The Idols of Sexual Pleasure and Pornography

Romans 1:24-25 is a passage that shows us the root cause of idolatry and it shows us many of the things we choose to worship instead of our Creator. This passage says this about people who reject truth, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” We come to serve the creature… we are given over to fulfill our lusts and to dishonor our bodies. And one of the desires Paul shows us that we are given over to in worship is sexual perversions. Most would agree that the idol of sex is destroying our families, our nation, and our culture. “If it feels good do it” is the catch phrase of the day; or YOLO… you only live once! You only live once, so why deny yourself of the pleasures that things in this life, such as sex, brings? Do what you can to be happen and have sexual relationships with whomever you want. 

When talking about sexual desires and actions, we fail to realize or remember at times that they can be equally as intoxicating and can equally become an addiction for us. For instance, let’s talk for a moment about pornography. I have spent time talking to and trying to help a few men deal with addictions to pornography. To see how this sin controls their lives is sobering. It is so destructive to them and their relationships. It is destructive to their minds and their bodies. And it is destructive to their relationship with God. And so many, no matter how much they may agree with these things, are so controlled by the addiction that they just feel they are trapped and cannot get out. This is a big issue in our country today. It is shocking to see just how many teenagers are affected by it and overcome by it. One survey showed this staggering statistic: only 3% of boys and 17% of girls have never seen internet pornography…[1] Let that sink in for a moment. It is much more wide spread than we tend to think at times. We live in a culture that is obsessed with sex and perverting God’s intentions for it. It should not surprise us then that this is a popular addiction for men in the United States. Roughly two-thirds (67 percent) of young men and one-half (49 percent) of young women in our country agree that viewing pornography is acceptable.[2] Porn sites get more visitors each month than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined![3] And let’s not think that this is only an issue amongst teenagers in the world. It is also a problem in the church. even amongst God’s people. I have been part of prayer groups where 8 out of 10 of the males involved (the majority of which claim to be disciples of Christ) were currently have struggles with addictions to sexual sin, looking at pornography, and self-stimulation.

Have you ever found yourself captured by the allure of pornography? Or are you trapped in it? Is it an idol to you? If so, I could not encourage you more strongly to get help before it destroys you. Don’t let pornography or any other sexual addiction be an idol to you. God calls each one of us to holiness as His people. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6 that sexual sin defiles our bodies which are temples of the Holy Spirit. He also says in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, “ For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality.”


[1] http://www.covenanteyes.com/2010/08/19/teens-and-porn-10-stats-your-need-to-know/

[2] http://www.internetsafety101.org/Pornographystatistics.htm#_ftn7

[3] ibid.