The 6th Commandment says, "You shall not commit adultery. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other." Jesus spoke of adultery in the Gospel according to St. Matthew saying, "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).  One of the great Kings of the Old Testament, King David, fell into great sins because of his lust for Bathsheba, Uriah's wife. Lust is a sin that kills and damages more than we can ever comprehend. 

 Lust manifests itself in many forms. Some cheat on their spouses, and some don't even get married because they don't want to be tied down to one sexual partner for the rest of their life. Lust is something that we know and feel we shouldn't do, but society tells us that if we feel this way, then we shouldn't resist it, but instead allow ourselves to be satisfied. This is difficult when we have to seek out this satisfaction from another human being because we can always be rejected. However, with the advent of pornography, lust has become easier to satisfy and harder to overcome. Porn is an evil that does more than allow us to satisfy a sinful desire, but instead is a demon incarnate that destroys our conscience. Reverend Peterson preached on dangers of pornography in his Reminiscere Sunday sermon preaching, "To open the internet to a porn site is to open a portal for the demons to come into your home."

Yes, being addicted to Porn is a real thing. It is not as easy as putting the magazine down, or saying you won't go and buy that movie from the store. Porn is available on your computer and even on your phone. Yes, you can access a porn site and no one ever has to know you have the addiction. Unlike alcohol addiction which shows in our drunken demeanor, porn does not show up. The physical response to just looking at pornography is the same as using any psychoactive substance. Yes, porn is a polydrug, a drug that alters the state of the brain. Getting out of porn is just as difficult, or more so, than using drugs that change your chemical balance. Porn is something that both men and women struggle with today, and it is something that our culture tells them is ok as long as it makes them happy. So, we have the devil, the world, and the sinful flesh against us when we talk about overcoming the dangers of porn addiction.

Wretched men that we are. Who will save us from porn addiction? Who will look at us and have pity? Who will seek  to rescue all of us from our lustful desires and our selfish intents? Who will rescue the porn addict? 

Jesus will. Yes, Jesus came and assumed the sin of the porn addict. Yes, Jesus came and made as His very own every time you go online and type in your favorite site. Yes, Jesus came and made as His very own your repeat visits to a particular porn stars homepage. Yes, Jesus came and made as His own every time you don't want to do it, but you lock the door hoping no one interrupts your alone time to just feed the addiction so you can go back to your normal life. Yes, Jesus came and became the Porn Addict on the cross. Yes, Jesus knew as He carried the cross to Golgotha all your porn addiction, all that your wandering eyes look at rather than living a sexually pure and decent life. Yes, Jesus knew it, and claimed it all as His own. Jesus, on the cross, paid the debt you owe to the Father for every broken promise, every time you say, "This is it. This is the last time I'm going to go to that site. I'm removing that app from my phone now God, and moving my computer into a public area in my house. I promise God, I won't do it again." And then you do, and Jesus became that broken promise on the cross. Jesus became your porn addiction, so that He may overcome all the demons that have been let into your life. 

Yes, Jesus paid for all your sin of porn addiction on the cross. What does this mean? It means that you are forgiven. It means that you are clean. That's the big deal. You are forgiven, and because Jesus forgives you, you are clean and pure. You don't feel pure, and you don't see yourself as clean and holy. But you are in Christ in the forgiveness of your sins. Yes, no matter how many repeat visits, Jesus repeats His declaration that, on the cross He purchased salvation for you that you may be forgiven your addiction and set free from it. Yes, Jesus sets you free, cleanses your eyes, hands, and feet and releases you from your bondage to porn. Yes, Jesus works to set you free that porn may trouble you no more. Jesus's hands and feet were pierced for you, that your hands, eyes, and feet may be purified in His righteous blood. Jesus works to free your brain from the images and your body from the temporal satisfaction that leaves you feeling like a piece of dirt. Yes, you are forgiven. You are forgiven for using porn to satisfy yourself. You are forgiven your addictions. You are forgiven for what porn did to your relationships. You are forgiven for what porn did to your conscience. You are forgiven for what you and porn did to your relationship with God, your spouse, your children, and everyone else around you. Because Jesus forgives you, you can now heal and be clean and have a right relationship with both God and your neighbor.

Jesus died on the cross for the porn addict, and that means that you are forgiven all your sins, including your addiction to porn. Take heart then, and may the Holy Spirit grant you grace as you struggle with your addiction, knowing that you struggle with a sin that Jesus has already overcome for you. Yes, He overcame it on the cross and forgives you every time you fail in the midst of your temptation. Take heart, you are forgiven.

Peace be with you. May the devil be silenced, the world be hushed, and the Old Adam be drowned anew so that you may hear only the peaceful voice of your Savior Jesus who says, "I love you. I forgive you. I claim you as My own forever," Amen.

Jesus' Sheepdog