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Is Porn Norm?
Rev. George C. Scipione
First published in Evangelium, Vol.3, Issue
4.
Several years ago, Faith Popcorn, America’s foremost trend
expert, hailed by the
New York Times as the “trend oracle” and as the “Nostradamus of
marketing” by Fortune magazine, declared, “Porn is norm.” She
was not endorsing pornography, but predicting that media
technology would push the limits of what is acceptable and would
facilitate a culture of instant gratification; thus porn would
be the norm. True to her prediction, pornography has moved out
of the back allies of the urban scene and onto the main streets
of America.
While most Internet businesses were going bankrupt, the porn
industry was raking in huge profits, making it perhaps the most
profitable business on the Internet. In the past, one had to
travel to sleazy backstreets to find porn; now, it’s only a
click away on the computer and on the remote control of the
cable/satellite TV. Easy, private and nobody knows … except God.
At home or in the hotel, porn is private, available and
acceptable. Some estimate that as much as 70% of in-room hotel
profits come from porn and that over 50% of hotel patrons
participate. As people consume it in private, porn becomes the
norm and goes public.
Whether it’s the infamous Super Bowl incident or the recent
Paris Hilton hamburger commercial, porn is seducing its way into
the mainstream. The church needs to be on guard against this
tsunami of trash. As it inundates our culture, it is also
seeping into our churches. Shepherds must be vigilant and use
the rod and staff to defeat this enemy and guard Christ’s sheep.
A Reality in the Church
I can hear you protest, “That’s the pagan world, not the
church!” Are you sure? My personal experience and my pastoral
experience have taught me otherwise. I’ve been ordained for over
thirty years. I’ve served as pastor in two congregations, as a
theological professor and as a biblical counselor. The threat is
real, present and dangerous. It is much worse now than thirty
years ago. While I do more counseling than most pastors, I have
discovered that my experience is typical of dozens of other
pastors, as I’ve talked with them, prayed with them and advised
them on numerous cases.
Personally, on our home computer, spam (unsolicited mass
e-mail) has included pornography pushing heterosexual sins,
homosexuality, bestiality, and sadomasochism. Yes, ancient Rome
would love this technological bonanza; Sodom would shout for joy
as sin becomes so simple. Dear saints, we are slouching towards
Gomorrah. As Professor Peter Jones has shown well, we have
degenerated into a Roman Empire of pagan passions.
(1) As a pastor of a local congregation and a seminary professor,
I’ve counseled pastors and members of evangelical and Reformed
churches enslaved to porn—single and married men, men and women
struggling with homosexuality, fornicators, adulterers, victims
and perpetrators of sexual molestation, cross-dressers,
transsexuals, and other unmentionable perversions. Porn, with
the rare exception, is always involved. I have never dealt with
a sex offender who was not deeply enslaved to porn.
(2) The Biblical Solution
To paraphrase a line from our history, “Heaven—we have a
problem!” But we have a powerful, loving, sovereign Savior who
rules and reigns in heaven! He has the answers to this dilemma
and is more than willing to help us overcome the enemy of our
souls and live pure, victorious lives in this evil and perverse
generation (Phil 2:14-16). The solution is twofold. First, we
must define these sins biblically. Second, we must biblically
define God’s solution to these sins.
Porn, and the lusts triggered or deepened by it, are sins.
But they are sins in specific ways. Such understanding is
necessary to defeat these enemies. First, they are self-centered
perversions of God’s design of human sexuality as part of the
image of God and as a good gift to one’s spouse, (Gen 1, 2; 1
Cor 7). Second, they run contrary to reality and involve vain
imaginations of the worst sort (Prov 17:24). Thus sexuality is
depersonalized and degraded into mental and physical
self-stimulation. Third, they involve coveting, a violation of
the tenth Commandment (Eph 5:3-5). There are clear connections
between sexual sins, coveting and idolatry. Lust, at the core,
is worship of the creature instead of the Creator and the
neglect of the good of others. The two great commandments are
sacrificed on the altar of self-love. Thus, when a man turns to
porn, he says at least three things: one, the Father’s love, the
Son’s sacrifice and the Spirit’s fellowship are not enough; two,
sexual love of spouse—present or future—is not enough; three,
“I’m lord and king over me and can care for myself.”
On the one hand, the world’s view is that porn and lust are
not serious problems, since, after all, “Everybody (almost)
indulges.” On the other hand, our culture has little hope of
change for sex offenders who engage in criminal behavior. But we
Christians know better. The gospel of God’s free, sovereign
grace through the life and death of Jesus the Messiah is the
only effective answer to these sins.
What does the gospel say about these lusts? What would a
pastoral approach to them look like? Is there any realistic hope
for victory? Let’s try to summarize a biblical plan of care. I
believe there must be at least the following seven things in a
biblical pastoral plan that will result, LORD willing, in the
renewal of a soul scorched by sexual sin: regeneration, renewed
repentance and faith, a renewed mind, renewed obedience, regular
use of various means of growing in grace, regular reporting to
responsible shepherds, and reading good literature on these
subjects. I address the issue of lust in men, but the same is
true for women. Consider each one in sequential order.
REGENERATION: Jesus made it clear that the new birth is not
optional, but absolutely essential. The unregenerate church
member is incapable of producing the fruit of the Spirit as
opposed to the deeds of the flesh (John 3:3-8; 15:4-5; Gal
5:16-26). If the disciple is a goat and not a sheep, chaff and
not wheat, deep and lasting change is impossible. While a
subjectively oriented inquisition is not helpful, a gentle probe
can help. If Dr. C. John Miller had not probed my heart when I
was in my first year of seminary, I might still be fighting a
losing battle against my sins of the flesh, failing and on my
way to a Christ-less eternity in hell! The pastor who is
counseling should not try to be the Holy Spirit, of course; but
he should ask questions and observe responses in ways that bring
to light the true condition of the disciple’s heart.
RENEWED REPENTANCE AND FAITH: If there is evidence that the
disciple is truly converted and he is a member in good standing
of a Bible-believing church, then he must be renewed in his
relationship with the Father through the Son by the power of the
Spirit. Unless the brother can, to some extent, pray Psalm 51 with
a straight face and heart, he is still trapped in sin and
self-deception. Most believers caught in sin know they are
wrong, just as David did. Yet it took the Spirit, using Nathan,
for David to crack and repent (2 Sam 12:1-14). C. John Miller’s
Repentance and the 21st Century Man is very helpful. Repentance
is simply the flip side of the coin of faith. The brother must
look to Christ for forgiveness in a fresh way (1 John 1:9-2:3).
He must realize he is a new creature in Christ—justified,
adopted, united with the Vine and sanctified (1 Cor 6:9-11; Heb
11-12).
RENEWED MIND: If the brother is to win, he must know his
enemies—idolatry, covetousness, impurity. His mind must begin to
perceive life in general and sexuality in particular in the
light of God’s word (Eph 4:17-24, 5:3-21; 1 Tim 5:1-2). He has
to see and respond as God’s adopted son, not as a pagan or an
orphan.
RENEWED OBEDIENCE: He must understand the nature of covenant
faithfulness and his part in progressive sanctification. This
process is called mortification and vivification by the Puritans
or “put off and put on” by Jay Adams. Adams’ works and those by
Kris Lundgaard are helpful here. (3)
REGULAR USE OF VARIOUS MEANS OF GROWING IN GRACE: The
disciple cannot win the battle while he is weak. Public worship
including the preaching of the good news of God’s grace in
Christ, the Lord’s Supper, prayer alone and with others, Bible
reading, and fellowship with the saints is foundational to
spiritual vitality.
REGULAR REPORTING TO RESPONSIBLE SHEPHERDS: This may be the
most underused tool in the battle against these sins (Jas
5:13-18). Shepherding starts with the pulpit but must never end
there (Matt 18:15-20; Luke 17:1-10). Someone must monitor the
brother as a coach or trainer would (Gal 6:1-2). Accountability
is essential. A man who will not submit to a shepherd whom he
sees will not submit to a Shepherd that he does not see (1 John
4:20). READING ABOUT THESE ISSUES: To ignore the wisdom of the
elders of past generations and the developing classics of today
is folly (Prov 1-9).
Conclusion
Jesus is exalted at the Father’s side and rules over all His
enemies, including sexual sins. He is crowned, thus the victory
is ours. On this “pagan planet,” in a crumbling culture
saturated with sleazy sex, porn is norm. But for you, child of
God, Christ is the norm and purity is possible. Don’t exchange
your eternal inheritance and reward for some temporary sexual
stimulation (Heb 12:16-17). Don’t be led like an ox to the
satanic slaughterhouse (Prov 7:6-23). Keep your eyes fixed in
faith upon Jesus and follow His footsteps to glory (Heb 12:1-2).
(4)
FOOTNOTES
1 Jones, Peter, Capturing the Pagan Mind (Nashville:
Broadman & Holman, 2003).
2 In addition, the Internet poses a problem for women as well.
While not as drawn to porn as men, the Internet replaces the
romantic or raunchy novel as a major polluter of women's hearts.
I know of several instances of women leaving their husbands and
children for a total stranger met online.
3 Lundgaard, Kris, The Enemy Within
(Phillipsburg: P&R, 1998).
___, Through the Looking Glass (Phillipsburg: P&R, 2000).
4 Please refer to suggested references.
This article is not intended to be comprehensive due to the
limits of space. For further information, here are some
suggested references on this topic: BOOKS
Harris, Josh, Not Even a Hint (Sisters: Multnomah, 2003).
Wilson, Doug, Fidelity (Moscow: Canon Press, 1999).
Hall, Laurie, An Affair of the Mind (Colorado Springs: Focus on
the Family, 1996).
Journal of Biblical Counseling, Vol. 13, No. 3 (available at
Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation,
www.ccef.org).
AUDIO
"The Pain of Porn" by Jim Newheiser, # ibc0111
"Purifying the Heart of Sexual Idolatry" by John Street, #
ibc0314
(These can be ordered from www.soundword.com) Ó2006
Westminster Seminary California All rights reserved
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Hywel R. Jones
Peter R. Jones
Joel E. Kim
Julius J. Kim
George C. Scipione
Robert B. Strimple
David M. VanDrunen
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