church, we must be the defenders of these young boys. We must explain to them why this behavior is harmful. The pleasure that they are feeling is not Godly and if they do get married later in life, they often report a less satisfying sex life, according to Rev. Lesko.

Do you recall the story in Genesis of Jacob and Esau? These were twin sons of Issac. Esau was the oldest by seconds and by right he held a higher position in the family. One day Esau returned to his brother, Jacob, and was famished from working in the fields. He begged his twin brother to give him some “red pottage” (stew). Jacob offered to give Esau a bowl of stew in exchange for his birthright (the right to be recognized as firstborn) and Esau agreed.

This is huge because the birthright has to do with the inheritance of both goods and positions. Esau acted impulsively, as he did not value his birthright over a bowl of lentil stew.  The lesson here is that your standards are low when your stomach is empty.  Esau gave into the desires of the flesh without thinking of the consequences.

Rev. Lusco advises that we do not overreact if we find our son or daughter looking at pornography. Do not shame them. Instead, calmly explain to them why this is wrong and why it is important to live in the Spirit rather than living in the flesh. My advice:  Keep your stomach full of Godly things and you will not have an appetite for impure things. Develop an accountability group of friends that form a barrier around you to keep the enemy out.

Prayer:  Dear God, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”  (Psalm 51:10 KJV).

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

We welcome your comments below.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.

Liked this post?

Read more below or search for more topics...

  • Opportunities Abound For Those Seeking Volunteer Roles With Christian Organizations

    Opportunities Abound For Those Seeking Volunteer Roles With Christian Organizations "The greatest among you will be your servant" (Matthew 23:11 NIV) Volunteer work should be seen as a hallmark of every good Christian’s character. Those who want to live a life in God’s good graces should feel compelled to help out their brothers and sisters around them. The next question then is how to get involved with a volunteer effort, as it’s often one of the only ways to accomplish the goodwill work that needs to be addressed in this world. Fortunately, there is no shortage of organizations that need volunteers. I would...
  • Healing A Broken Relationship

    Healing A Broken Relationship “If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God" (Matthew 5:23-24 NIV).One thing that is as certain as death and taxes is that others will let us down.  This can take many forms such as someone not living up to their end of an agreement, spreading gossip or taking advantage of our friendship.  It is natural to be...
  • An Identity Crisis Hurts Men and Families

    An Identity Crisis Hurts Men and Families Be Childlike, Not Immature: Embracing Childlike Faith and Humility“At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children” (Matthew 11:25 NIV).One of the most cherished Scriptures in the Bible is, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). Jesus clearly demonstrated a deep love for children. He wants us to embrace childlike faith and humility because children...