Day 3: Get Your Power from the Source
Hey, it’s Benjamin again.
I’m not sure how many men use electric shavers. You can tell that I use an electric beard trimmer but not an electric shaver. But I did own one in the past. And here’s the worst: when it’s just starting to run out of power.
Do you know what I’m talking about? Rather than cutting the hair on your face and neck, it begins to pull the hair out, which is terrible.
In a sense, this is what it’s like to live the Christian life on your own power. You do the best you can to be honest and pure and do your devotionals and do whatever else God might require of you, but you’re doing it all in your own strength trying desperately to earn God’s favor.
This does not work—at least it does not work over the long haul. You can’t earn what can only be given.
The good news of Christianity is that while we were still sinners—while we were in the very act (we might say) of using porn—Christ died for us, taking the punishment we deserved (Romans 5:8). Then he rose again to new life on the third day. And he sits in heaven and will come again for his own. When you trust in that hope—that God already loves you because of Jesus—then you have the power you need to fight the sin in your life.
So, if you’re going to struggle against sexual sin and use these strategies I’m going to share (any strategies, really), then the first thing that must take place is for you to become a Christian.
And many of you watching are already Christians. That’s great. But perhaps here at the start it’s good to remind you that the only sin you can successfully fight against is a sin that’s already been forgiven by Jesus. If you fall back into the mindset that you must earn God’s love, you’ll never do it. You’ll never be pure enough. You’ll never be free enough from lust and sexual sin that God will say to you, “Congratulations, now I will love you.” But now, in the gospel, he tells us he already loves us. This is the source of our power for purity.
Diagnostic Questions:
If you’re not a Christian, are there people in your life who can help you figure out what it means to follow Jesus and trust him as your Savior? If so, are you willing to reach out to them?
If you are a Christian, think for a moment about how you became a Christian. Can you explain the message of salvation? If you need help, who can help you better explain the gospel?
Take 5 minutes to think and pray about these questions. Tomorrow I’ll talk about why cultivating humility is so important in your struggle against lust.
Previous Videos:
Thank you for watching these videos. If you’ve found them helpful, be sure to share them with your friends and church leadership. To go deeper on each of these strategies (and a dozen other strategies), check out my book Struggle Against Porn: 29 Diagnostics for Your Head and Heart.
